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 in Hinduism as it is believed in Hinduism that Krishna spent most of his childhood days in this city. Vrindavan has about 5,500 temples dedicated to the worship of Krishna and his chief consort Radha.
It is one of the most sacred places for Vaishnavism tradition. Vrindavan is a significant part of the "Krishna pilgrimage circuit" which also includes Mathura, Barsana, Gokul, Govardhan, Kurukshetra, Dwarka and Puri.
Etymology
The ancient Sanskrit name of the city, (), comes from its groves of vṛndā (holy basil) and vana (grove, forest).
Geography
Vrindavan is a city in India, located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated on the west bank of the Yamuna River, about 15 kilometers north of Mathura.. It has an average elevation of 170 metres (557 feet).
Yamuna river flows through the city. It is located 125 km away from Delhi and 15 km away from Mathura 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. 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 7+ population of Vrindavan was 77.8%, of which male literacy rate was 83.7% and 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.
Vrindavan lies in the cultural region of Braj.
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
BDB/Vrindavan is on the Mathura-Vrindavan MG link. VRBD/Vrindavan Road is on the Agra-Delhi chord.
Flight
Nearest Airports are Agra Airport which is 71.3 kms away and New Delhi International Airport is 150 kms.
City of Widows
Vrindavan is also known as the "city of widows" 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. The widows come from states of West Bengal, Assam and Odisha. Many spend time singing bhajan hymns at bhajanashrams. An organization 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.
Religious heritage
Vrindavan is considered to be a sacred place for Vaisnavism tradition of Hinduism. It is believed that Krishna spent part of his childhood in this city. 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 number of festivals. The common salutation or greetings used in Braj region by its residents is Radhe Radhe which is associated with the Goddess Radha or Hare Krishna which is associated with Krishna. Devotees of Krishna believe that he visits the town each night to adore Radha.
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, and is an important Hindu pilgrimage site since long.
Of the contemporary times, Vallabhacharya, 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 are 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.