Beginning of Nandgaon
Shri Krishna was raised in Nandgaon after his family and the other gwalas were forced to leave Gokul. Kamsa had destroyed the village of Gokul in an effort to kill Shri Krishna. Nand Maharaj, Shri Krishna’s foster father, is honoured with the name Nandgaon.
The distance between Nandgaon and Mathura is about 50 kilometers, and Barsana to Nandgaon is about 10 kilometers away. Nandgaon is situated at the top of Nandishwar Hill. The gwalas lived around the foot of the hill, with Nand Baba, the king of the gwalas, and his family residing on the top. Shri Krishna grew up here, did many pastimes in and around Nandgaon and Barsana.
Nand Bhavan/Nandigram Temple
The location of Nand Ji, Shri Krishna’s foster father,’s home is where Nand Bhavan, or Shri Nand Baba Temple, was erected. The shrines of Shri Krishna’s foster parents, Nand Ji and Yashoda Mata, are only found in this one temple. In Nandgaon, Shri Krishna spent his formative years. Nandagram Temple is another name for Nand Bhavan. Using red sandstone, Raja Rupa Singh constructed this temple in the 19th century.
Nandisvara Temple
Hindu epics say that Lord Shiva once underwent extreme penance to win the favour of Lord Krishna and pleaded with him for the privilege of seeing the young Krishna’s playtime. Lord Shiva came to visit Shri Krishna when he was born, but Yashoda Maiya thought that her Lalla might be scared of ‘this baba’ hence she didn’t allow him to meet. Shiva’s prayers had pleased Lord Krishna, who gave him the order to stay at this hilltop location in Vrindavan. Lord Shiva then assumed the shape of Nandishvar Hill and settled in Nandgaon, where he took pleasure in Lord Krishna’s transcendental pastimes.
Nand Bhavan to Nandisvara Temple is only 1-minute walk away.
Pavan Sarovar
Nand Baba was about to travel to the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati to take a bath when Shri Krishna instructed him to leave the following day in honour of Akshaya Tritya. Nand Maharaj noticed a man bathing in the Sarovar the following morning. Nand Baba discovered that Prayagraj, the king of Tirthas, was present when he was questioned about his whereabouts. He came here to take a bath in the sacred water of Pavan Lake in order to aid other pilgrims in purging their sins. When Nand Ji saw this, he understood that he could bathe in the Sarovar and atone for his sins without going anywhere else.
The distance between Nand Bhavan to Pavan Sarovar is 850 meters, which is about 10 minutes of walking.
Charan Pahadi
When Bal Krishna was once calling the cows to the grazing area with his flute, the hill melted under the sound of the flute. The footprints left by Shri Krishna are still visible. Not only that, but the nearby hills melted as well. The footprints of the Gopis are also said to have appeared on other nearby hills.
The distance between Nand Bhavan and Charan Pahadi is 1.6 kilometers, which is about a 15-minute walk.
Vrinda Devi Kund
Shri Radha Rani and Shri Krishna’s pass time activities are overseen by Vrinda Devi. Behind this temple, in the Gupt Kund, is rumoured to be the location of Shri Radha-Krishna’s first meeting of the day. When Radha and Krishna arrive, the doors open, and Vrinda Devi arranges the other sakis and sakhas so that Radha and Krishna are in the centre of the kunj she has just made.
The distance between Nand Baba Temple and Vrinda Devi Temple is 3 kilometers.
Moti Kund
With the Moti Kund, there is a temple too. Radha’s family sent Krishna pearl garlands for the wedding of Kanha and Radha. However, Kanha’s family members didn’t have these pearls and were tensed about what to do. Since Kanha had sown the moti, they can now send Radha this cartful of pearls with joy. There are trees where the pearls were planted, and you can still see them there. Near Moti Kund, there are trees with pearls still fastened to them. This is the story of Moti Kund.
Nand Bhavan to Moti Kund is 2.2 kilometers away.
Ter Kadamb
Ter Kadamba is a very unpopular location that still shows a traditional Braj Bhumi vibe. It is the location where Krishna plays his flute to call on his 900000 cows. The seeker’s spiritual life is greatly improved just by visiting Ter Kadamaba, which is a very private location. The trick is that chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra at Ter Kadamba once is considered to be equal to saying it 900000 times.
The distance between Nand Baba Temple to Ter Kadamb is also 2.2 kilometers.
Some Other Places to Visit in Nandgaon
Yashoda Kund
This is the place where Yasoda Maiya used to give Kanha and Balaram bath. This places reminds us of the childhood pastimes of Kanha.
Nand Baithak/Kund
Nand Maharaj along with his brothers and other gwalas used to sit here and discuss about their welfare and various issues that took place. There are many such Baithaks in Nandgaon. Near the Baithak spot is the Kund named after Nand Baba.
Uddav Kyari
Uddav Ji, Shri Krishna’s close friend from Mathura, had come here to convince the gopis and gwalas that there is no point waiting for their Kanha now, they should get into bhakti/devotion. However, he failed in doing so, as they were overwhelmed with love for Kanha. Uddac-Gopi Samvad took place here.
My Experience
As we all know, Nandgaon is small as compared to Barsana. For me, Nandgaon was a quick and insightful tour. I am so grateful that I got to visit the spots that hold value to Shri Krishna and see some of the remains of the memories of those days. What I enjoyed the most is that all these temples and spots are close by, so I could walk around Nandgaon. This way, I got to spend time in the place and gain a worthy experience overall. Nand Bhavan, Kanha’s home, was my favourite place to visit, and it was dear to the Lord.
