Vrindavan temple Blog

 ISKCON Temple

The first popular temple is the ISKCON (International Society on Krishna Consciousness) Temple, also known as Sri Krishna-Balarama Temple and Angrezon ka Mandir, was built on the orders of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON.

Enter this 1975 built temple, its domes and flooring carved in white marble, and the second thing you’ll notice after its grandiose, is the impeccable hygiene in the temple. At the open hall outside the sanctum sanatorium, a number of foreigners and Indians wearing saffron and white clothes are enjoying the high of Hare Rama Hare Krishna kirtan that goes on for 24 hours a day. The trance of their chanting, amplified by simple mridanga and harmonium is powerful and spiritual and not merely religious. You may visit the ISKCON Temple in morning or evening (it’s closed during afternoon hours), but don’t miss the aarti and kirtan. In summer, the evening aarti goes on from 04:30 pm to 8:45 pm; in winter, it is from 04:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Bankey Bihari Temple

Next on the list is the Bankey Bihari Temple located a little less than three kilometres from the ISKCON Temple. You can walk if you want to shop, eat or simply observe. If not, opt for a rickshaw ride, which is quite an adventure in the narrow streets of Vrindavan. Bankey Bihari Temple is the most renowned and visited temple of Vrindavan, often synonymous with the town. Built around 1864, this is the place where Haridas established the Lord Krishna idol that emerged in the forests of Nidhivana.

The idol of Krishna is black, with eyes that many believe you can’t gaze into for too long. The curtain in front of the idol is pulled every few minutes. If folklore is to be believed, a man once looked at Krishna’s for such a long time that he fell in love with him, went mad and never left the Temple after that, thus making the curtain inevitable, forever. The idol is pampered like, well, a God. He’s woken up gently at 9:00 am because it is believed that Krishna went for ‘raas’ or night sporting in the nearby Nidhivana and must be therefore tired.