Finding a Tranquil Hidden Gem Amidst the Touristy Vrindavan!

Tripoto
Photo of Finding a Tranquil Hidden Gem Amidst the Touristy Vrindavan! 1/11 by Raghav Rai Ralhan
Naya Rangji Mandir

As I was driving towards my Hotel in Vrindavan, I saw this temple in one of the narrow lanes. The beauty of the place instantly attracted me. So, I decided to go inside and see what the place is all about.

Photo of Finding a Tranquil Hidden Gem Amidst the Touristy Vrindavan! 2/11 by Raghav Rai Ralhan

The place was filled with nothing but these young kids dressed in orange robes. The structure which attracted me was just the gate to the actual temple. And between the Temple and the Gate was this compound where all of these kids were sitting.

Photo of Finding a Tranquil Hidden Gem Amidst the Touristy Vrindavan! 3/11 by Raghav Rai Ralhan

The most surprising thing for me was that the place was open for all just like any other temple, yet there were no tourists. It is a strange thing for a place like Vrindavan which is always filled with devotees.

Photo of Finding a Tranquil Hidden Gem Amidst the Touristy Vrindavan! 4/11 by Raghav Rai Ralhan

Because of it being hidden from the tourist radar, I think the kids were not used to being in front of the camera and thanks to that, I got to capture some real emotions.

Photo of Finding a Tranquil Hidden Gem Amidst the Touristy Vrindavan! 5/11 by Raghav Rai Ralhan
Photo of Finding a Tranquil Hidden Gem Amidst the Touristy Vrindavan! 6/11 by Raghav Rai Ralhan
Photo of Finding a Tranquil Hidden Gem Amidst the Touristy Vrindavan! 7/11 by Raghav Rai Ralhan
Photo of Finding a Tranquil Hidden Gem Amidst the Touristy Vrindavan! 8/11 by Raghav Rai Ralhan

Finally, I sat down with this kid and asked him about this place. He told me that this is their school. The adjacent building to the temple was their hostel and they all are taking education to become Pandits (a Brahman scholar or a teacher of any field of knowledge in Hinduism, particularly the Vedic scriptures.)

Photo of Finding a Tranquil Hidden Gem Amidst the Touristy Vrindavan! 9/11 by Raghav Rai Ralhan

All of them had to perform some kind of a ritual before sunset. The kid who was talking to me and the others who were free had already completed the ritual and the remaining were focused completely on completing that. They were so focused that they didn't care if someone (I) was standing beside them holding a camera over their head.

Photo of Finding a Tranquil Hidden Gem Amidst the Touristy Vrindavan! 10/11 by Raghav Rai Ralhan

The kid told me that after the ritual, all of them will go inside the temple to attend the final class for the day.

Photo of Finding a Tranquil Hidden Gem Amidst the Touristy Vrindavan! 11/11 by Raghav Rai Ralhan
inside the Actual temple.

When all of them entered the class, their teacher asked them how many have not done their homework and literally everyone stood up to get their punishment. Their honesty surprised me but I decided not to capture that out of respect. So, the photo above was the last one I took and then we left and continued our journey.

Have you also come across a hidden gem in an otherwise touristy place? Tell me in the comments below!