In the city of Vrindavan, Banke Bihari temple dedicated to Lord Krishna is one of the famous temples to be visited. The temple is among the seven temples of Thakur of Vrindavan, which were prominent in Vrindavan. The stunning architecture, the idol of the temple, and the story behind the temple made it stand out from many other famous temples in Vrindavan. Banke Bihari Temple is the result of the undying love and persistence of the great poet Haridas Swami. The temple is a great epitome of iconic architectural styles and devotion towards Lord Krishna. Simply, Banke Bihari is one of the holiest places to worship Lord Krishna. With this blog, let’s have a detailed outlook of the temple and its uniqueness.
About the Banke Bihari Temple:
The temple was built in the year 1864 and it follows the architecture of Rajasthani. The idol of Lord Krishna is the form of a child and is called “Kunj-Bihari” which means the enjoyer of groves of Vrindavan. The Rajasthani architecture of the temple adorned with stunning pillars and arches looks good and fantastic. The name of the temple “Banke Bihari” is the special attraction of the temple. The words Banke stand for “bent at three angles” and Bihari stands for “supreme enjoyer”.As the name suggests, the idol also postures in Tribhanga. It is the major attraction of the temple.
A very interesting and unique thing about this temple is, that wherever you search you will not find the bells. In the place, with the chants of “Radha Naam” devotees please the lord. When it comes to the sewa of the Biharji, in three parts everyday sewa will take place. Namely Shringar, Rajbhog, and Shayan. Shringarmeans bathing the idol and adorning it with ornaments in the morning, Rajbhogmeans a feast of prasadas in the afternoon, and Shayan means sleep in the evening.
Later, a very interesting thing about the idol of this temple is its interrupted darshan. The darshan of the lord is not continuous, by using a curtain the darshan intermittently pauses. Why it takes place like this because it is believed that people may feel unconscious if they look long enough into the eyes of Lord Krishna. Due to this reason, interrupted darshans will take place in this temple.
Temple Timings of Banke Bihari Temple:
Summers: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM.
Winters:8:45 AM to 1 PM and 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM.
The story behind the formation of the Banke Bihari Temple:
There is a great story behind the temple of Banke Bihari. The story revolves around one person, who is the reason for today’s temple in Vrindavan, Swami Haridas. It is believed that he was an incarnation of Lalita, a female friend of Lord Krishna. From childhood, he was busy in meditation and praying to Lord Krishna. Even after he was married he didn’t get away from meditation and always be with himself singing and chanting. After some time, his wife understood his husband and she also started praying and entered into flame and she gave up her life.
Then, Haridas left the village and came to Vrindavan. At that time, where the temple was located was a dense forest. He spotted a place to practice music and meditate, that place today is called “Niddivan”.From that day, he enjoyed singing, chanting, and meditating every day continuously. After many days, his disciples with the permission of Haridas entered the place. To their surprise, they have seen nothing but bright light covering everything without any clear visibility. Then, Swamiji Haridas asked Lord Krishna to appear before him. With his consort, Lord Krishna appeared.
After the appearance of Lord Krishna and his consort, Swamji asked to stay here to spell the goodness and charm to all living beings. As his wish, Lord Krishna stayed at that place like anidol representing him and his consort. Still today, that idol is being worshipped in the temple. With the help of Goswamis, a temple was built and the idol was shifted to today’s present Barke Bihari temple.
Special occasions of the Banke Bihari Temple:
On Shri Krishna Janmashtami, on the eighth day of Bhadrapad month, Mangala Aarti will take place. On that day, devotees are allowed from 2 AM to 6 AM. During the day, Lord Krishna appears seated on Lotu’s feet. It is the special attraction of the day. The next great occasion of the temple is Jhulan Yatra, during the festival, the idol moves out of the mandir and is placed in the silver and golden-coated swing of the courtyard. Devotees will enjoy the swings of Lord Krishna chanting radha naam.
Later, Holi is celebrated with a very grandeur and colorful festivities. On this day, the idol moves to a Silver Hut wrapped in a white cloth. By the end of the day, the lord also turns to different colours. We can’t see the whiteness. Another special occasion of the temple is the full moon day in autumn, on this day, Lord Krishna appears with a flute and is crowned. Only on this day, the appearance will take place.
Best Time to Visit Banke Bihari Temple:
Throughout the year, you can visit the temple. But the favourable and best time to visit means, the winter season. At that time, the weather will be cool and moderate. So you can enjoy the sightseeing and explore the all nearby attractions of the temple.
How to reach Banke Bihari Temple:
By Air: The nearest airport to Vrindavan is the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. It is around 160 km far away from Vrindavan. From there it takes 3 to 4 hours to reach the place by cab or bus.
By Rail: The nearest railway station is the Mathura Junction. It is just 11 km away from Vrindavan. By taxi or cab, within 30 minutes you can reach the destination.
By Road: Vrindavan is well-connected to all nearby cities like Delhi, Mathura, Agra, etc. So you can catch a public or private bus to the destination. By taking the Delhi-Agra National Highway, you can easily reach the destination.
The beauty of the temple, the historic tales, and many interesting things about Banke Bihari made it one of the prominent temples in Vrindavan to visit. So, whenever you visit Vrindavan, never miss to include this temple. Just visit the temple and experience the beauty of the idol residing in the temple.
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