THE VIRTUE OF VRINDAVAN
There go the virtuous
DAY 1- WHEN WE BEGIN TO FIND VIRTUES IN MATHURA
Vrindavan is the holy place where Lord Krishna jumped, skipped, and danced during childhood. Krishna was born in Mathura. Two hours by train separates these cities, both located in Uttar Pradesh. Despite this, we found ourselves in Mathura one and a half hours after we left from Delhi’s Nizamuddin Railway Station. We left to see the virtues of Vrindavan- Mathura.
JANMABHOOMI
On a Sunday morning, wide-eyed and bleary, we start our journey, blood pumping with excitement, to see where Lord Krishna was born. Naturally, ‘Janmabhoomi’ was the first place we had unanimously agreed to visit. ‘Janmabhoomi’ or birthplace is where Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu manifested in the prison cell of his maternal uncle- Kansa.
As put forward by many historians and Hindus, the actual birthplace of Lord Krishna allegedly lies underneath the Shahi Idgah Mosque, which stands right beside the temple complex. Armed guards dutifully stand at the barbed fence protecting either side. Both parties undoubtedly contend with this issue.
We arrived just in time for the morning ‘arti’ and stayed for half an hour, soaking in the positive vibrancy of standing in an energized place like the Lord’s birthplace.
YAMUNA GHAT
Our next destination was Dwarkadhish temple, but we arrived early and the temple was one hour away from opening. Yamuna Ghat is a hundred meters away from the main temple, and again we reached a mutual conclusion to go for a boat ride and invariably seek blessings from River Yamuna. During the twenty- minute boat ride, we observed different ‘ghats’ or river banks, Kansa’s palace, and the different ancient havelis that housed the affluent families of Mathura back in the day. Seagulls flew overhead and a pleasant cloud cover shielded us during the informative ride, protecting us from the harsh sun.
DWARKADHISH TEMPLE
Upon completion of the boat ride, we stood in front of the main gates of Dwarkadhish, where Holi celebrations were already underway. Multicolored rainbow-personified people walked in a devoted trance and yelled the Lord’s name in bliss. The temple is one of the holiest places in Mathura, where the Dwarkanath form of Krishna sits on a jeweled throne. During Holi, the festive hour of ‘arti’ found us once again smeared in ‘gulal’ or holy colors, as most of us joyously participated in Krishna’s grand celebration. We collectively felt the thrill in our blood. All of felt the infectious energy.
VAMOS A VRINDAVAN
RANGNATH TEMPLE
Vrindavan was our next stop as all eight of us sat ourselves in the big autos that ran wild in the streets and made our merry way to the stomping grounds of Lord Krishna. We decided to visit Rangnath Mandir next. As the name suggests, the temple houses Sri Ranganatha in a sleeping pose atop Shesh Nag. The entire temple reflects the Dravidian style of South- Indian architecture that presents itself in the form of intricate carvings and murals built in the pristine stoned walls of the temple. There was an electronic show showcasing the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu, and their stories. A few doors down, bronze, copper, and silver chariots and thrones from different decades were housed in a museum. You can feel the dynamic energy as you see the chariots being placed with power. It’s as if they eagerly await union with the Lord himself, standing guard till he arrives.
HUNT FOR ACCOMMODATION
It was late afternoon by now, we were hungry and tired from carrying our backpacks everywhere. Then started the search for accommodation for the night. A ten-minute rickshaw ride later, we found ourselves on the outer road leading to Nidhi Van. Luckily, we found a cozy ‘Dharamshala’ with comfortable rooms where we freshened up. Hunger had caught up to us, and we stepped out to enjoy the delicacies of local restaurants that offered the richest and most delicious food I have ever had. The paneer break pakora was the best thing we had, with generous three-inch slabs of paneer between gram flour-covered bread. Everybody enjoyed simple and unlimited thalis, and with revived energy(after a brief hour nap) we made our way to Nidhi Van.
NIDHI VAN
Nidhi Van is an enigma- the mysterious magic magic-filled place where Lord Krishna dances every night amongst twisted trees and a forest full of Tulsi. People are not allowed to enter Nidhi Van after sunset, as those who have sneaked in at night have been known to behave erratically or go berserk. Their claims often mention the Lord dancing with his ‘gopis’ and the sheer madness of the event was too much for their mortal minds.
EVEN THE MONKEYS HAVE A VIRTUE (FOR FRUITY)
We stopped to shop a little in the market complex right outside the sacred forest, where I had my fated monkey encounter should I say a fun mishap. We were warned time and time again to keep our phones and spectacles in check, or better yet- out of sight. My pants, unfortunately, did not have pockets, hence the shawl I was carrying was the best space to house my phone with crossed arms. Someone snatched my phone right after I had made a payment and was deciding on our next spot. People around me started screaming while all I could do was laugh deliriously at the monkey climbing a top a roof. The naughty ape was chewing on my phone! Bystanders yelled instructions at me to buy juice packets, which they then threw at the little thief. The monkey caught the juice box but tossed my phone to his companion. Desperate pleas bypassed my relief for more juice boxes. Five juices later, the second monkey threw my phone to the floor and that is how dear readers, I got my kidnapped phone back. The moral of the story is- beware of monkeys in Vrindavan, they are as incorrigible as people say.
RADHA DAMODAR TEMPLE
The sun set over us as we made our way to Radha Damodar Mandir. It was well past five now. The first thing I witnessed was the presence of many Bengalis in and around the temple. The ululation performed by women surrounded us once again as we were in time for the ‘arti’. The ‘ulu Dhoni’ resonated during any religious function, marriage, or pooja. It is a loud voice made by the tongue and is generally interpreted as a tongue call.
While performing the ‘parikrama’ or circumambulation, we saw a ‘gaushala’ or cow shed right behind the main deity’s statue. We were told that circumambulating the temple four times is equal to circumambulating ‘Govardhan Hill or Parvat’ once. This is the same ‘Parvata’ that Lord Krishna raised on his right hand’s pinkie finger to save his hometown from the onslaught of heavy thunderstorms.
RADHA VALLABH TEMPLE
After the four parikramas. we began walking to Radha Vallabh Mandir, which is not far from Bihari Ji’s mandir. It lies a mere cliff away. Enormous crowds greeted every place we visited, but it was here that we all hesitated to move forward. The narrow entrance seemed like it because of five lanes of people who looked on top of each other due to the lack of space. An event short of a stampede occurred where I found myself almost trampled by a mass of devotees.
A young gentleman beside me laughed and commented- ‘Radha Vallabh hai, darshan durlabh hai’ which means- ‘To see Radha Vallabh is difficult’. He further explained to his friends how this temple is notoriously famous for people coming far and wide to gaze at the divine mother and not being able to. After nearly being trampled and contemplating leaving the temple premises, I steeled my resolve upon hearing this comment. Somewhere along the way, my peers had moved forward and I was all alone without my phone in a mass of now irritated people. I pushed my way in slightly and moved forward until I stood directly in front of the main courtyard for another ‘arti’. I thanked the mother once more for allowing my eyes to gaze at her love-filled form.
BANKE BIHARI TEMPLE
The Banke Bihari temple was our next stop, one of the most revered and holy temples of Lord Krishna. One of our friend’s phones would be stolen again in our encounter with a tremendous crowd, resulting in an unfortunate turn of events. It is a curiousity that, to date, we have no clue if it was dropped or pickpocketed. We witnessed the ‘arti’ again since we entered when the temple was about to open for the ‘sandhya arti’.
Buying of pedas-We were ready with ‘Pedas’ as an offering and stood eager-eyed to get in. However, none of us anticipated the wave of people that rushed in behind us. In the chaos, we avoided a stampede but got separated from each other.
I am not a fan of wild crowds where nobody knows who they are. I thanked god for the chance to witness the rituals and even stand there as a devotee. However, I never got the chance to make it right in front of the deity. People were being pushed and pulled left, right, and center in a crowd that was far too large.
We returned home, all exhausted from a very long day of visiting temples and escaping monkey shenanigans. The rest would come in handy for the next day.
DAY 2
The day started at seven in the morning, whereupon feasting on thalis and bread pakoras we walked to Radha Raman Mandir. When we arrived before the temple opened, we stood in line and sang praises to the lord with other devotees in line. Once the gates opened, we stood for the entire ‘arti’, sought blessings, and sat as worshippers sang in glee and bliss, offering praises to Mother.
We checked out of the room and started for the last attractions of our trip- ISKCON Temple and Prem Mandir, with our bags in hand.
ISKCON TEMPLE
An undescribable beauty radiates from the temples. Hundreds of people come in and, sing in unison, charging the air with electric joy, where their magnificent aura radiates. The architecture is a marvel in itself. Upon entering ISKCON Temple, a burst of emotion flooded through me. It was as if the charged electricity had manifested in my bones and was performing little shocks to wake me. The tears rolled on their own accord, my peers stood stupefied and concerned. I cried for the half hour I was there, there was no end, no beginning, I was just feeling. Sometimes the divine performs little miracles that roll down cheeks! Who knows? I felt so blessed to be there that my body sensed the ethereal aura surrounding us.
PREM MANDIR
I got lost in the market complex outside ISKCON before visiting Prem Mandir, our last site of the day. The magnificent gardens have grass greener than the greenest pastures, skies bluer than the bluest of oceans, shining bright and sunny along the white marble temple that glows proudly in the sun. I fall short of adjectives that can accurately encompass the beauty of the temple. Their nightly light show we unfortunately could not see. The majestic lights illuminate the marble with hushed and revered silence under a starry night. It was insane to imagine and would be even unimaginable insane to witness. The beauty of the Lord transcends all words.
The market complex was where I bought some things for the family and myself, after which we made our way to the bus pickup point where we would leave for Delhi.
The trip was indeed a memorable one, as I write this still, I feel grateful to have visited so many pristine and holy places, especially in a short amount of time!
SOME TIPS:
- Please beware of monkeys, I know this is redundant but the cheeky bastards will knock your hats, glasses, and phones right out of your faces.
- Be vigilant while entering any temple, since a big crowd is usually a good shadow spot for pickpocketers, especially in Bihariji’s temple where there are cases filed and unfiled that people, unfortunately, have become targets in.
- Walking is the best way to explore this rich city and the local food shops, stalls, and restaurants have amazing food at the best prices, please try them out.
Lastly, have fun and experience the streets of Vrindavan- Mathura as you’d like, there are no hard and fast rules to play by.
I shall bid adieu to you till my next trip vlog. Please leave a comment with your experiences and if you have any funny encounters while you were visiting!
Hasta Luego!