Janmashtami – the protector of cows, Lord Krishna’s birthday

Vrindavan is renowned for being the blissful abode of Lord Krishna. Every temple in the city is an epitome of love for the mighty Krishna and hence is visited by Krishna devotees from across the world. People visit the place all through the year, but the pious city is immensely thronged with pilgrims on the festival of Janmashtami, the reasons being obvious. The article below throws light on the rituals occasioned on Janmashtami at various temples in Vrindavan:

The divine Abhishekam: Abhishekam or the divine bathe of Lord Krishna’s idol in the temples is a common occurrence on the occasion of Janmashtami. Every Thakur ji temple in Vrindavan perform the pious bathe of the deity in the respective temples. Lord Krishna was born at the midnight so temples perform this holy bathe at 12:00 in the night while the Radha Raman Temple reveres the same ritual at 12:00 in the afternoon. It is said that Lord Radha Raman had self-appeared at 12:00 in the afternoon on Janmashtami hence the abhishekam is performed here in the afternoon.

Pilgrims visiting Vrindavan specially plan to visit temples on Janmashtami, to feel the omnipresent Lord Krishna on his birthday. Be it the famous Thakur Bankey Bihari ji or Radha Raman and Radha Vallabh ji, every temple in their unique way celebrate the high-spirited festival Janmashtami that enthralls pilgrims to visit them.
Sumptuous and Divine Prasadam:
Pilgrims also offer prasadam to Thakur ji in the various temples here. The divine Thakurji Banke Bihari Prasad is offered to the Lord and then distributed amongst the devotees. Pilgrims visiting the temple also offer prasadam to Thakur Bankey Bihari ji and seek his blessings for peaceful and prosperous life. It is believed that offering prasadam to the Lord paves way to salvation and doing so on special festivals like Janmashtami adds to the effect of offering.

The divine Prasad generally includes sweets and chappan bhog that includes 56 types of sweets to relish. Generally the prasadam is offered to the Lord and then taken home by pilgrims as the blessings of Lord himself.

Janmashtami is the birthday of Lord Krishna and celebrating his birthday in his homeland is the dream of every devotee. Many sites like Brijwale organize tours to the divine abode of Krishna, the Braj Vrindavan dham and plan visits to famous temples in the city. With help of these sites can easily plan trips to the divine land and spend your vacations amidst the tranquil ambiance of the city.

Incredible Places Of Interest In Govardhan

Incredible Places Of Interest In Govardhan

Govardhan is an important pilgrimage centre in India. It is a municipal town in Uttar Pradesh. Govardhan is located around 150 km from Delhi. There is a railway station in Mathura from where taxis can be hired to reach this town. Govardhan is 23 km away from the Mathura railway station. You can also board the tourist buses or a single line electric train for your journey from Mathura to Govardhan.

Travelling To Govardhan : 

Several Hindus and foreigners are welcomed by the Govandhan tourism each year. They also visit the Govardhan Hill to experience their obeisance towards Lord Krishna and Radha. Though you can find numerous travellers to this place, Govardhan is most readily preferred by travellers from Goa Belha, Rewa.
You can avail Govardhan tour and travel packages to enjoy with family, kids and couples. The best time to visit here is in the month of October, March, November and February. The sight-seeing can be carried out at any point of the day, as preferred by the traveller. Make sure you read about the town in advance and plan the visit well. A lot of information can be procured by exploring the pictures and Govardhan map.

Must Visit Places In Govardhan :

Govardhan is located in the hilly terrain of a hill named as Giriraj. The place caters numerous tales of Lord Krishna’s childhood days. According to the mentions of Govardhan in vedas, the place seems to have descended from the heaven itself. It is believed that once the Govardhan was hit by heavy torrential rains and the Lord himself lifted the peak for 7 consecutive days to save the people. This is why the residents of the Govardhan hill cannot distinguish themselves from their devotion and love towards the Lord. Moreover, there is a religious significance in the ‘Govardhan Parikrama’. It can fulfil one’s wishes. In order to make most of your Govardhan tour and travel package, you must spend at least 2 to 3 days in the town.

 •    Make sure you visit RadhaKund on your next trip to Govardhan. It is a lake where Lord Krishna and Radha used to spend time with the other Gopis. In the month of October and November, people gather here to take a dip in the Holy Lake.
•    Mansi Ganga tank is a popular part of the Govardhan tourism. It marks the beginning and ending points of the Govardhan Parikrama. Taking a dip in this Holy Kund is said to take away all the sins.

Lastly, you must visit the Govardhan hill as well. It is quite close to Vrindavan, the hometown of Lord Krishna. The hill is famous for its Parikrama that fulfils everyone’s desires.