Vrindavan
A town of several thousand temples where Krishna is said to have spent his childhood, loud with devotional song.
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Vrindavan is the forest of Braj where Krishna is said to have lived as a boy and danced with the gopis, and it has accumulated temples ever since, counted in the thousands, from the sixteenth-century Madan Mohan and Govind Dev built in red sandstone to Banke Bihari, where the curtain before the image is drawn and closed every few minutes so that devotees are not overwhelmed by the sight. The Prem Mandir and ISKCON temples are modern additions. Kirtan and the name of Krishna sound from open doorways at all hours, monkeys work the lanes for spectacles and phones, and the Yamuna runs past the ghats.
What you actually see
- Banke Bihari - the temple where the curtain opens and closes every few minutes.
- Govind Dev and Madan Mohan - sixteenth-century red sandstone temples.
- The kirtan - devotional singing sounding from lanes at all hours.
- The ghats - steps to the Yamuna at the town's edge.
When to go
October to March; Holi in Braj, in February or March, is spectacular and overwhelming, with widow and flower Holi celebrations here. Janmashtami also brings enormous crowds.
Honest expectations
Monkeys snatch glasses, phones and bags routinely and are the main practical hazard. Lanes are crowded and touts persistent. Photography inside main shrines is prohibited.
Nearby
Mathura lies south; Govardhan is west.
What to pack for Vrindavan
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.