On the way back the visitors can pick up the items in
marble and alabaster. Usually the semi-precious stones and
gems work on the items make them even more beautiful
pieces of craftsmanship.
When the lord used to perform playful dance with the gopis
He used to perform ras. But when He used to disappear, the
gopis enacted episodes from His life that were refereed to
as lilas. Together the ras and the lilas have formed the
present day dance forming 'Raslila' that is performed and
promoted by the likes of Swami Haridas and Shri Narayan
Bhatt. Since the main theme of the dance remains the
childhood pranks of the Lord it is performed by
thirteen-fourteen-year-old Brahmin boys.
| There are plenty of foods available in the town but
obviously vegetarian in nature. Owing to the associations
with Lord Krishna, the deity who was famous as the butter
thief the town boasts of best butter and other milk
products. |
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Today the town is known for the paintings glittering in
gold with studded gems. The theme of all the paintings
describes the relationship of the Lord Krishna with Radha.
The pilgrim city is also a major center for the artistic
and cultural heritage of the country. The tradition of the
paintings started over fifty years ago. The religious and
the spiritual threads of the paintings along with the
beauty of the creativity make them so popular.
The best time to be at the sacred land is on the birth
anniversary of the Lord. On the occasion of Janmashtami
not only do the temples in Mathura rejoice with ear
splitting celebrations, even at Vrindavan the zenith is
reached at midnight in all the temples. The celebrations
comprise of the song and dance performances that are held
all day and night long.
HISTORYLegends say that the name
'Vrindavan' is derived from Vrinda, another name
for the sacred tulsi (basil) plant. Legend says that once
at a time the entire place was a tulsi grove. According to
another tradition, it was named after one of Krishna's
playmates, Vrinda Devi. The earliest known place of
worship in Vrindavan is said to have been built by the
local gosains in a large garden called Nidhiban, later
named Seva Kunj. It is popular believed that Emperor Akbar
was taken blindfolded inside the grove where he had some
kind of a spiritual experience. As a result of this, he
acknowledged the spot as being holy ground.
The four temples that were built in honour of his visit
are Govind Deva Temple, Madan Mohan Temple, Gopinath
Temple and Jugal Kishore Temple. The first is an
impressive construction built with red sandstone.
Architecturally this
temple is considered one of the finest art in North India.
However, apart from its history, what keeps Vrindavan
alive in the popular imagination of the people is its rich
legend and mythology. Vrindavan is considered the place
where Lord Krishna spent his early childhood. It was here
that Krishna indulged in adolescent pranks with the gopis
(milkmaids) in the forests and stealing their clothes
while they bathed in the river.
It is astonishing to know
that the small city boosts around 4000 temples. Some of
the temples that can be watched over here are Madan Mohan
Temple that was located near the Kali Ghat and was built
by Kapur Ram Das of Multan, the Banke Bihari temple, built
in 1864. Other temples to the land of the lord, chant and
sing hymns in Hid praise. The visit to the Pagal Baba
temple, Bankey Bihari temple, Govind Dev temple and the
Isckon temple is a must. The fragrance of the garlands,
flowers and the incense is bound to get carried with you
for a long time.
The Govind Dev Temple was built in 1590 by Raja Man Singh
and now lies empty, its upper layers having been torn down
during the time of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The
Rangaji Temple dates from 1851 and is a mixture of
architectural styles, including a Rajput entrance gate, a
soaring south Indian gopuram (gateway tower), and an
Italianate colonnade. There is also the Kesi ghat and Rang
ghat worth to see.
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