I HAD grown up on my grandmother’s stories about the eternal pastimes of Lord Krishna. The enchanting folk tales about the Lord had captured my imagination and heart .So when I got an opportunity to visit the land that had witnessed the enigmatic birth and youth of Lord Krishna, I did not think twice. I seized the golden chance at once and joined my uncle who was organizing a puja ‘Shri Yamuna Maharaniji Chunari Manorath’ on the banks of the river Yamuna at Mathura.
Landing in the sacred place
We started out at 7:30 am on November 15th from Borivali Station, Mumbai. It was a 5 day trip.
Travelling by Firozpur-Janata Express, it took us around 24 hours to reach Mathura. From the train window, I traced the journey from the concrete jungles to the greener pastures. The stations became less crowded and temperatures dropped subsequently.We landed at Mathura around 9 am. The climate was dry and pleasant. We piled up our luggage in our private passenger buses and headed towards the dharamshala called Nansey Vadi where we were supposed to stay. After the buses dropped us midway, we took to cycle rickshaws – a local vehicle that is a blend of tonga and cycle.
It was an entertaining ride in those unique vehicles, since they are quite open and allow one to have an unhindered view of the surrounding areas. I was quite amused at the labyrinth of narrow lanes and old buildings . The ancient architecture had been retained .It was like visiting a city in some bygone era. For people like me who live in the hustle and bustle of an overcrowded city like Mumbai with its breck –neck killing speed and every iota of space bursting with noise, the scene of a historical hamlet with its leisurely pace and religious crowds was quite a welcome change.We arrived at the dharamshala that was located on the banks of the river Yamuna. The locality lined with its orange babas, picturesque ghats, temple domes, arched gateways and ancient pillars provided the perfect spectacle for shutterbugs and film cinematographers.
The dharamshala had a huge courtyard at its entrance with a holy tulsi plant at its centre.The rooms were small with a common latrine and lights that went out after every half a hour. Hot water was
available only during the wee hours of dawn. We freshened up and set out to explore the magic of the mystical place by bus .
The first thing we noticed on stepping out were the monkeys. They roamed about freely on rooftops in large numbers. One had to be careful about one’s belongings. I clutched at my purse as my eyes followed the little monsters making mischief. We headed towards Gokul.
Gokul and Vrindavan -
Gokul is situated across the river Yamuna from Mathura. The town where Krishna grew up, it is approached by a flight of steps ascending from the river.
We first went to Brahmand Ghat. According to folklore, Krishna revealed his divinity to foster mother Yashoda here when she rebuked him for eating mud and made him open his mouth. She almost fainted when she saw the entire universe in the child’s mouth
The next place we visited was Bhandirvan, 31 kms from Mathura. This is place where where Radha and Krishna were married under a banyan tree. We also frequented Raman Reti which means ‘enjoyable sands’. A sacred hindu pilgrimage area, it constitutes the playground of Lord Krishna .It is believed that Krishna and his consort Radharani met here every night and tossed in the sands before proceeding to Vrindavan . After hearing about the transcendental pastimes from the guide, we were asked to roll about in the sacred sand making a wish for ourselves and our dear ones. We let go our inhibitions and performed the ritual happily.
In the evening, we visited Vrindavan. Vrindavan is the place where Shree Krishna spent his youth, flirting with the gopis and courting Radharani. Vrindavan is located at 15 kms from Mathura. It has nearly 5000 temples. I was ecstatic on entering the huge gate of the most beautiful and popular temple in Vrindavan –‘The Krishna Balaram’ temple established in 1975 by the founder acharya of ISKCON [International Society of Krishna Consciousness] – Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It was at this spot where Krishna and Balaram would come with the cowherd boys to play.I was speechless on seeing the magnificent marble architecture and the divine ambience of the glorious temple. As we headed inside, we were overwhelmed by the sound of the Mahamantra –‘Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare’ being chanted by the foreigners. The temple had remarkable paintings and was lavishly decorated with the most exquisite flower arrangement. The colors were mesmerizing. The temple has deities of Gauri-Nitai(left), Krishna Balrama(centre),
and Radha-Shyamasundara on the right. We were fortunate to witness the aarti of the Radha Krishna. The deities were dazzling in their grandiose attire. It was an absolute visual treat that can never be described enough. No vocabulary could capture the luxurious sight. Next to the three main deities were elaborately embellished deities of Yashoda and Balkrishna. In front of the temple lay the Samadhi of his Divine Grace Srila Swami Prabhupada. The bewitching visual splendour and enchanting sound of mantras lifted my spirits and transported me to the transcendental abode of the Lord. I was intoxicated and took time to come out of the extreme euphoria. Indeed, I had seen paradise.
Next, we visited the Banke-Bihari temple. Banke –Bihari means Krishna, the supreme enjoyer. The temple is quite popular in Vrindavan. The deity of Banke Bihari was discovered by Swami Haridas who was the guru of the renowned musician Tansen.
That was the last temple visit for the day. As we returned back in the bus, I noticed the busy bazaar area selling devotional items. The night was pitch dark and the houses had no electricity. Only a single bulb lit up an entire building. The schools and hotels we had passed in the bright daylight seemed eerie and dark in the night with almost no light. I couldn’t help noticing that every alternative building in Vrindavan was a temple.
Vishram ghat-
Next morning, we woke up at 5 in the chilly morning to attend the famous aarti of Yamuna River at Vishram ghat. There are around 25 ghats in Mathura of which the Vishram Ghat is the most important. It is believed that Lord Krishna rested here after killing his evil Uncle Kansa, the ruler of Mathura. On reaching the place, I was surprised to see the large crowd and the number of people plunging in the cold waters of Yamuna to gain immortality. The river Yamuna holds many stories associated with Lord Krishna in her blessed waters.
The vibrations of the ritual incantations send a chill down my spine.The priest sang the aarti to Goddess Yamuna with all his might accompanied by the overpowering sound of the ringing bells. We visited the same aarti at dusk .Hundreds of tiny oil lamps floated in the holy waters making the river look like a star studded sky in the dark .
During the day, we attended the pooja at the banks of the river Yamuna on Vishram Ghat. The puja included tying around 100 chunaris(sarees) with each other and passing them from one boat to another after soaking them in the holy waters of the Yamuna. After the puja, each of these ‘chunaris’-(sarees) were gifted to the family members.The boat ride and passing the chunaris(sarees) was a good experience.The boatman narrated the myths surrounding the holy river. We also watched the several ghats and archways spread on the banks of the river .The boat ride provided us with a fantastic view of Mathura.
Krishna’s birthplace –
The following day we visited the prison cell where Krishna was born .The Katra Keshav Dev Temple has been built over the cell and the shrine is called Shri Krishna Janamsthan or Janambhoomi Complex.Next to the complex is Gita Mandir.It has the entire Bhagavad Gita inscribed in its walls. Behind the Janamsthan is the Katra masjid built by Emperor Aurangzeb, on the ruins of a Hindu Temple. I was amazed to see a single wall being shared by both the temple and masjid. That explained the huge security stationed outside the temple gates to avoid any conflicts amongst religious groups.
Next we visited the Govardhan Parvat, the legendary hill said to have been balanced by Lord Krishna on his fingertip for seven days and seven nights to protect his people from the thunderstorm brought about by Lord Indra. Goverdhan is located on a narrow sandstone hill known as ‘Giriraj’. We performed a Giriraj parikrama in taxi that covers a route of about 22 kms , rounded by Goverdhan Parvat, Jatipura, Manasi Ganga, Radhakund, Kusum sarovar and ends at Daanghatti temple. Each of these sites have a story connecting it to the Lord. On our way, we watched many devotees performing the parikrama in various sleeping positions and wondered at the arduous task.
Our afternoon ended in strolling around the bazaars and buying various items of Lord Krishna ranging from idols to flutes to paintings to kurtas. My bargaining skills proved to be useful and I ended up buying more things for my friends than for myself.Also, while communicating with the biharis, I found the local language ‘Brajbhasha’ quite amusing.In the evening, we bade goodbye to the lovely town and traveled back to Mumbai with the magic of Lord Krishna still lingering in our hearts.
It is said that anyone who visits Mathura goes to heaven after death. I could not help smiling at this thought . I do not know if I am qualified for heaven after this trip but I can definitely say that I witnessed paradise in the hearts of the faithful devotees who maintain the high standards of the temples with so much love and devotion, so that a thousand tourists can experience the eternal beauty of Lord Krishna.
FACTFILE
• Mathura, a little town in Uttar Pradesh, situated on the banks of River Yamuna is located at a distance of 145 kms south-east of Delhi and 58 kms north-west of Agra.
• Mathura was transformed into a pilgrimage place after Lord Krishna was born here.
• Vrindavan, just 15 kms from Mathura, is another major pilgrimage place.
• There are around 5000 temples located in Vrindavan.
• The woods of Vrindavan are believed to be the place where Lord Krishna spent his youth frolicking with the gopis and wooing his consort Radharani
• Hinduism says that one achieves spiritual liberation on performing pious activities in Mathura and Vrindavan.
