If you ask an Indian from any region of India about which place to visit, you can always hear, one of the first in the long list, the city of Vrindavan. In India travel guides, Vrindavan's photos can be found very often. The sacred place is popular not only among locals, but also among tourists.
For some, this city seems boring or even dangerous, while others, being in it, are in complete oblivion with tears in their eyes in awe, still others are eagerly exploring every corner and taking a huge number of photographs. Yes, this city is clearly not for purely entertainment trips. Vrindavan in India is a very specific settlement with many temples and holy places. Representatives of various religious areas of Hinduism spend their time here, mainly Vaishnavas (devotees of God Krishna). To understand what kind of city it is, you need to plunge into the history of terms, names and titles.
Vrndavana concept
Vaishnavism (or Vishnuism) is one of the main religious movements of Hinduism, it originates many centuries ago. Vaisnavas worship God Visnu and his avatars, mainly Rama and Krsna. Also, the flow implies compliance with a set of certain mandatory rules. For example, you should not expose your body to intoxication, you should not eat meat, fish and eggs, every day it is advisable to repeat the names of the gentlemen in the form of a sacred mantra: "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama , Hare Hare. " The mantra is repeated on a wooden rosary, where 107 beads, one repetition of it is one bead. Advanced Vaisnavas repeat the mantra, passing on the rosary of at least 16 circles. For believers, this process takes about 2.5 hours. It is favorable to repeat the mantra in the very early morning hours before sunrise. The rosary is stored in special rag bags, as they are made from the sacred Tulasi tree. It grows in India, it is very common in the everyday life of Vaisnavas.
Srila Prabhupada is the main person
The main figure in the Vaisnava world is Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, also known as Srila Prabhupada. The main goal of this person was to disseminate information about Krishna throughout the world, he wanted to be introduced to a pious lifestyle, to transfer his knowledge and experience through books and sermons. He managed to do a great job in this field and left a lot of followers, books, records. He was an indefatigable traveler and never gave up on his idea. There is a temple in Vrindavan where the remains of Prabhupada and its memorial are located. This is a very beautiful place, the building is made entirely of white marble. In hot weather, it is very pleasant to be in a cool marble room, presenting the image of this unusual person.
The main attractions of Vrindavan in India
Vrindavan is famous for having a very large number of temples. There are 5000 in total. However, according to local residents, there are much more temples. They pray and worship deities every morning in them. Deities are presented in the form of statues, stones and dolls in multi-colored robes. If you see an oval stone with stripes - this is Shivalingam, worshiping it looks very interesting. It is poured several times with liquid (milk, water), then greased with ghee, and then crowned with fresh flowers. If you walk the streets of Vrindavan in India, you will notice a huge number of men and women selling fragrant wreaths and bouquets. You might think that local women are surrounded by numerous fans buying flowers. But no, all flowers and all the best are for temples and deities.
Here is the sacred river Yamuna. Various rituals are performed in it: bathing, cremation, pujas and so on. The Yamuna (Jamna) is the most watery and extended tributary of the Ganges, in the area of the city it is quite heavily polluted. Despite this, many locals bathe in it. In shallow water, cows and buffalos wade Yamuna after a day in the pasture.
Local residents live off trade and livestock. Their life is very simple and modest. Luxury can only be found in hotels and temples.
Contingent in Vrindavan
The number of permanent residents of the city is about 57 thousand people. But between October and November, the number of people per square kilometer increases dramatically. All Vaisnavas and interested wanderers try to visit Vrindavan. Of course, there is a very good reason for this. From October 6 to November 4 passes the holy month - Kartika. It is believed that the benefit received from service this month is several times greater than the benefit received from service the rest of the time. Therefore, it is very difficult to reserve hotels in Vrindavan at this time. If you want to visit the city at this particular time, it is better to take care of reserving your accommodation in advance. Some book hotels and rooms a year in advance. Hotels in Vrindavan in India have a different price category and star rating. The city is gradually developing infrastructure, the choice of housing for tourists is increasing.
Kartika - holy month
So, if you are lucky enough to get to Vrindavan during the Kartika period, you can see very beautiful Vaisnava rituals, hear the performance of songs pouring straight from the heart. A huge number of icon lamps are lit in Kartika in honor of Krishna and his mother Yashoda, they are launched into the water along with flowers and other attributes of worship.
Vaisnavas have a distinctive feature - these are small tails of hair on the head. They all carry rag bags with rosaries and have yellow clay in the shape of a horseshoe on their forehead. Vaisnavas can be found all over the world - they are people in spacious multi-colored robes with drums, dancing and singing about their Lord Krishna, and they often sell books about Krishna in the busy streets. Moreover, Vaishnavas are not only Indians, among them a huge number of people of other nationalities. Thanks to Srila Prabhupada, Vaishnavism spread far west. A lot of admirers of this religious direction among our compatriots.
Vrindavan - Krishna's childhood city
Why do Vaisnavas gather in India precisely in Vrindavan? The answer is very simple. This city is considered the place where Krishna spent his childhood and youth. Vrindavan is a “city of 5000 temples,” each of its streets serves as a reminder of the life of Krishna. Also nearby is the city where he was born - Mathura. Every corner of Vrindavan is considered sacred, including animals, trees and even dust on the road. People who were born in Vrindavan are considered fortunate because they, according to Vaisnavas, live their last life in an imperfect world. Their next birth will already be on higher planets, or the circle of birth and death will be completely interrupted, and they will fall into Nirvana - the eternal bliss of nothingness.
Indian yogi
Here you can also often meet yogis, some of them are very thin. They can be seen with tangled hair, coated with a white or yellow mixture, their body is only covered with pieces of fabric, and sometimes there is only an iron cap in the groin area. They live on the street in makeshift tents, eat very modestly, wash themselves in the rivers. These people have completely devoted their lives to meditation and reflection; they are not interested in material goods.
Here you can rarely meet a tourist dressed in the latest fashion with an expensive camera in his hands, they are not interested here. This city has completely different standards of beauty and fashion. Women here wear long clothes on the floor - sari, and men are dressed in dhoti - sheets, tied in a special way on the hips.
Flora and fauna
Green parrots, peacocks, buffalos, dogs, cows, piglets - they all live on the streets of Vrindavan in India. And, of course, the main thieves of the city are monkeys. You can write a separate article about them. They feed on everything they find during the day. Smart and cunning animals often take off glasses from tourists, take away cameras, fruits, food packages. They hover in open windows and doors. But there is another group of monkeys - the Hanuman langurs. They behave nobly and with dignity, the Indians consider them sacred animals and worship. They look unusual, you can recognize them by the white tuft. Almost every temple has its own langurs.
A huge number of cows and buffaloes freely pacing the streets and roads - this is a common picture in India. The cow is considered the mother-nurse, the meat of the animal is not eaten, only milk and dairy products are eaten.
The plant world of Vrindavan is represented by bright and impressive plants. Huge centuries-old banyan trees, small knotty trees, stretching shrubs - everything pleases the eye. In many nearby protected areas, nature is completely untouched, there you can feel like an ancient person at the origins of civilization.
How to get to Vrindavan in India?
Vrindavan is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in northern India, 185 kilometers from New Delhi. Upon arrival to the capital of India, you can order a taxi to Vrindavan or go there by bus. It usually takes 5-6 hours. The fare for a taxi varies from 2.5 to 7 thousand Indian rupees, it all depends on how you know how to negotiate.
The climate is very humid, as Vrindavan is located in the subtropical zone. When monsoon winds begin to blow, a lot of precipitation falls - about 85% of the annual norm. Average winter temperature + 13 + 17 ° . In spring, the temperature reaches + 32 ° C. Vrindavan weather in India is typical of this state. It is still recommended to take warm clothes with you, as nights in the winter months are very cold, and there are no heating elements anywhere. Warm plaids and scarves can be purchased on trading floors throughout India, quality woolen items are very cheap. Many tourists take sleeping bags with them, as this is a very practical thing. Firstly, they are comfortable and warm, and secondly, bedding in some cheap hotels is very rarely fresh and clean. In India, be prepared to sacrifice your standards of cleanliness.
Often the impressions and reviews of tourists about Vrindavan and India as a whole are contradictory. Some people admire the temples and lifestyle of Indians, others - it is shocking. One thing is clear: this country does not leave anyone indifferent. Try to love her by closing your eyes to the material world and completely plunging into the spirituality that reigns in it.