Vrindavan: Where Krishna Grew Up
Vrindavan, near Mathura, is the town where Hindus believe Krishna spent his childhood among cowherds, friends, and mischief.
Vrindavan is a town on the Yamuna river, a short distance from Mathura. In Hindu belief, it is where Krishna spent most of his childhood, and it remains one of the most beloved pilgrimage towns in India.
What the story says
After his secret birth in Mathura, baby Krishna was raised across the river in the cowherd settlement of Gokul, and his childhood stories all belong to the Vrindavan forests and pastures.
Here he stole butter with his friends, played the flute for the cowherds, tamed the serpent Kaliya in the Yamuna, and lifted Govardhan Hill to shelter the villagers from a terrible storm.
These are the playful, warm-hearted stories of Krishna that children love most, and every one of them is set in this landscape.
Watch the story
Hear this place come alive in the Mythical Masala episode S1E23: Krishna’s Mischievous Pranks and Heroic Adventures in Vrindavan:
Chapters
- 00:00 Hook: pranks, miracles, and epic battles
- 01:30 Putana, the demoness in disguise
- 02:57 Trinavarta, the whirlwind demon
- 05:13 A new home: the move to Vrindavan
- 06:27 Makhan chor: Krishna the butter thief
- 09:47 The fruit seller whose grain turned to gems
- 11:17 Kalia poisons the Yamuna
- 12:30 Krishna dives into the poisoned river
- 15:57 The dance on Kalia’s hood
- 17:49 Outro: Kamsa is still out there
Find it on the map
Here is Vrindavan today. Zoom out to see where it sits in India, or tap the button to open it in Google Maps.
What we actually know
Hindus believe Krishna spent most of his childhood in Vrindavan, and the town’s temples, ghats, and groves are all tied to episodes of his early life. The nearby town is part of the Krishna circuit of pilgrimage sites in the Mathura district.
Like Mathura, Vrindavan’s importance is a matter of faith and tradition rather than archaeology. Its temples, some several centuries old, are real historical buildings, and the town has been a center of Krishna devotion for a very long time.