My husband had a
friend’s bachelor party to attend over the weekend. It was the perfect
opportunity for me to visit my parents, since he had to cross my zone.
Now my family
already had plans of a day trip to Vrindavan on Sunday. Since I had not visited
Vrindavan in a long-long time I decided to go with the flow. I mean I decided
to tag along with my family for the day trip.
For those of you
who have not heard about the place, Vrindavan is a small town in the Mathura district
of state Uttar Pradesh. It is popular because it believed that Lord Krishna had
spent his childhood days there. And hence the sacred town attracts a large
number of devotees and followers from not just around the country but from around the globe.
The number of
temples in Vrindavan is probably higher than the number of fingers in both your
hands. Shri Banke Bihari Ji Temple, Sri Radha Raman Temple, Shri Krishna Balram
Temple built by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
are to name a few. Since my family and I have already visited most of these temples, we
generally go to the ISKCON Temple and Shri Banke Bihari Ji Temple on our short,
day visits to Vrindavan.
Shri Banke Bihari Ji Temple was established by Swami Haridas, a guru (teacher)
of the famous singer Tansen. They say banke means “bent in three places” and
bihari means “supreme enjoyer” and that is how this temple where the
idol of Lord Krishna standing in tribhanga (tri-bent) pose has been treasured got its name Banke
Bihari.
The exterior of the temple is surrounded by sweet shops and garland
sellers. The devotees generally keep the business of these vendors going as
they buy something or the other from these shops to offer to Lord Krishna.
the exterior of Shri Bankey Biharji Temple (image source:google) since it was too crowded to take a pic |
sweets at one of the shops outside the temple |
Those of you who have already visited the temple would know the divine
feel it has in the air. The moment one enters the temple the believers and
followers strike a pure, serene cord with God (that is if you believe in God). The melodious sound of “Shri Krishna bolo
hari Gopal bolo, Radha Raman hari Govind bolo” chantings will transcend you
to another place. People are seen with their hands high up in the air, smiling
and laughing and calling out “Raadhe Raadhe Shyaam Milaade”.
the interior. it is decorated this way only on special occasions. (image source:google) |
It is believed that the idol of of Bihariji installed in the
Shri Banke Bihari Mandir, is the one granted to Swami Haridas by the celestial couple
Shyama-Shyam themselves. The idol’s right side is Lord Krishna and left side is
Radha Ji.
The only drawback is that the crowd is not managed properly. The number
of devotees is alarmingly high especially over the weekend. One has to struggle
their way in and then after mere five minutes of darshan (worship) has
to flounder their way out. I was astonished by the lack of management this
time. People who sponsor certain rituals are given preference and are let inside
the temple before the timings allowed to the general public through the back door (I know it is sad :( Like some college temples too have back door entries!).
The number of people waiting outside keeps soaring also because the time
window to visit the temple is for just eight hours throughout the day. Had the
temple remained open for a little longer this problem would not become so huge.
However, the temple believes that the charm and beauty of Bankey Bihari ji
is the reason for the limited time of darshan and hence the curtains
have to be drawn at regular intervals. It is believed that if a person stares
into the eyes of Shri Bankey Bihari Ji for long enough he/she might lose self
consciousness.
I do not deny the charm of Bankey Bihari Ji. It is absolutely mesmerizing yet I am not quite sure about the last line mentioned above and if it stands true since I have never tried it (nor do I plan on doing it).
I personally feel that the temple attracts a mammoth number of devotees, it is a big tourist
place for all the holy importance it has. There is so much that can be done
with the way the crowd is managed which will ultimately be a win-win situation
for everyone. The devotees will get to visit the temple without any hassle; the
city will be promoted by the tourists who will not just benefit the temple's popularity but
also the economic situation of the state.
Keeping that pensive thought aside, I must confess that I absolutely
enjoyed the temple visit. The idol of Lord Krishna looked spectacular sitting
in his luxurious swing made of pure silver. Taking pictures inside was not
permitted and so I have just sourced a few from google images.
a blurred glimpse of the darbar (stage), image source: google |
A few notes you should make before
you plan a visit to Vrindavan
a. Shri Banke Bihari temple is open from 7:30 am
-12pm and then 5:30 pm -9:30 pm in summers and from 8:45 A.M.- 1 P.M. and then 4:30 P.M.-8:30 P.M. in winters.
b.
DO NOT
visit the temple or the city on a weekend. It is insanely crowded.
c. If you have travelled by car, park it a little
far from the temple and take an auto rikshaw or simply walk.
d. Keep your glasses and other belongings inside
your bag and hold your bag tightly because there are quite a few monkeys around.
me, in the auto rikshaw after the darshan |
There is more about the holy city that I would like to share; about the
food and the shopping scene in the local market. For that the next post will
follow very soon :).
Till then JAI SHRI KRISHNA :)
Very informative and beautifully written.
ReplyDeletethank you :)
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