Vrindavan, 10 kilometers from Mathura, is its twin city. It too is an important part of the Krishna legend and is the seat of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. There are many important temples in Vrindavan and if you’ve come to Mathura, chances are that you will be visiting Vrindavan too.
vrindavan
Mahaban – Gokul
Across the river from Mathura is Gokul, the town where Krishna is said to have grown up. The village is approached by a flight of steps from the river. According to legend, Krishna revealed his divinity to his foster mother Yashoda here. When she reprimanded him for eating mud and forced him to open his mouth, she saw the entire universe inside it. The headquarters of the Vallabhacharya sect of Hinduism are located in Gokul.
mahaban gokul
Govardhan
26 kms. west of Mathura on the highway leading to Deeg is the Govardhan hill. Krishna was said to have balanced this hill on his little finger for seven days and seven nights to give protection to the people of Braj from a deluge brought about by the fury of Indra, the lord of thunder. Pilgrims go around this hill on foot as a form of prayer. Govardhan sits next to the Mansi Ganga, a tank built in 1637 by Raja Bhagwan Das of Amber.
govardhan
Barsana - Nandgaon
56 kilometres from Mathura is Nandgaon, Lord Krishna’s village. And 50 kms from Mathura is Barsana, the village of Radha, his consort. Both the villages are at the base of hills with steps leading up to clusters of temples. They are believed to have been originally dedicated to Brahma and Shiva and at a later date to have been appropiated by the Krishna myth. The temples in Barsana include the Radha Rani temple or “Ladliji” temple, as Radha was lovingly called in her village. In the Mor-kutir, built some 300 years ago, women celebrate the birth of Radha by feeding sweets to peacocks (mor). In Nandgaon the main temple of Nand Rai was built in the 18th century.
