Vrindavan; Beyond the obvious
Vrindavan is more than just a weekend getaway, it is an escape from the daily humdrum of your busy life and a rejuvenating experience for your soul. A town in Uttar Pradesh, Vrindavan is a site for forested region, where Lord Krishna is believed to have spent his childhood.
Holi Celebrations at Vrindavan.
“Hare Krishna, Hare Ram” the moment you enter Vrindavan, you are greeted by these chants and it continues so till you leave. It is a small place with even smaller lanes. During festival seasons, especially during Holi, there is no space to walk and you travel to wherever the crowd takes you. But, this is the charm of a town that is nearly 600 years old.
The new Prem Mandir.
Congested as it may be, this place has an added beauty to it in the form of a temple which sees thousands of devotees coming from all across the world to worship Lord Krishna and Radha. Almost every household here has a temple of its own devoted to the worship of Krishna and Radha. Every nook and corner of this town has shops selling beautiful idols and paintings that one should definitely buy. The small lanes here have shops that are around 50 years old and sell the best sweets and chaats that you should absolutely try if you are a foodie. They have mouth-watering dahi puchka, tikki chaat and lassi.
A small shop selling beads and a lot more fascinating stuff.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness or ISCKON is one of the main attractions for foreigners. This temple is full of foreigners who are ardent believers of Lord Krishna and have given up their materialistic life and devoted it to the service of God. An evening spent here listening to the chants and singing along with it, makes you feel calm and content.
“I lost my heart in Vrindavan” read a t-shirt in a small shop. And if you have been to this place then you will know that this is true. And if you haven’t then it’s high time you do and check this place off your bucket list.
Shops selling beautiful pictures of Krishna.
How to get there?
It is easily accessible by road from Delhi, Jaipur or Agra. The nearest railway station is Matura and the nearest airport is in Agra.
Where to stay?
There are various dharamshalas that one can stay in at affordable prices.
