| Vrindavan | |
| State - District(s) | Uttar Pradesh - Mathura |
| Coordinates | |
| Area - Elevation | - 170 m |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Population (2001) - Density | 56,618 - |
Vrindavan pronunciation (alternate spellings Vrindaban or Brindavan), or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on the site of an ancient forest which is believed to have been the region where the famous cowherd boy, Krishna, from Hindu scriptures spent his childhood days. It is about 15km away from Mathura city (said to be Krishna's birthplace), near the Agra-Delhi highway. The town includes many hundreds of temples dedicated to the worship of Radha and Krishna and is considered sacred by a number of religious traditions such as Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Vaishnavism, and Hinduism in general.
In recent decades the name of Vrindavan has often been used within India, to represent an idyllic place or garden. Even in urban areas the town is busy with wildlife, including peacocks, cows, monkeys and a variety of bird species. Some of the ancient forest still remains, including a number of protected tulsi woods, which are of special significance to the local inhabitants, many of whom use leaves from the tulsi plant each day in their worship (puja).
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According to tradition, Krishna was raised in the cowherding village of Gokul by his foster parents Nanda Maharaj and Yasoda. The Bhagavata Purana describes Krishna's early childhood pastimes in Vrindavan forest wherein he, his brother Balarama, and his cowherd friends stole butter, engaged in childhood pranks and fought with demons. Along with these activities, Krishna is also described as meeting and dancing with the local girls of Vrindavan village including Radharani who were known as gopis. These pastimes where the source of inspiration for the famous poem, Gita Govinda.
Image:MadanMohantemple.jpg The most popular temples include:
Other places of interest include Seva Kunj, Kesi Ghat, Sriji Temple, Jugal Kishore Temple, Lal Babu Temple, Raj Ghat, Kusuma Sarovar, Meera-Bai Temple, Imli Tal, Kaliya Ghat, Raman Reti, Varaha Ghat and Chira Ghat.
The Seva Kunj is where Lord Krishna once performed the Raaslila with Radha-Rani and the gopis and Nidhi Van where the divine couple rested. The samadhi of Swami Haridas is situated here. Another famous temple of Sri Vrindavan is Sri Kathia Baba Ka Sthan" at Gurukul Road [1],. the mahanta of this ashram is entitled as brajobidehi mahanta and the Acharya of Swabhuram Dwara of Nimbarka cult, Sri Swami Rash Behari Das Kathia Babaji Maharaj
Vrindavan is located at <ref>Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Vrindavan</ref>. It has an average elevation of 170 metres (557 feet).
As of 2001 India censusGRIndia, Vrindavan had a population of 56,618. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Vrindavan has an average literacy rate of 65%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 73%, and female literacy is 55%. In Vrindavan, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
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| Hindu Holy Cities in India | Image:Aum.svg |
|---|---|
| Allahabad • Ayodhya • Badrinath • Dharmasthala • Dwarka • Gaya • Guruvayur • Haridwar • Hrishikesh • Kalahasti • Kanchipuram • Kedarnath • Kollur • Mathura • Mayapur • Nashik • Nathdwara • Puri • Rameswaram • Sabarimala • Somnath • Sringeri • Srirangam • Tirumala - Tirupati • Ujjain • Varanasi • Vrindavan |
