Devotional Tour to Mathura, Gokul, Vrindavan, Govardhan, Barsana, Nandagram

HARE KRISHNA

Devotional tour to Mathura, Gokul, Vrindavan, Govardhan, Barsana, Nandagram

Travel:

August Kranti Rajdhani Express. Departs from Mumbai Central at around 5:40PM , also stops at Andheri for 2 minutes. Arrives at Mathura Junction at around 9:00AM on next day. We booked AC-3tier coach for 3 passengers. The train fare for 2 Adults & 1 Senior citizen was around Rs. 3770/- for going to Mathura & around Rs. 3880/- for coming back to Mumbai.

Our tickets were

17th July, 2010 - 5:40PM – Mumbai Central

18th July, 2010 - 9:00AM – Mathura Junction

21th July, 2010 - 6:40PM – Mathura Junction

22th July, 2010 - 10:15AM – Mumbai Central

Travel Agent :

Mr. Kaval Choksi -- +91-9867170749

Call this person to book confirmed tickets. It is impossible to book tickets on our own as all the trains get booked well in advance. He will ask for Rs. 50/- per person per ticket as service charges and will deliver tickets at your residence. Ticket delivery charges will vary as per distance and vehicle (Train, Bus, Taxi, Rickshaw) used for travelling.

In the train you will be served with veg/non veg breakfast, lunch/dinner, snack, water bottle, towel, news paper. The food & service provided by train staff is good so you do not need to carry anything in the train to eat/drink. Though we get non veg food on train we should avoid eating it as we are going on devotional tour.

Stay:

We stayed in Sri Krishna Balaram International Guest House at Vrindavan.

Address - Sri Krishna Balaram International Guest House , ISKCON Temple, Swami Bhaktivedanta Marg, Raman Reti, Near Police Chowki, Vrindavan, Pin – 281124

From Mathura Junction train station, take a normal rickshaw carrying three passengers with two bags of luggage to Vrindavan guest house and it costed around Rs.200/-. Distance is around 15 kms.

To book the rooms call Sri Abhay Das -- +91- 9634073197

Check-in & Check-out time is 12:00 noon and the rooms offered are of average type. If you are staying after 12’o clock for half day then only half rate for that day is applicable. If anyone is having a life membership card of ISKCON he/she will get rate of Rs.500/- for AC room and Rs. 150/- for Non-AC room.

But if anyone is not having a life membership card of ISKCON he/she will get rate of Rs.700/- for AC room and Rs. 400/- for Non-AC room.

Life membership card holders get free breakfast and lunch at 9 to 10 AM and 3 to 4 PM in prasadam hall respectively. You will have to collect the coupon/s by showing your LM card before breakfast and/or lunch.

One membership card will serve four persons so ask for four/less coupons as per your requirement.

Be sure to arrive before time as the breakfast & lunch service is free of cost or else you might have to face long queues. You can also avail services by Govinda’s restaurant and bakery for breakfast, lunch, dinner as per your requirement.

Water available in rooms will have a different taste. For drinking water you can either buy bottled water from Govinda’s restaurant or fill the empty bottles from water filter available at ground floor near guest house gate.

Devotional tour guide:

There are ISKCON devotees namely,

Sri Balaram Das -- +91 – 9897476111 and

Sri Makhanchor Das -- +91 – 9997588185

The above devotees are full time bramhachari devotees who perform seva of becoming your guide for visiting Krishna’s places. They do not charge for their guidance but if you feel you can give some dakshina to ISKCON.

Travel by taxi/car/rickshaw for the entire tour:

In the ISKCON guesthouse/temple there is one Information Centre where you book taxi/car either AC or non-AC for visiting places around Brajbhoomi.

Meet Mr. Sanjay -- +919997770061 for the above booking well in advance.

For visiting local temples in Vrindavan you need to take rickshaw only as taxi/car cannot be used on narrow roads of Vrindavan. For this rickshaw charged us around Rs.400/-

For visiting places like Radha Kund, Sham Kund, Govardhan, Mathura, Gokul, Barsana, Nanadagram you need to book taxi/car. For this we were charged around Rs. 2700 for AC cab.

Local temples in Vrindavan :

18th July, 2010 – 4:30 PM till 8:30 PM

1) Kaliya Mardan temple & Kadamb tree

From this Kadamb tree Krishna jumped into water of Jamuna river to perform leela with Kaliya snake.

2) Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan mandir

Discovered by Sanatan Goswami (Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s disciple)

Original deities are stolen by Mughala Samrajya and kept in Jaipur in a place called Gupt Vrindavan.

3) Sri Sri Radha Damodar mandir

This mandir has four deities.

a) Sri Sri Radha Vrindavan Chandra – Krishna Kaviraj Goswami Ishta Deity

b) Sri Lalita Sakhi & Sri Sri Radha Damodar – Jeev Goswami Ishta Deity

c) Sri Sri Radha Madhav Jew – Jaidev Goswami Ishta Deity

d) Sri Sri Radha Chail Chicken Jew – Bhugarbha Goswami Ishta Deity

Also this mandir has Sri Giriraj Charan Sheela which has Krishna Charan, Cow Charan, Krishna’s Flute and Lathi. Krishna gave above Charan Sheela to Sanatan Goswami and told him that if you take four parikrama of this sheela it is equal to one prarikrama of Govardhan.

4) Sri Sri Radha Sham Kunj Bihari, Rang Mahal

This is the mandir where Sindur, Laddu, Water Vessel and Datun are kept every night and then in the morning all those things are used up by Krishna. If you go to temple in the morning at around 5:30 AM you will get the Laddu that Krishna ate.

5) Banshi Chor Radha Rani mandir

At this place once Radha rani stolen Krishna’s flute. Also have deities of Sri Lalita & Sri Vishaka who were Krishna’s gopis and Radha Rani’s eternal friends.

6) Madhu Van

This is the forest where Krishna performed Rasleela. Today also Krishna performs Rasleela there and before sunset everybody leaves this place including monkeys.

7) Swami Haridas Samadhi

8) Sri Sri Raman mandir

Here we have original deity which was manifested from Shaligram Sheela after Gopal Bhatta Goswami desired that his Krishna should have hands and legs.

Radha Kund, Sham Kund, Govardhan :

19th July, 2010 – 2:30 PM till 8:30 PM

1) Radha Kund

This is the place where Radha Rani with broke her bangles and made a huge lake and then Krishna ordered all of the holy rivers in India to put water in it. Krishna declared that this is the kund whose water is more pious than any other holy pilgrimage place.

2) Sham Kund

When Krishna killed a demon who was in the form of bull, all the Gopis and Radha Rani asked Krishna to visit all the pilgrimage places to purify himself as he has committed a sin of killing a bull. Then Krishna with his leg made a huge lake and asked all the holy rivers from all pilgrimage places to put water in that lake. After taking bath in that lake krishna invited Radha Rani and all the gopis to play with him but they all refused as they thought Krishna’s sin is in the Sham Kund. Hence Radha Rani created Radha Kund as explained above.

3) Kusum Sarovar

Krishna bought Jamuna river in this sarovar to wash flowers which were lying on the ground to decorate Radha Rani’s hairdo.

4) Sri Sri Radha Ban Bihariji mandir

Next to Kusum Sarovar there is this mandir which has deities of Krishna & Radha Rani showing leela of Krishna combing hair of Radha Rani. Krishna came in disguise as Ban Mali but Radha Rani recognized Krishna & told all Gopis that he is not Ban Mali rather he is Ban Bihari.

5) Dan Ghati

This is the place where Krishna used to take tax from Gopis to come to Mathura from Barsana (Radha Rani’s Mahal)

6) Manasi Ganga

Krishna killed a demon called Vatsasur who was in the form of calf, so Radha Rani & Gopis requested Krishna to wash his sins in Ganga river but Krishna refused to go to Ganga rather with his mind he brought Ganga here hence the name ManasiGanga.

7) Govind Gopal

Madhavendra Puri’s Bhajan Kutir. He discovered Gopal deity.

8) Govind Kund

After Govardhan leela from heaven Indra worshipped Krishna with abhishek of Ganga water and gave Krishna the name of Govind.

9) Govardhan near Govind Kund

There are two sheelas namely Krishna and Balaram themselves.

10) Poonchri ka Loutha

Loutha was Krishna’s friend and wanted to prepare sweets for Krishna but Krishna told him that he will be back after he attends Yashoda Mata’s work request. After leaving Krishna never came back to meet him and Loutha is still waiting for Krishna.

He is the witness of everyone who does parikrama to Govardhan.

11) Shantanu mandir

This is the place where Shantanu Maharaj meditated to get son like Bheeshma Dev.

12) Jatipura

Here Madhavendra Puri worshipped Govardhan as Krishna. Pushtimarg devotees visit this place and decorate Govardhan as Krishna.

Barsana & Nandagram :

20th July, 2010 – 8:30 AM till 2:30 PM

1) Sri Ladliji mandir

Radha Rani had her mahal here. The mandir is built on Bramhanchal Parvat. Bramha wanted to witness Krishna’s Leelas hence Krishna asked him to become hill and see all his leelas.

2) Prem Sarovar

Krishna, Radha Rani & Gopis started crying due to love for each other and this Sarovar was filled with their eyedrops.

3) Sanket Van

Vrinda Devi (Event Manager for Krishna & Radha Rani’s Leelas) used to carry messages of Krishna to Radha Rani and vice versa. All of the three used to send messages via their eyes hence the name Sanket(Symbol) Van.

4) Sri Sri Radha Sanket Bihariji mandir

5) Nandishwar Parvat

This is Shiva’s incarnation in the form of hill. Once Shivji wanted to meet Krishna but Yashoda Mataji did not allow and Krishna started crying. Hence they asked Shivji to come back to Yashoda Mata’s home and Krishna stopped crying after seeing him.

Shivji is the best vaishanava and Krishna wanted to give him darshan.Yashoda Mata requested Shivji to stay here only and stop Krishna from crying everytime he does so for any reason. Thus Shivji became Nandishwar Parvat and stayed there.

6) Nandagram

Krishna Balaram mandir where they both are having flute in their hand.

7) Paavan Sarovar

Vishakha sakhi’s father(Paavan) built this Sarovar and Krishna had taken bath in this Sarovar. Once Nandaji wanted to goto Prayag but Krishna asked to go on Akshay Tritiya day which was on next day. Nanda maharaj before going to Prayag went to Paavan Sarovar for taking bath and saw Prayag himself along with all holy rivers taking bath in Paavan Sarovar and understood Krishna’s leela.

8) Ter Kadamb

Krishna used to call cows by playing his flute in the evening and hence the name Ter Kadamb. Ter means to call. Also at this place we have Roop Goswami’s Bhajan Kutir and he wrote Nectar of Devotion

Radha Rani came as a girl and prepared sweet rice and gave to Roop Goswami since his brother Sanatan Goswami was about to come here to meet him.

Mathura & Gokul :

21st July, 2010 – 8:30 AM till 2:30 PM

1) Krishna Janmasthan

This place has Krishna Janmabhoomi Mandir, Giriraj Mandir, Yogmaya Mandir, Bhagwat Bhavan

This mandir has been broken and built several times in the past.

Gajani Mohammed took all the golden deities and jewels. Aurangjeb built masque near the mandir and hence high alert security is in place.

2) Raval

This place is in Mahavan. This place is where Radha Rani’s second parents found her in the huge golden lotus flower in Jamuna river.

3) Dauji

Sri Balaram Janmasthan

This is the only temple which is built by Aurangjeb. He and his soldiers came to destroy this place but they all lost their vision thus understood Krishna’s leela and built the mandir himself.

4) Radha Damodar Temple

This is small place where Yashoda Mata tied Krishna to Ukhal (Damodar Leela). Here Pujariji gave butter millk to all of us as Yashoda Mata used to churn butter at this place.

5) Raman Reti

This palce still has the sand of Brajbhoomi. When Krishna refused to wear shoes as his cows do not have shoes, all cows went all over the Brajbhoomi and crushed entire ground with their legs to make a smooth sand. Krishna used to play and fight with his Gwalbals here.

6) Raman Reti

Also visit ISKCON Goshala located very near to ISKCON mandir/guesthouse in Vrindavan.

Call Vrajraj Kumar Das -- +91 – 9634575869

He will take you on a guided tour to Goshala which is about 7-8 acres and has more than 380 cows. You can also request him to get Krishna’s Mahaprasadam.

Also try to attend mandir’s scheduled daily programs like Mangal Aarti(4:30AM), Bhagvad geeta class etc. as much as possible.

Expenditure

Rs. 7500/- - Train tickets

Rs. 200/- - Rickshaw from Mathura Jn to Vrindavan

Rs. 2300/- - Room charges

Rs. 3100/- - Vehicle charges for traveling to various places (car+rickshaw)

Rs. 200/- - Rickshaw from Vrindavan to Mathura Jn

Rs. 2000/- - Food charges

Rs. 15,300/- - Total

Donation expenditure extra as per your wish and willingness.