Vrindavan Explained

Vrindavan
Other Name:Vrindaban, Brindaban
Nicknames:City of Widows
Settlement Type:City
Pushpin Map:India Uttar Pradesh#India
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Uttar Pradesh, India
Pushpin Label Position:right
Coordinates:27.58°N 77.7°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name1:Uttar Pradesh
Subdivision Name2:Mathura
Government Type:Municipal Corporation
Governing Body:Mathura-Vrindavan Municipal Corporation
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Vinod Agarwal[1]
Leader Party:BJP
Unit Pref:Metric
Elevation M:170
Population Total:63,005
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Demonym:Vrindavan wasi
Demographics Type1:Languages
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Timezone1:IST
Utc Offset1:+05:30
Postal Code Type:PIN
Postal Code:281121
Area Code:0565
Area Code Type:Telephone code
Registration Plate:UP-85
Demographics1 Info1:Hindi
Demographics1 Title3:Native
Demographics1 Info3:Braj Bhasha dialect

Vrindavan (;), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance for Hindus who believe that Krishna, one of the main Gods in Hinduism, spent most of his childhood in this city.[2] [3] [4] [5] Vrindavan has about 5,500 temples dedicated to the worship of Krishna and his chief consort, Radha.[6] It is one of the most sacred places for Vaishnava traditions.

Vrindavan forms a part of the "Krishna pilgrimage circuit" under development by the Indian Ministry of Tourism. The circuit also includes Mathura, Barsana, Gokul, Govardhan, Kurukshetra, Dwarka and Puri.[7] [8]

Etymology

The ancient Sanskrit name of the city, Sanskrit: वृन्दावन, comes from its groves of vṛndā (holy basil) and vana (grove, forest).[9]

Geography

Situated on the west bank of the Yamuna River, about 15 kilometres north of Mathura[10] and 125 km from Delhi, Vrindavan has an average elevation of 170 metres (557 feet). The Yamuna river flows through the city.

Demographics

As of 2011 Indian Census, Vrindavan had a total population of 63,005, of which 34,769 were males and 28,236 were females. The population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 7,818. The total number of literates in Vrindavan was 42,917, which constituted 68.11% of the population with male literacy of 73.7% and female literacy of 61.2%. The effective literacy rate of the 7+ population of Vrindavan was 77.8%, of which the male literacy rate was 83.7% and the female literacy rate was 70.3%. The sex ratio is 812 females per 1000 males. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 6,294 and 18, respectively. Vrindavan had 11,637 households in 2011.[11] [12]

Vrindavan lies in the cultural region of Braj.[13]

Transportation

Road

Vrindavan is well connected by roads and is connected to Delhi by National Highway (NH) 44 of the Golden Quadrilateral network. Earlier it was NH 2.

129 km from New Delhi

117 km from Gurgaon

54 km from Agra

9 km from Mathura

While in Vrindavan, battery-powered e-rickshaw are available for commuting within city limits.

Rail

Flight

The nearest Airports are Agra Airport which is 71.3 km away and New Delhi International Airport is 150 km away.

Is under-construction Airport Noida International Airport Located in Jewar is expected to be open in his Phase 1 in 2024.

City of Widows

Vrindavan is also known as the "city of widows"[14] [15] [16] due to the large number of widows who move into the town and surrounding area after losing their husbands. There are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 widows.[17] [18] Many live in extreme poverty and spend time singing bhajan hymns at bhajanashrams, as documented in historian William Dalrymple's The Age of Kali (1998). An organisation called Guild of Service was formed to assist these deprived women and children. According to a survey report prepared by the government, several homes run by the government and different NGOs for widows.[19]

Religious heritage

See main article: Krishna and Radha Krishna. Vrindavan is considered to be a sacred place for Vaisnavism tradition of Hinduism.[20] It is believed that Krishna spent part of his childhood in this city.[21] The other prominent areas surrounding Vrindavan are Govardhana, Gokul, Nandgaon, Barsana, Mathura and Bhandirvan. Along with Vrindavan, all these places are considered to be the center of Radha and Krishna worship. Millions of devotees of Radha Krishna visit Vrindavan and its nearby areas every year to participate in a number of festivals.[22] The common salutation or greetings used in Braj region by its residents is Radhe Radhe which is associated with the Goddess Radha[23] or Hare Krishna which is associated with Krishna. Devotees of Krishna believe that he visits the town each night to adore Radha.[24]

History

Vrindavan has an ancient past, associated with Hindu culture and history, and was established in the 16th and 17th centuries as a result of an explicit treaty between Muslims and Hindu Emperors,[25] and is an important Hindu pilgrimage site since long.

In contemporary times, Vallabha Charya, aged eleven visited Vrindavan. Later on, he performed three pilgrimages of India, barefoot giving discourses on Bhagavad Gita at 84 places. These 84 places are known as Pushtimarg Baithak and since then have the places of pilgrimage. Yet, he stayed in Vrindavan for four months each year. Vrindavan thus heavily influenced his formation of Pushtimarg.The essence of Vrindavan was lost over time until the 16th century when it was rediscovered by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In the year 1515, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Vrindavan, with the purpose of locating the lost holy places associated with Krishna's life.[26]

Maratha Conquest

In April 1788, Mahadaji Shinde dispatched Raiji Patil and Devji Gawli, commanding 5,000 fresh soldiers, to confront Ismail Beg's forces in the province of Mathura. Demonstrating formidable strength, Raiji Patil and Devji Gawli successfully routed Ismail Beg's camps and captured Mathura. Following this victory, they advanced towards Vrindavan, where the enemy had stationed 700 soldiers. Despite the initial resistance, Raiji Patil and Devji Gawli decisively defeated the enemy forces and assumed control of Vrindavan, solidifying their hold over the region.[27]

In the last 250 years, the extensive forests of Vrindavan have been subjected to urbanisation, first by local Rajas and in recent decades by apartment developers. The forest cover has been whittled away to only a few remaining spots, and the local wildlife, including peacocks, cows, monkeys and a variety of bird species has been virtually eliminated.

Temples

Vrindavan, the land of Radha Krishna has about 5500 temples dedicated to them to showcase their divine pastimes.[28] [29] Some of the important pilgrimage sites are[30] -

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BJP's mayoral candidate from Mathura Vinod Agarwal wins. 13 May 2023. ET Now News. 22 May 2023.
  2. Book: Hawley . John Stratton . Krishna's Playground: Vrindavan in the 21st Century . Oxford University Press . 2020 . 978-0-19-012398-7 . Oxford; New York.
  3. Web site: UP gets first officially designated 'teerth sthals' in Vrindavan and Barsana. 27 October 2017. Times of India.
  4. Web site: NHAI . https://web.archive.org/web/20161204065036/http://www.nhai.org/NH2_Delhi_Kolkata_main.htm . 4 December 2016 . 14 February 2018.
  5. Book: Keene, Henry George. Henry George Keene (1826–1915). A Handbook for Visitors to Agra and Its Neighbourhood. https://archive.org/stream/ahandbookforvis00keengoog#page/n113/mode/1up. Bindrabun. 1899. Thacker, Spink & Co.. 98–106.
  6. Book: Gopal, Madan . India through the ages . Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India . 1990 . K.S. Gautam . 176.
  7. Web site: Development of Ramayana and Krishna Circuits . pib.gov.in . 15 August 2022.
  8. Book: Bhattacharya, G. . Oxford Art Online . http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.t090249 . Vrindavan . 2003 . Oxford University Press . 10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.t090249 . 978-1-884446-05-4 .
  9. Web site: Brindaban. The Imperial Gazetteer of India. 1909.
  10. Web site: Maps, Weather, and Airports for Vrindavan, India. www.fallingrain.com. 6 December 2019.
  11. Web site: Census of India: Vrindavan . 9 October 2019 . www.censusindia.gov.in.
  12. Book: A students' history of education in India (1800–1973) . Macmillan . 1974 . 6 . Jayant Pandurang Nayaka . Syed Nurullah .
  13. Web site: Lucia Michelutti . 2002 . Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town . 20 May 2015 . PhD Thesis Social Anthropology . London School of Economics and Political Science University of London . 49.
  14. News: India's widows live out sentence of shame, poverty . https://web.archive.org/web/20061129032657/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9711/16/india.women/ . 29 November 2006 . CNN . 16 November 1997 . 25 March 2007.
  15. News: 2 May 2013 . The Indian town with 6,000 widows . BBC News . 12 January 2021.
  16. News: 8 March 2019 . The widows of Vrindavan . cnbctv18.com . 12 January 2021.
  17. Sheik . Fazal . 6 July 2006 . Catalyst Magazine: Moksha: the widows of Vrindavan . https://web.archive.org/web/20070403073306/http://www.catalystmagazine.org/Default.aspx.LocID-0hgnew0ha.RefLocID-0hg01b001006009.Lang-EN.htm . 3 April 2007 . Catalyst . 25 March 2007.
  18. News: 5 July 2007 . Shunned from society, widows flock to city to die . CNN . 5 July 2007.
  19. Web site: Sulabh dons mantle . 6 December 2019.
  20. Web site: vrindavan mahatmya . 25 July 2023 . purebhakti.com. 11 February 2021 .
  21. News: Sengupta . Arjun . 9 March 2023 . Holi: Bringing fleeting color to the lives of Vrindavan's widows . en . The Indian Express . 4 June 2023.
  22. Book: Klaus Klostermaier . A Survey of Hinduism . State University of New York Press; 3 edition . 2007 . 978-0-7914-7081-7 . 204 . The center of Krishna-worship has been for a long time Brajbhumi, the district of Mathura that embraces also Vrindavana, Govardhana, and Gokula, associated with Krishna from the time immemorial. Many millions of Krishna bhaktas visit these places every year and participate in the numerous festivals that re-enact divine scenes from Krishna's life on Earth, of which were spent in those very places . Klaus Klostermaier. Vrinda means Tulsi (A sacred species of flora) and van as forest, therefore Vrindavan is a holy forest of Tulsi. Vijaypal Baghel, known as GreenMan is promoting, planting, and farming Tulsi in mass around the Vrindavan.
  23. Book: Lynch, Owen M. . Divine Passions . 31 December 1990 . University of California Press . 978-0-520-30975-3 . 3–34 . en . ONE. The Social Construction of Emotion in India . 10.1525/9780520309753-002 . https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1525/9780520309753-002/html.
  24. News: Srivastava . Priya . 12 August 2020 . Do you know about the 'mysterious' Nidhivan in Vrindavan where Krishna still performs Raasleela? . The Times of India . 4 June 2023.
  25. News: 25 January 2020 . Watch John Stratton Hawley on His Latest Book on 'Krishna's Playground' . The Wire . 3 March 2020.
  26. Web site: Discovery of Vrindavan by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu . https://web.archive.org/web/20110123021950/http://www.mvtindia.com/history/discovery.htm . 23 January 2011 . 6 December 2019.
  27. Book: Rathod, N. G. . The Great Maratha Mahadaji Scindia . 105. 1994 . Sarup & Sons . 978-81-85431-52-9 . en.
  28. Book: Rājaśekhara Dāsa . [{{Google books|Q1cvAAAAYAAJ|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} The Color Guide to Vṛndāvana: India's Most Holy City of Over 5,000 Temples ]. Vedanta Vision Publication . 2000.
  29. http://news.vrindavantoday.org/2016/06/seven-main-temples-of-vrindavan Seven main temples of Vrindavan
  30. Book: Anand, D. . Krishna: The Living God of Braj . 1992 . Abhinav Publications . 978-81-7017-280-2 . 42–86 . en . Temples and Places.
  31. Web site: Sri Radha Raman in Vrindavan . 6 December 2019 . www.salagram.net.
  32. Web site: Banke-Bihari Temple website . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032027/https://www.bihariji.org/may08/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26 . 4 March 2016 . 6 December 2019.
  33. Book: The Hare Krishnas in India . 14 July 2014 . Princeton University Press . 978-1-4008-5989-4 . 176–198 . en . Chapter 7. Cross-Cultural Dynamics of Mystical Emotions in Vrindaban . 10.1515/9781400859894.176 . https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781400859894.176/html.
  34. Web site: 19 July 2016 . Radha Damodar Mandir, Vrindavan - Info, Timings, Photos, History . 2 September 2021 . TemplePurohit - Your Spiritual Destination Bhakti, Shraddha Aur Ashirwad . en-US.
  35. Web site: ISKCON Vrindavan - Home .
  36. Web site: 20 August 2013 . Famous Krishna Temples in India . 6 December 2019 . Zee News.
  37. News: Kumar . Mayank . 13 February 2012 . Kripaluji Maharaj's Prem Mandir will be inaugurated on 17 February . Aaj Ki Khabar . 29 March 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140330113922/http://www.aajkikhabar.com/News/Region/Kripaluji-Maharaj-s-Prem-Mandir-will-be-inaugurated-on-17th-February/690284.html . 30 March 2014.
  38. Web site: News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News Headlines, Live News Updates . https://web.archive.org/web/20140316105823/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/iskcon-to-build-worlds-tallest-temple-at-mathura-from-today/458198-3-242.html . 16 March 2014 . 6 December 2019 . News18.

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