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Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
. It is located in the Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance in
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
as
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...
spent most of his childhood days in this city. Vrindavan has about 5,500 temples dedicated to the worship of
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...
and his divine consort Radha. It is one of the most sacred places for
Vaishnavism Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as ...
tradition. Vrindavan is a significant part of the "Krishna pilgrimage circuit" which also includes Mathura, Barsana, Gokul, Govardhan, Kurukshetra, Dwarka and Puri.


Etymology

The ancient Sanskrit name of the city, (), comes from its groves of ''vṛndā'' ( Holy basil) and ''vana'' (a grove or forest).


Geography

Vrindavan is located at . It has an average elevation of 170 metres (557 feet).
Yamuna The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...
river flows through the city. It is located 125 km away from
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
and 15 km away from Mathura City.


Climate


Demographics

As of 2011 Indian Census, Vrindavan had a total population of 63,005, of which 34,769 were males and 28,236 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 7,818. The total number of literates in Vrindavan was 42,917, which constituted 68.11% of the population with male literacy of 73.7% and female literacy of 61.2%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Vrindavan was 77.8%, of which male literacy rate was 83.7% and female literacy rate was 70.3%. The sex ratio is 812 females per 1000 males. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 6,294 and 18, respectively. Vrindavan had 11,637 households in 2011. Vrindavan lies in the cultural region of
Braj Braj, also known as Vraj, Vraja, Brij or Brijbhoomi, is a region in India on both sides of the Yamuna river with its centre at Mathura-Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh state encompassing the area which also includes Palwal and Ballabhgarh in Hary ...
.


Religious heritage

Vrindavan is considered to be a sacred place for
Vaisnavism Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
tradition of
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
. The other prominent areas surrounding Vrindavan are Govardhana, Gokul, Nandgaon, Barsana, Mathura and
Bhandirvan Bhandirvan is an ancient religious site in Mant Tehsil of Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India. The site is associated with the legends of Hindu god Krishna and his chief consort goddess Radha. Transport Bhandirvan forest is ...
. Along with Vrindavan, all these places are considered to be the center of Radha and
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...
worship. Millions of devotees of
Radha Krishna Radha-Krishna (IAST , sa, राधा कृष्ण) are collectively known within Hinduism as the combined forms of feminine as well as the masculine realities of God. Krishna and Radha are the primeval forms of God and his pleasure pote ...
visit Vrindavan and its nearby areas every year to participate in number of festivals. Vrinda means Tulsi (A sacred species of flora) and van as forest, therefore Vrindavan is a holy forest of Tulsi. Vijaypal Baghel, known as GreenMan is promoting, planting and farming Tulsi in mass around the Vrindavan. The common salutation or greetings used in Braj region by its residents is ''
Radhe Radhe ''Radhe Radhe'', also spelled ''Radhey Radhey'', is a Hindi expression used as a greeting and salutation in the Braj region of India. The greeting is associated with the Hindu goddess Radha, who is the consort of Krishna. She is worshiped as t ...
'' which is associated with the Goddess Radha or Hare Krishna which is associated with Krishna.


History

Vrindavan has an ancient past, associated with Hindu culture and history, and was established in the 16th and 17th centuries as a result of an explicit treaty between Muslims and Hindu Emperors, and is an important Hindu pilgrimage site since long. Of the contemporary times, Vallabhacharya, aged eleven visited Vrindavan. Later on, he performed three pilgrimages of
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
, barefoot giving discourses on Bhagavad Gita at 84 places. These 84 places are known as
Pushtimarg Baithak Baithak or Bethak, , is a site considered sacred by the followers of the Pushtimarg tradition of Vaishnava Hinduism in India for performing devotional rituals. These sites are associated with Vallabhacharya Mahaprabhu, the founder of Pushtimarg ...
and since then are the places of pilgrimage. Yet, he stayed in Vrindavan for four months each year. Vrindavan thus heavily influenced his formation of Pushtimarg. The essence of Vrindavan was lost over time until the 16th century, when it was rediscovered by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In the year 1515, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Vrindavan, with the purpose of locating the lost holy places associated with Krishna's life. In the last 250 years, the extensive forests of Vrindavan have been subjected to urbanization, first by local Rajas and in recent decades by apartment developers. The forest cover has been whittled away to only a few remaining spots, and the local wildlife, including peacocks, cows, monkeys and a variety of bird species has been virtually eliminated.


Temples

Vrindavan, the land of
Radha Krishna Radha-Krishna (IAST , sa, राधा कृष्ण) are collectively known within Hinduism as the combined forms of feminine as well as the masculine realities of God. Krishna and Radha are the primeval forms of God and his pleasure pote ...
has about 5500 temples dedicated to them to showcase their divine pastimes. Some of the important pilgrimage sites are - * Shri Radha Madan Mohan Temple, located near the Kalidah Ghat was built by Kapur Ram Das of Multan. One of the oldest temples in Vrindavan, it is closely associated with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The original deity of Madan Gopal was shifted from the shrine to Karauli in Rajasthan for safekeeping during Aurangzeb's rule. Today, a replica of the original (deity) is worshipped at the temple * Sri Radha Raman Mandir, constructed at the request of Gopala Bhatta Goswami and houses a
saligram A shaligrama shila ( deva, शालिग्राम शिला, Śāligrāma-śilā), also rendered as shaligram, is a particular variety of stone collected from riverbed or banks of the Kali Gandaki, a tributary of the Gandaki River in ...
deity of Krishna as Radha Ramana, alongside Radha. * Banke Bihari Temple, built in 1862 after the image of Banke-Bihari was discovered in Nidhivan by Swami Haridas. * Radha Vallabh Temple is one of the ancient temple of Vrindavan. It was constructed in 1585 AD and was the first temple made up of red sandstones. * Radha Damodar Temple is a Gaudiya Vaishnavism temple, which is dedicated to Radha Krishna and was constructed in 1542 CE. * Sri Krishna-Balarama Temple was built by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Raman-Reti. The principal deities of this temple are Krishna and Balaram, with Radha– Shyamasundar and
Gaura ''Gaura'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, native to North America. The genus includes many species known commonly as beeblossoms. Recent genetic research has shown that the genus is paraphyletic unless the monotypic genu ...
- Nitai alongside. Adjoining the temple is the samadhi of
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami (; 1 September 1896 – 14 November 1977) was an Indian Gaudiya Vaishnava guru who founded ISKCON, commonly known as the " Hare Krishna movement". Members of ISKCON view Bhaktivedanta Swami as a rep ...
, the founder of ISKCON, built in pure white marble. * Prem Mandir is a spiritual complex situated on a 54-acre site on the outskirts of Vrindavan dedicated to divine love. The temple structure was established by spiritual guru Kripalu Maharaj. The main structure built in marble and figures of Krishna cover the main temple. *
Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir is a temple under early stages of construction at Vrindavan, Mathura, India. As planned, it will be the tallest religious monument in the world. At its potential cost of it is likely to be one of the most expensive ...
is housed in a modern geodesic structure with a traditional gopuram based on Khajuraho style of architecture. It is being built by one of the ISKCON factions based in
Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
. At cost of it will be the tallest temple in world on completion.


Transportation


Road

Vrindavan is well connected by roads and is connected to
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
by National Highway (NH) 44 of the Golden Quadrilateral network. Earlier it was NH 2. 129 km from
New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Hous ...
117 km from Gurgaon 54 km from Agra 9 km from Mathura While in Vrindavan, battery powered
e-rickshaw Electric rickshaws (also known as electric tuk-tuks or e-rickshaws or toto or e-tricycles) are small 3-wheeled vehicles powered by an electric motor and battery ranging from 650 to 1400 Watts. They save on fuel costs compared to auto rickshaws ...
are available for commuting within city-limits.


Rail

* BDB/Vrindavan is on the Mathura-Vrindavan MG link. * VRBD/Vrindavan Road is on the Agra-Delhi chord.


Flight

Nearest Airports are Agra Airport and New Delhi International Airport.


City of Widows

Vrindavan is also known as the "city of widows" due to the large number of widows who move into the town and surrounding area after losing their husbands. There are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 widows. The widows come from states of West Bengal, Assam and Odisha. Many spend time singing bhajan hymns at bhajanashrams. An organization called Guild of Service was formed to assist these deprived women and children. According to a survey report prepared by the government, several homes run by the government and different NGOs for widows.


Gallery

KesiGhat River.JPG, Keshi Ghat on banks of the
Yamuna The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...
river Vrindavan, India (20566547434).jpg, Rangaji Temple of Vrindavan PremMandirSideViewFromCanteen.jpg,
Prem Mandir, Vrindavan Prem Mandir (lit. The Temple of Love) is a Hindu temple in Vrindavan, Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is nearly holy city Mathura. It is maintained by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, an international non-profit, educational, spiritua ...
ISKON TEMPLE 1.jpg, Krishna Balaram Mandir Madanmohan Mandir Vrindavan.JPG, Radha Madan Mohan Temple, Vrindavan Radharani 5.jpg, Wall art of the name Radha Pagal Baba Mandir.jpg, Pagal Baba Temple


See also

* Gokul * Mathura * Barsana * Nandgaon * Radha Kund * Kusum Sarovar * Radha Rani Temple * Banke Bihari Temple * Radha Raman Temple * Radha Madan Mohan Temple, Vrindavan * Nidhivan *
Radha Krishna Radha-Krishna (IAST , sa, राधा कृष्ण) are collectively known within Hinduism as the combined forms of feminine as well as the masculine realities of God. Krishna and Radha are the primeval forms of God and his pleasure pote ...


References


External links

{{Authority control Krishna Cities and towns in Mathura district Vaishnavism Sacred groves Widowhood in India Yamuna River Rigvedic rivers Hinduism Krishna temples Locations in Hindu mythology Holy cities Hindu holy cities Hindu pilgrimages Hindu pilgrimage sites in India Religious tourism in India Ancient Indian cities