Acharya Karan V – The name “Vrindavan” or “Brindavan” echoes in the mind along with that of “Mathura” whenever one talks about Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna is fondly called “Mathura Vrindavan Ka Chora” or the young lad of Mathura Vrindavan by his devotees.

The place used to be flooded with lots of forests and it is believed that the Lord spent most of his childhood here, prancing around with His friends, herding cows around the forest as He played melodious and mesmerizing tunes on his flute. One visiting the remaining forested regions of Vrindavan can still feel the reverberations of the flute, the giggling of Krishna with his friends riding the cows playfully.

Located 10 km from Mathura, Vrindavan harbors innumerable temples dedicated to Krishna and to His bond as well that he shared with His mate Radha. Temples such as Ranganath, Gopinath and Govindadev are the ones frequently visited by the devotees. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is credited for finding the lost glory of Vrindavan around the first half of 16th century as he wandered about in the forested regions of Vrindavan, being in a state of trance, singing and humming devotional songs dedicated to Krishna.

A holy pilgrimage site for Hindus and a religious spot of extreme importance for tourists, Vrindavan is visited by thousands every day. Devout followers try to revisit the bond Radha and Krishna shared with each other by indulging in worshipping their idols and chanting religious songs.

One of the most common rituals every devotee tries to follow here is visiting almost all of the temples in Vrindavan. Some of the frequently visited temples are Shri Radha Krishna Temple located in South East and Madan Mohan Temple – the oldest one and most venerated in Vrindavan – that shares its close links with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Other temples like Mira Bai Temple, Garud Govind Temple, Bankey Bihar Temple and Prem Mandir are also frequently visited by the devotees.

As the popular saying goes, Vrindavan is always in festive moods, with lots of festivals celebrated throughout the year. Some of the common ones are Samvatsar which is first day of the New Year, Haryali Teej – a famous festival marking swings or “Jhoolas” being tied around the trees, Krishna Janamashtmi – the birthday of the Lord, Sharad Poornima – a day marking “Maharaas” or a state of extreme devotional ecstasy and Holika Dahan – the colorful festival of Holi.