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Vrindavan
city
VrindavanLocation in Uttar Pradesh, India
Coordinates: 27°35′N 77°42′E / 27.58°N 77.7°E / 27.58; 77.7
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
District	Mathura
Elevation	170 m (560 ft)
Population
• Total	63,005
Languages
• Official	Hindi
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	281121

Vrindavan (pronunciation) is a town in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the site where according to Hinduism, Lord Krishna spent his childhood days. The town is about 11 km away from Mathura, Krishna's birthplace on the Agra-Delhi highway (NH 2). The town hosts many temples dedicated to the worship of Radha and Krishna and is considered sacred by Vaishnavism.

Etymology

The ancient Sanskrit name of the city, Vṛndāvana, comes from its groves of vṛndā Tulasi (tulsi, Holy Basil) Ocimum tenuiflorum with vana meaning a grove or a forest.

History

Vrindavan has an ancient past, associated with Hindu history, and is an important Hindu pilgrimage site. One of its oldest surviving temples is the Govinda Deva temple, built in 1590, with the town founded earlier in the same century. 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 Vrindavana, with the purpose of locating the lost holy places associated with Lord Sri Krishna's transcendent pastimes. Chaitanya wandered through the different sacred forests of Vrindavana in a spiritual trance of divine love. It was believed that by His divine spiritual power, He was able to locate all the important places of Krishna's pastimes in and around Vrindavana.

Geography

Vrindavan is located at 27°35′N 77°42′E / 27.58°N 77.7°E / 27.58; 77.7. It has an average elevation of 170 metres (557 feet).

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Vrindavan had a population of 56,618. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Vrindavan has an average literacy rate of 65%, lower than the national average of 74.04%. In Vrindavan, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. The number of females is 24,200 including 13% who are under 6 years of age.

Religious heritage

Vrindavan is considered to be a holy place for Vaisnavism tradition of Hinduism. It is a center of Krishna worship and the area includes places like Govardhana and Gokul that are associated with Krishna. Millions of devotees of Radha Krishna visit these places of pilgrimage every year and participate in a number of festivals.

Temples

• Govind Dev Temple (Sri Radha Govinda Temple) was a seven storeyed structure built by Raja Man Singh with red sandstone donated by Akbar in 1590. It was destroyed by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.. See Also, Govind Dev Ji Temple, Jaipur city Palace complex
• New Radha Govinda Temple was built by Sri Krishna Balaram Swamiji and was completed in 2004 is based on a historic temple built about 500 years ago by Srila Rupa Goswami, a direct Sanyasi disciple of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
• Sri Radha Raman Mandir, constructed at the request of Gopala Bhatta Goswami and houses a saligram deity of Krishna as Radha Ramana, alongside Radha.
• Radha Vallabh Temple, set up by Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu has a crown of Radharani placed next to the Krishna in the sanctum.
• Meera Bai Temple, located at southern side of Shahji temple near Nidhivan and is dedicated to Meera. Some hagiography state she miraculously disappeared by merging into a deity of Krishna at Dwarika in 1547. While miracles are contested by scholars for the lack of historical evidence, it is widely acknowledged that Meera dedicated her life to Hindu deity Krishna, composing songs of devotion and was one of the most important poet-sant of the Bhakti movement period.
• Banke Bihari Temple, built in 1862 after the image of Banke-Bihari was discovered in Nidhi Vana by Swami Haridas.
• 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.
• 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-Nitai alongside. Adjoining the temple is the samadhi of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, built in pure white marble.
• Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple, a shrine believed to be a Shakti Peetha where ringlets of hair of Sati Devi is believed to have fallen.
• Garud Govind Temple is located on the turn of NH-2 to Vrindavan in Chhatikara village.
• Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir is a temple under-construction at Mathura by ISKCON. At cost of ₹300 crore (US$35 million) it will be the tallest temple in world on completion.

"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 who spend time singing bhajan hymns for in 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.

In India, equal inheritance rights are protected by law, but customs can override rights of widows.

See also

• Radha-vallabha
• Govardhan hill

References

1. Census of India
2. Keene, Henry George (1899). "Bindrabun". A Handbook for Visitors to Agra and Its Neighbourhood. Thacker, Spink & Co. pp. 98–106.
3. Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 176.
4. "Brindaban". The Imperial Gazetteer of India. 1909.
5. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Brindaban" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 571.
6. "Vrindavan PinCode". citypincode.in. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
7. "Discovery of Vrindavan by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu".
8. "Falling Rain Genomics, Inc – Vrindavan".
9. "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
10. A students' history of education in India (1800–1973) (6 ed.). Macmillan. 1974. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
11. Klaus Klostermaier (2007). A Survey of Hinduism. State University of New York Press; 3 edition. p. 204. ISBN 0-7914-7081-4. The center of Krishna-worship has been for a long time Brajbhumi, the district of Mathura that embraces also Vrindavana, Govardhana, and Gokula, associated with Krishna from the time immemorial. Many millions of Krishna bhaktas visit these places every year and participate in the numerous festivals that re-enact divine scenes from Krishna's life on Earth, of which were spent in those very places
12. http://uptourism.gov.in/pages/top/explore/top-explore-mathura---vrindavan/govind-dev-temple
13. "Red Stone Temple".
14. "The history of Sri Radha Raman Temple".
15. "Radhavallabh Temple website".
16. Usha Nilsson (1997), Mira bai, Sahitya Akademi, ISBN 978-8126004119, pages 1-15
17. Usha Nilsson (1997), Mira bai, Sahitya Akademi, ISBN 978-8126004119, pages 16-17
18. John S Hawley (2005), Three Bhakti Voices: Mirabai, Surdas and Kabir in Their Times and Ours, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0195670851, pages 128-130
19. "Banke-Bihari Temple website".
20. "Prem Mandir".
21. "Kripaluji Maharaj's Prem Mandir will be inaugurated on 17 February". Aaj Ki Khabar.
22. http://www.iskconvrindavan.com
23. (Translator), F. Max Muller (1 June 2004). The Upanishads, Vol I. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 1-4191-8641-8. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help); Check |first= value (help)
24. (Translator), F. Max Muller (26 July 2004). The Upanishads Part II: The Sacred Books of the East Part Fifteen. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 1-4179-3016-0. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help); Check |first= value (help)
25. http://www.brajdarshan.in/garud-gobind
26. "ISKCON to build world's tallest temple at Mathura from today".
27. ^ "India's widows live out sentence of shame, poverty". Archived from the original on 29 November 2006. Retrieved 25 March 2007.
28. "Catalyst Magazine: Moksha: the widows of Vrindavan". Retrieved 25 March 2007.
29. ^ "Shunned from society, widows flock to city to die". CNN. 5 July 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
30. "Sulabh dons mantle".
31. Cynthia Gorney (February 2017). "Life after loss". National Geographic Society. Retrieved 8 April 2017.

External links

Vrindavan travel guide from Wikivoyage

• white and saffron of Vrindavan

v t e Hindu holy cities
India	Char Dham Badrinath Badrinath Temple Dwarka Dwarkadhish Temple Puri Jagannath Temple Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy Temple Chota Char Dham Badrinath Badrinath Temple Gangotri Kedarnath Kedarnath Temple Yamunotri Yamunotri Temple Panch Kedar Kalpeshwar Kedarnath Madhyamaheshwar Rudranath Tungnath Pancharama Kshetras Amararama Draksharama Ksheerarama Kumararama Somarama Six Abodes of Murugan Palani Pazhamudircholai Swamimalai Thiruparankundram Thiruttani Tiruchendur Trilinga Kshetras Draksharama Kaleshwaram Srisailam Ashtavinayaka Lenyadri Girijatmaja Mahad Varadvinayaka Morgaon Mayureshwara Ozar Vighneswara Pali Ballaleshwara Ranjangaon Mahaganapati Siddhatek Siddhivinayaka Theur Chintamani Jyotirlinga Deoghar Vaidyanath Dwarka Nageshvara Ellora Caves Grishneshwar Kedarnath Kedarnath Khandwa Omkareshwar Prabhas Patan Somnath Rajgurunagar Bhimashankar Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy Srisailam Mallikājuna Trimbak Trimbakeshwar Ujjain Mahakaleshwar Varanasi Kasi Vishvanath Panchabootha Lingas Annamalai (Fire) Tiruvannamalai Chidambaram (Ether) Chidambaram Ekambareswarar (Earth) Kanchipuram Jambukeswarar (Water) Thiruvanaikaval Srikalahasti (Air) Srikalahasti Pancha Sabhas Art/Chithiram, Courtallam Copper/Thamiram, Nellai Emerald/Rathinam, Thiruvalangadu Gold/Pon, Thillai Silver/Velli, Madurai Sapta Puris Avantika Ayodhya Dwaravati Kanchi Kashi Mathura Maya Shakti Peeths Vimala Temple Taratarini Temple Kamakhya Temple Kalighat Kali Temple Kukkuteswara Temple Koneswaram Temple Kamakshi Amman Temple Chamundeshwari Temple Mahalakshmi Temple Biraja Temple Alopi Devi Mandir Mangla Gauri Temple Vishalakshi Temple Others Kumbha Kshetras Haridwar Haridwar Kumbha Mela Nashik-Trimbak Nashik-Trimbak Kumbha Mela Prayagraj (Prayaga) Prayaga Kumbha Mela Ujjain Ujjain kumbha Mela Sun Temple for Chhath Puja Deo Sun Temple Umga Sun Temple Navagraha temples Suryanar Kovil Kailasanathar Temple Vaitheeswaran Koil Swetharanyeswarar Temple Apatsahayesvarar Temple Agniswarar Temple Tirunallar Saniswaran Temple Rahu Stalam Nagannathaswamy Temple Important Amarnath Aundha Gokarna Khajuraho Kudalasangama Lingaraj Paadal Petra Sthalam Thanjavur Tirupati Thiruvarur Thrissur Vaikom Samadhis Alandi Belur Math Tulsi Ghat Meherabad Shirdi Gorakhpur Panchaganga Ghat Puri Nagpur Prasanthi Nilayam Others Ahobilam Ambaji Ambalappuzha Annavaram Arunachala Basar Bhadrachalam Chidambaram Chitrakoot Chottanikkara Dakor Dakshineswar Kali Temple Deo Dharmasthala Ettumanoor Gaya Gokul Guruvayur Indraprastha Jageshwar Jajpur Kalighat Kanyakumari Katra Vaishno Devi Khatu Kollur Kumbakonam Kurukshetra Madurai Mangalagiri Mayapur Nabadwip Nashik Nathdwara Pandharpur Prayag (Triveni Sangam) Pushkar Pushpagiri Temple Complex Rishikesh Ryali Sabarimala Shakti Pitha Simhachalam Somnath Sonamukhi Sri Kurmam Sringeri Srirangam Swaminarayan Akshardham (Gandhinagar) Swaminarayan Akshardham (New Delhi) Thrippunithura Tiruchanur Tirumala Tirunavaya Udupi Velliangiri Vemulawada Vijayawada Vrindavan Yadagirigutta
Out of India	Ateshgah of Baku (Azerbaijan) Bhadreshwaram (Vietnam) Ganga Talao (Mauritius) Iraivan temple (USA) Kadhalishwaram ruins (China) Mount Kailash (Tibet) Sivan temple (Singapore) Sthūlādri (Thailand) Temple in the Sea (Trinidad and Tobago) Thewasathan Bot Phram (Sao Chingcha, Bangkok) Cambodia Angkor Wat Tribhuvanamāhesvaram Indonesia Balinese temple Besakih Temple Candi Surawana Cangkuang Ceto Temple Denpasar Dieng Plateau Gebang Gedong Songo Gianyar Gunung Kawi Jawi Temple Kidal Temple Marga Pejeng Penataran Prambanan Pura Luhur Ulu Watu Pura Penataran Sasih Pura Ulun Danu Batur Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Shivagraham Singhasari temple Sukuh Tanah Lot Tirta Empul Nepal Chataradham Janakpurdham Kathmandu Pashupatinath Pakistan Hinglaj Sharada Peeth Multan Sun Temple Katas Raj Temples Amb Temples Kalat Kali Temple Nagarparkar Temples Mansehra Shiva Temple Lava Mandir Jagannath Temple Churrio Jabal Durga Temple Sadh Belo Island Mandir Kafir Kot Sri Lanka Pancheshwarams Ketheeshwaram Koneswaram Munneshwaram Naguleshwaram Thondeshwaram Others Ati Konanayakar Kataragama Kokkadicholai Thaanthonreeswarar Pathirakali Amman Temple Thambiluvil Kannaki Amman Temple Thambiluvil Sri Sivalinga Pillayar Temple Thirukkovil Temple

v t e Krishna
Forms	Bala Krishna Gopala-Krishna Govinda Jagannath Radha Krishna Shrinathji Vāsudeva-Krishna Vithoba Other names
Consorts	Radha Ashtabharya Rukmini Satyabhama Jambavati Kalindi Nagnajiti Mitravinda Lakshmana Bhadra Other 16000 - 16100 Junior wives Rohini
Other relatives	Aniruddha Arjuna Balarama Devaki Kamsa Kunti Nanda Pradyumna Samba Subhadra Ugrasena Vasudeva Yashoda More
Worship	Sects Krishnaism Vaishnavism Festivals Krishna Janmashtami Gita Mahotsav Holi Pilgrimage circuits 48 Kos Parikrama of Kurukshetra Vraja Parikrama
Holy sites	Associated with Krishna's life Mathura Gokul Govardhan Hill Vrindavan Dvaraka Kurukshetra Jyotisar Bhalka Other sites: Guruvayur Nathdwara Pandharpur Puri Udupi
Epigraphy	Hathibada Ghosundi Heliodorus pillar Mora Well Naneghat Vasu Doorjamb
Texts	Bhagavata Purana Gita Govinda Mahabharata Bhagavad Gita Krishna's role Brahma Samhita Uddhava Gita
See also	Svayam Bhagavan Avatar Dashavatara Vishnu Guru–shishya tradition

• Krishna
• Hindu holy cities
• Hindu pilgrimage sites
• Cities and towns in Mathura district
• Vaishnavism
• Sacred groves
• Shakti Peethas
• Widowhood in India
• Vrindavan