In the search of good place and pleasent weather we always ignore the nearby weekend gateways to spend our holidays in Mountains & beaches. This time i have decided to visit Mathura & Vrindavan, city where Lord Krishna born and spend his childhood. It took only 3 hrs to reach Mathura from Delhi via Bus/Train and if you have your convenience like Car and Bike you will reach in 2 hrs.
There are lots of buses running from Delhi and Greater Noida to Mathura and Agra and the fair is only b/w 150-200 INR. Buses running from morning to the evening. I have decided to go in the morning bus and took my bus from sec 37 (BOTANICAL GARDEN BUS STAND, NOIDA). My bus left for Mathura at 8:00 A.M. in the morning and dropped me at Mathura highway crossing and from there i took a shared Autorickshaw which dropped me at Shri Krishna Janmbhumi, the first place to see and visit in the Mathura. I got my lunch from a good dhaba which cost me 120 INR and after that i went to the Shri Krishna Janmbhumi Temple.
SHRI KRISHNA JANMBHUMI
Cloak room facilities available where you can keep your bag and also mobile phones and electronic gadgets because all these are not allowed in the temple premises.
Cloak room charges you 10 INR for bags and 2 INR each for mobile phones and electronic gadgets.
After all these go and wash your hands and feet and then you will get to enter the temple premise. The first thing which attracts you the big main entrance gate and then after there is a main temple of Lord Krishna where the time to visit and pay you respect is very limited the door of main temple opened in the morning 4 A.M and closes at 12:00 P.M sharp and after that the door of temple will open at 4:00 P.M in the evening. After your visit to the temple you will go and visit other temples along with the main temple and the main place to visit after the temple is a prision where Lord Krishna born. The place is beautifully designed and the art of chisel and architecture attracts you and you will see the exact place where Shri Krishna was born. Go and visit the place pay your respect get the blessings and then there are two places specially made for the tourists to show the Lord Krishna's childhood and all of his wonders in the Mathura via hand made architecture and also self running statue which runs via electricity with small description mentioned on the boards so that you can easily understand all the tales of Lord Krishna and his wonders.
After visiting all this places go amd have Mathura's special lassi and rabadi which are mandatory to taste.
Vrindavan
After your visit the next main thing is to go to Vrindavan. Many local and government buses running on the road for Vrindavan and the cost of the ticket is only b/w 16-20 INR. Bus will drop you at Vrindavan Bus Stand and it took only 20-30 min. to reach Vrindavan and from there you can go by walk or by Autorickshaw.
BEWARE: AFTER REACHING VRINDAVAN PLEASE BEWARE OF THE MONKEYS, PLEASE KEEP YOUR MOBILE PHONES, GLASSES AND HANDY OBJECT IN YOU BAGS OR ELSE YOU WILL LOSSE THEM TO THE MONKEYS.
SOLUTION: IF YOUR OBJECTS CAUGHT BY THE MONKEY WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY GO TO THE SHOP AND BY FROOTI AND THROW THE SAME IN THE DIRECTION WHERE THE MONKEY WAS SITTING WITH YOUR OBJECT AFTER GETTING THE FROOTI (PLEASE NOTE ONLY FROOTI) HE WILL LEAVE YOUR OBJECT AND WENT ON THE OTHER HUNT.
NIDHIVAN, VRINDAVAN
TIMINGS:
Summer: 05:00 am. to 08:00 pm.
Winter: 06:00 am. to 07:00 pm.
The first place to visit in Vrindavan is NIDHIVAN please note the timing of opening of the Nidhi Vaan is 3 p.m. sharp. I recommend you to take a local guide with you if you are visiting the vaan or else you can not understand the significance and importance and the tales of NIDHIVAN. the guides were actually the local residents of Vrindavan who coat you only 50 INR and they will let you know the whole facts and importance of the NIDHIVAN.
Nidhivan means the Forest of Tulsi. Nidhivan is one of the sacred forest in Vrindavan. Nidhivan is considered as the most prominent site dedicated to the Radha Krishna and their gopis. It is the common belief among devotees that Nidhivan still witnesses the Raslila (dance) of Radha and Krishna during night time and thus, nobody is allowed to stay inside the premises of Nidhivan at night if anyone tried to do so he will found blind or physically impaired. In the nightime none of the houses windows near the Nidhivan are opened they are always closed with the curtains on.
The site has numerous Tulsi plants short plants which all are closely connected and entangled with each other. In the forest there Is a temple called "Bansichor Radha" where Radha has stolen the flute of Krishna, a shrine dedicate to Swami Haridas who made the idol of Banke Bihari. There is a house called "Rang Mahal" where it is believed that Krishna and Radha spend their night after raslila. There is also a small pound situated which know as Lalita Kund which was believed to be made by Krishna himself when gopis asked for water amidst of Raslila.
Every single sites in the NidhiVan has it's own significance and tales.
RANG MAHAL
TULSI PLANTS
APPEARANCE OF BANKE BIHARI
After a walk in the Nidhivan i went to Banke bihari Temple the main temple of Vrindavan and there are also many temples you can visit on your way to Banke Bihari temple.
Banke Bihari Temple
TIMINGS:
Summer: 07:45 am. to 12:00 pm. & 05:30 am. to 09:30 pm.
Winter: 08:45 am. to 01:00 pm. & 04:30 am. to 08:00 pm.
Banke Bihari Temple is one of the sacred temple in Mathura that is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Constructed in 1864. People came here from different locations across the India to pay their respects.
Banke Bihari Temple was established by Swami Haridas guru of the singer Tansen. It is believed that on the request of there disciples Swami Haridas sang a verse Radha Krishna appeared infront of them. At the request of Swami Radha Krishna merged into one and the idol of Banke Bihari appeared.
Getting the darshan of Banke Bihari is worth your trip and don't forget to bring the peda in praasad the famous sweet of Mathura.
Shri Shri Krishna Balram Temple (ISKCON Vrindavan)
Inaugurated in 1977 Shri Shri Krishna Balaram Temple is one of the major ISKCON TEMPLE in Vrindavan. The temple is dedicated to the Lord Krishna and Balrama.
The temple is filled with the tourists from all over the world and the devotees of Krishna who gave it all to the Krishna who leaves the material life and only living his life for Krishna and in the name of Krishna. The place has its own vibes and place is very beautifully constructed with white marbles and has Swami Prabhupada's Samadhi and museums where you will get to know about his life and works. Place is always in the name of krishna and the chants of " Hare Rama Hare Krishna".
Prem Mandir
Prem Mandir is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Radha Krishna and Sita Ram. Constructed in 55 acres by Jagatguru Kripaluji Maharaj. The beautiful temple has two levels on the first the diety of RADHA KRISHNA & on the second level diety of SITA RAM. Figures of Shri Krishna and his followers depicting important events surrounding the Lord's existence cover the main temple.
Surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains, the temple complex has life-size depictions of four leelas of Shri Krishna – Jhulan leela, Govardhan leela, Raas leela and Kaliya Naag leela.
Prem Mandir is famous for its beautiful architectures and the lightings of different colors in the night time which attracts the tourists most. The temple is made with Italian Marbles and it took 12 years to complete the constitution which cost approx. 150 crore.
Visiting all these important sites took me one day i started my journey from 11:00 am. And WITHOUT taking rest i have visited all these places and the darshan of Banke Bihari and the environment and the vibes of Iskcon temples made by visit worth.
राधे राधे |||
