Weekend Getaways: Mathura Vrindavan from Delhi
Mathura Vrindavan from Delhi is a longish drive. I did this with extended family so it was pretty much Eat Pray Love in the family setting also going to the best places to visit in Mathura Vrindavan.
Travel Route:
NOIDA – Vrindavan 160kms
(via the Yamuna Expressway – it’s a toll road but totally worth the drive)Vrindavan – Mathura 15kms
Stay:
We did a day trip from NOIDA – left early at around 6:30am and reached back home by 9pm
Sightseeing: Best places to visit in Mathura Vrindavan
When going to Mathura Vrindavan from Delhi, its bound to be a bit of a religious trip. Even so, sometimes road trips can be fun and can be enjoyed by kids and elderly alike.
Vrindavan
Banke Bihari Temple: The most famous one in Vrindavan. Gives a feeling of being a very ancient temple, however it is in perfect shape with regular prayers being conducted every day at the temple.
Rangnath Temple: This was more of a historical monument since it is not a working temple any longer. Since it is a stone temple, it gets quite hot in summers and it is difficult to walk barefoot inside the temple premises. Its best to choose the morning hours to visit this one.
Vrindavan Bihari Temple: One of the few (probably the only) temple dedicated to Balaram (older brother of Sri Krishna)
ISKCON: We attended the afternoon aarti at ISKCON and the fervor was palpable in the air with the sounds of Hare Krishna Hare Krishna. The temple is beautiful like many other ISKCON temples and nothing out of ordinary despite being in Vrindavan. We stayed for some time in the prayer hall and then took prasad and left for Gopikunj
Gopikunj: This is not exactly a temple (well there is a small temple inside) but a place which is seen more for the folklore than the temple. Just like all the temples above, Gopikunj is also closed from 1pm to 3pm. While one can sit in the premises in other temples with just the sanctum sanctorum being closed, Gopikunj was completely closed (outer gates) for visitors for 2 hours.
Now the folklore: legend has it that this is a place where every night Lord Krishna takes his human form and performs maha raas leela with the gopis and Radha. The locals also believe that whoever stays in the temple or the Gopikunj premises during the night achieves moksha (and thereby dies).
Looking for other weekend getaways from Delhi, check out Kasauli.
Mathura:
Mathura Dwarkadheesh: The most famous temple in Mathura and a really beautiful one at that. The ceilings are adorned with extremely beautiful paintings of Radha Krishna and other stories from Shri Krishna’s life. We reached there at the time of evening aarti and despite the sounds and the aarti, there was an unmistakable peace in the temple. It is one of the best places to visit in Mathura Vrindavan and hence an absolute must do.
Boating in the Yamuna river: Colorful, beautiful, open boats which do a 30min ride during which one can see the fort of Kans (according to Hindu mythology, he was the maternal uncle of Krishna and was slayed by Krishna)
While river Yamuna also flows in Delhi, but there are hardly any such options there and a trip to Mathura Vrindavan from Delhi would be incomplete without this boat ride.
Krishna Janmsthan:
Strangely, this place had a lot of security, so much so that we were not allowed to take our cell phones and car keys inside due to battery. The place was very beautiful and spacious. The statues of Radha and Krishna were beautiful and so alive that they could just have been there in flesh and blood.
Food
- Next to Banke Bihari temple, there a small street restaurant serving delicious Lassi (yogurt drink, one can opt for either sweet or salty) and Peda (an Indian sweet, which is a specialty of Mathura and Vrindavan)
- Prasad at ISKCON (it was khichdi and laddu but it changes)
- Near the Mathura Dwarkadheesh temple, there are a few street food options. You can pick any – we tried golgappe (pani poori), aloo tikki, papdi chaat and another round of peda. Everything was very delicious without any exception.
Dinner at one of the dhabas on the route. Hot and fresh paneer and naan after a tiring day always helps
Traveler Notes:
- Except for ISKCON, photography is not allowed inside any of the temple premises
- Most of the temples close in the afternoon (varies by temple, mostly around 1 – 3pm). Best to check the time and go
- Moderate clothing is recommended although there is no restriction
- Street food of Mathura is an absolute must try.
