5 exalted sites of Vrindavan dham | Krishna’s favorite places

Srila Rupa Goswami has described the most exalted sites of Vrindavan dham that are very dear to Krishna. Srila Rupa Goswami has listed down these pastime places of Krishna in his book Sri Radha Krishna Ganoddesa Dipika. This article is an attempt to summarize the relevant contents presented in his book.

#1 Vrindavan Dham

Vrindavan is Krishna’s favorite forest. It is deemed to be the most exalted of all the others. Govardhan hill is the major site of Krishna’s sporting pastimes. Govardhan nourishes the cows and calves of Vrindavan by supplying them with water, grass, and other eatables.

#2 Manasa Ganga

The bathing ghats of Manasa Ganga are very pleasing to Krishna. Krishna’s boat named ‘Suvilastara’ also lies here. There are many small platforms, bedecked with blue sapphires, that surround this lake. The caves adjoining Manasi Ganga are known as Manikandali.
Manasa Ganga (Also spelt as Mansi Ganga) is situated at the heart of Govardhan and is considered to be more sacred than Ganges itself. It is said that one who bathes in the river Ganges is purified of all sins, but one who bathes in Mansi Ganga is not only purified of his/her sins but also achieves pure love for Krishna.

#3 Nandisvara

Sri Krishna’s house is situated on a hill at Nandisvara. It is situated approximately 48 Kms from Vrindavan dham. The place is very beautiful and it seems as if Lakshmi devi personally lives there. On and around this hill there are flat stones where Krishna and His friends sit and enjoy. This place appears remarkably pleasant because it is filled with many such resting places. These places are called Amoda Varddhana and are always saturated with sweet aromas.

Located at distance of 8 Kms from Barsana and 50 Kms from Mathura, the ancient town of Nandgaon is located at the base of the Nandisvara hill. There is a beautiful temple constructed at the top of the Nandisvara hill which is dedicated to Sri Krishna.

#4 Pavana Sarovar

Pavana Sarovar (‘Pavana’ means purifying and ‘Sarovar’ translates to a water body) is Krishna’s favorite lake. Pavana Sarovar is situated in Nandgaon and is one of the most appealing spiritual destinations. There are several groves that encircle this lake. Krishna enjoys performing His pastimes in these groves. Mandara is Krishna’s favorite grove. It is decorated with valuable gems.

#5 Bank of Yamuna

Krishna’s beloved banyan tree is called ‘Bhandira’ and His favorite Kadamba tree is called ‘Kadambaraja’. The bank of Yamuna which houses all kinds of transcendental pastimes is called ‘Anangaranga bhumi’. The most blessed spot on the bank of Yamuna is known as Khelatirtha. This is where Krishna enjoys His unlimited pastimes with Radharani.

Image Credits :

Umang108, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Nitesh Gill, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons