Banke Bihari Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Kheria Airport (AGR) in Agra is 46 km from Mathura.

• By train

  Mathura Junction (MTJ) and Mathura Cantt. (MRT) are Mathura's railway stations.

• By road

  Buses run regularly from other major cities to Mathura.

Rules to know

• No early morning aarti is held, to avoid disturbing the deity, except on Janmashtami.
• No bells are hung anywhere inside the temple premises, for the same reason.
• The curtains are drawn every five minutes so that darshan is not uninterrupted.

Why devotees come here

Banke Bihari Temple stands in Vrindavan, Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh. It is dedicated to Krishna as Banke Bihari, a form believed to combine Radha and Krishna. The image was first worshipped at Nidhivan and moved to this temple around 1864.

Legend says Swami Haridas first worshipped the murti as Kunj Bihari, the one who enjoys the groves of Vrindavan. His disciples are said to have given it the name Banke Bihari because of the image's bent, tribhanga posture. Legend says the intense devotion of his followers has so moved Krishna that he responds to their every call and emotion.

The icon moved to the present temple when it was built, around 1864. The Goswamis built the current temple and live behind it. The move came after a dispute between the sadhu and goswami followers of Haridas.

News reports say the Supreme Court ordered a committee, led by retired Allahabad High Court judge Justice Ashok Kumar, to oversee the temple's day-to-day running.

Festivals

• Krishna JanmashtamiKrishna Janmashtami

  The early morning mangala aarti is performed only on this day.

• Once a year, on Sharad PurnimaSharad Purnima

  The deity holds the flute in his hands on this day.

• Bihar PanchamiBihar Panchami

  The appearance of the icon is celebrated on this day.

• During the month of ShravanShravan swing day

  The deity is placed in a swing for one day.

Tips for your visit

• Shri Radha Vallabh Temple is close by, and both temples are among the seven temples of Thakur of Vrindavan.
• Expect darshan in short spells, not one long view, because the curtains open and close at intervals.

Questions people ask