Monday Jan 19
Mathura—The Birthplace of Lord Krishna and Balarama.
Prophecy foretold to King Kamsa that the eighth son of his sister would become far more famous and a beneficent Lord of the Universe, and would result in the death of King Kamsa. Each time his sister Devaki would become pregnant, Kamsa would imprison Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva.
In Mathura we visit the birthplace (prison cell) of Lord Krishna. Switched at birth with Yogamaya (who became the eight – armed goddess) while Krishna was taken in secret across the Yamuna River to a small village and raised by King Nanda and Queen Yashoda. Later, Kamsa realized his destiny.
Mathura—The whole text of the Gita engraved in its stones.
Vrindavan
Vrindavan has an ancient past, associated with Hindu history, and is an important Hindu pilgrimage site. One of its oldest surviving temples is the Govinda Dev temple, built in 1590, with the town founded earlier in the same century.
It is believed that 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 Vrindavana, with purpose of locating the lost holy places associated with Lord Sri Krishna’s transcendent pastimes. Chaitanya wandered through the different sacred forests of Vrindavana in a spiritual trance of divine love. It was believed that by His divine spiritual power, He was able locate all the important places of Krishna’s pastimes in and around Vrindavana.
In the last 250 years, the extensive forests of Vrindavan have been subjected to urbanization, first by local Rajas and in recent decades by apartment developers. The forest cover has been whittled away to only a few remaining spots, and the local wildlife, including peacocks, cows, monkeys and a variety of bird species has been eliminated or are close to it. A few peacocks are left in the city but monkeys and cows can be seen almost everywhere.
Shahji Temple
Exquisitely fashioned Belgian glass chandeliers and fine paintings
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