Vrindavan is where Lord Krishna indulged in adolescent pranks such as stealing the gopis clothes while they bathed in the river. Little now remains of the legendary forests and the rever has meandered away from most of Vrindavan's bathing ghats, but pilgrims still flock here in droves from all over India, and in the case of the Hare Krishna community, from all over the world.
Vrindavan, located just 57 km from Agra, is considered by Hindu's to be a place where Lord Krishna spent part of his life. There are as many as 4,000 temples in Vrindavan, most of them dedicated to Lord Krishna. Vrindavan is believed to be the site where Lord Krishna played with the cowherds or gopis and wooed his beloved Radha.
The bulky red sandstone Govind Dev Temple is the most impressive building in Vrindavan and architecturally one of the most advanced Hindu temples in northern India. The temple was built in 1590 by Raja Man Singh of Amber in honour of the Divine Cowherd (Krishna) but Aurangzeb lopped of the top four floors during one of his demolition sprees.
Some of the other famous temples in Vrindavan are:
The Shri Krishna-Balram Temple built by followers of the ISKON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness) Sect, is a beautiful temple built in white marble.
The Madan Mohan Temple is the oldest temple in Vrindavan. Its original idol was moved to a temple in Karauli in Rajasthan during the attacks of the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb against Hindu temples. A replica of the idol is worshipped at the Madan Mohan Temple.
The Jaipur Temple, constructed by the Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Madhav Singh, in 1917, is a richly carved sandstone temple.
The Banke-Bihari Temple is the most visited temple in Vrindavan and is associated with Swami Haridas, a devotee of Krishna.
