Travel

Mathura Vrindavan – Banke Bihari Dham & Popular Temples You MUST Visit

- By Anamika Mishra

Radhe Radhe friends! One of the most divine cities I feel is the brij-bhumi i.e. Mathura & Vrindavan. It feels as if Shri Krishna himself is still showering blessings on these 2 cities. I have been to Mathura Vrindavan countless times, because my family especially my dad, was a firm devotee of Krishna and we often used to visit the Banke Bihari Dham in every 2-3 months. Also, since my home city is Kanpur, Mathura is just 4-hours drive from my place, it was very easy for us to plan weekend trips to Mathura vrindavan. In this post, I am listing the popular temples in Mathura Vrindavan that you must visit.

To brief you a bit about these 2 cities, Mathura is a city where Lord Krishna was born while Vrindavan was where he spent his childhood. Both the cities are almost connected. Also, the district is Mathura where both of these cities are located and the state is Uttar Pradesh.

Must Visit Popular Temples in Mathura Vrindavan

Banke Bihari Dham

The most important temple in Vrindavan other than Krishna Janm bhumi is this temple. This is a Krishna temple where Krishna is named as Banke Bihari. Banke means ‘bent in three places‘ and Bihari means ‘supreme enjoyer‘. The moorti of Krishna is in the Tribhanga posture and this is reason why he is called as Banke Bihari.

Bonus tip: You must visit this temple during Holi. This is an experience which you must do at least once in a lifetime.

Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi

A temple complex where Krishna was born, this is located in Mathura. This is the oldest Krishna temple in the world and people from all across the world come here to see the jail where Krishna was born.

Dvarkadhish Temple

The Dvarkadhish Temple, built in 1814, is a popular temple in the center of Mathura town. This is the most visited temple in the center of Mathura and is managed by followers of Vallabhacharya. The temple is a hub of activity during the festive days of Holi, Janmashtami and Diwali.

Ranganatha Temple

Sri Ranganatha Temple is 30 meters high with three gopurams (gateways), a tall shikhara (crown) and gold-plated decorations. This South Indian style temple was built by the wealthy Seth family of Mathura in 1851 and is dedicated to Lord Sri Ranganatha or Rangaji, a form of Lord Vishnu lying down on the Shesh-Naga, the divine serpent. You need at least 2 hours to explore this temple completely.

Manokamna Mandir

Manokamna temple another holy temple where you will get to see the statue of Krishna and Radhe on a swing. It is believed that every wish that a devotee makes her comes true. There is a process to that which is only told to the worshipper and the gosai ji (pandit ji) of the temple.

ISKON Temple

We all know about the various ISKON temples in all across the world. Though I have been to many ISKON temples in India but this one is really enchanting in it’s own magical ways; maybe because it is located in Vrindavan where Krishna actually lived. You must go to a ISKON temple (any) during the aarti, it’s a beautiful divine experience.

Prem Mandir

This is new temple that has been made recently but it is a very beautiful white temple that a must visit place in Mathura. Prem Mandir at night looks amazingly beautiful because of its lightings and the fountain.

Birla Mandir

…and when I mentioned a beautiful white temple, how can I not mention the beautiful Birla Mandir. It is a must-visit temple too.

Pagal Baba Mandir

This is an amazing 7 storey temple built by an old baba. He was rich and wealthy but he put everything he had to get this temple made and donated all of this money. This is a beautiful temple and view from the top is amazing. Just that, be ready to climb 7 floors but totally worth.

Apart from these temples, you must also visit the Jamuna kinara temple, Radha rani temple, Nidhi Van (it is a mysterious garden where no one is allowed to go after sunset) and the govardhan temple.