Sacred Site of the Mahabharata
Vrindavan
वृंदावन
Site of Ras Leela and divine play
Vrindavan (Near Mathura, Uttar Pradesh): Site of Ras Leela and divine play, located at coordinates 27.58°N, 77.70°E.
Key Facts
| Type | Sacred Site |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit name | वृंदावन |
| Coordinates | 27.58°N, 77.70°E |
| Modern location | Near Mathura, Uttar Pradesh |
| Significance | Site of Ras Leela and divine play |
About Vrindavan
The sacred forest where Krishna performed the divine Ras Leela with the Gopis. Considered one of the holiest sites associated with Krishna.
Why it matters: Site of Ras Leela and divine play
Details
- Forest
- Dense forest of Tulsi (Vrinda) plants
- Devotion
- Highest expression of divine love (Bhakti)
On the Map
Vrindavan
Vrindavan sits at 27.58°N, 77.70°E, in Near Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
View on the full mapEvents at Vrindavan
- Krishna Subdues KaliyaYear -115Young Krishna dances on the hood of the poisonous serpent Kaliya in the Yamuna, subduing him and purifying the river.
- Lifting of GovardhanaYear -112When Indra floods Vrindavan in anger, young Krishna lifts Govardhana mountain on his little finger to shelter the villagers.
- The Vision in the RiverYear 69Akrura, sent to bring Krishna from the cowherds' village to Mathura, journeys with a heart full of devotion. Pausing to bathe in the Yamuna, he beholds in the water the full divine form of the Lord, and knows the cowherd boy for God himself - the reward of his pure devotion.
- The Demons of Vrindavan - The Hunt That FailedYear 89Year after year Kamsa's hired demons stalk the cattle country disguised as ordinary things - a calf, a crane, a cave, a playmate, a horse. Every ambush meets a protector disguised more deeply still, and the killing of the last, Keshi, gives Krishna the name Keshava.
- Brahma Steals the Calves - The Creator's TestYear 90Doubting what he has seen in Vrindavan, Brahma steals the sleeping calves and cowherd boys to test Krishna - who answers by becoming every one of them for a full year, until the Creator returns to find two complete Vrindavans and his own instruments broken, and surrenders in a hymn.
- The Sea God and the Wives at the Fire - Two Small Mercies of VrindavanYear 92Two small tales with one teaching: Varuna's officer seizes Nanda for bathing at a forbidden hour and the sea god prostrates himself returning him; and when learned brahmins refuse hungry cowherd boys, their wives carry the whole feast out past the rules to feed Krishna with their own hands.
Stories Set at Vrindavan
The Boy God of Vrindavan
Krishna's Childhood Among the Cowherds
The Vision in the River
A devotee granted the sight of Krishna's divinity
The Slaying of Kamsa
The Prophecy Fulfilled
The Demons of Vrindavan
The Hunt That Failed
Brahma Steals the Calves
The Creator's Test
The Sea God and the Wives at the Fire
Two Small Mercies of Vrindavan