More than 5,000 years have passed since the days of the Mahabharata, the great epic battle that has left an indelible mark on Indian history. Sri Krishna graced the earth for 125 years. After the Mahabharata, he resided in Dwarka for an additional 36 years. Upon his departure from this world, Arjuna brought Krishna's great-grandson, Vajranabh, from Dwarka to Indraprastha (now Delhi), where Dharmaraj Yudhisthir crowned him the ruler of Sur-Sen-Pradesh. According to the Puranas, Sri Krishna established 2,500 significant sites in Braj Mandal. Vajranabh, with the guidance of Shandilya Muni, dedicated himself to locating and restoring these sacred places. He renamed all the leelasthalis, the sites of Krishna’s divine pastimes, and discovered numerous ponds and lakes. Vajranabh also consecrated deities such as Sri Govind Dev, Gopinath, Madanmohan, Sri Gopal Ji (Srinath Ji), Baldev, and Keshavdev at these locations, perpetuating Krishna's legacy.
Historical texts further enrich the tapestry of Braj Mandal’s significance. The Buddhist scripture, ‘Anguttara Nikaya,’ mentions that this land was traversed many times during an era when Vedic practices flourished. Between A.D. 335 and A.D. 400, during the Gupta dynasty, the renowned poet Kalidas referenced Vrindavan in his epic poem ‘Raghuvamsha’ (6/42), comparing it to ‘Chaitrarath,’ one of the three celestial gardens of Indralok.
The 11th-century Kashmiri poet Bilhana, in his work ‘Vikramaditya Charit,’ wrote about his time in Vrindavan: “tashmin vrindavana parisare vasarayenaneetah” (18/87). Additionally, a 14th-century Jain scripture mentions:
"dwaimathurestah, eka dakshin mathura pandava krutah,
apara purva mathura yadgoshthe Krishna samutpatrah."
This passage suggests the existence of two Mathuras: Southern Mathura, established by the Pandavas, and Northern Mathura, where Krishna was born and raised. Vrindavan and its surrounding forests are situated in this Northern Mathura, further highlighting the region's spiritual and historical significance.
According to the Puranas, Braj Mandal is home to 48 significant sites categorized into four groups of twelve: vanas (forests), upavanas (gardens), adhivanas, and prativanas.
The twelve Vanas according to the Padma Purana:
Maha Van, Taal Van, Kumud Van, Kamya Van, Kokila Van, Bhandir Van, Chhatra Van, Khadir Van, Bhadra Van, Bahula Van, Lohajangha Van, Vidrum Van.
The twelve Upavanas according to the Varaha Purana:
Brahma Van, Apsara Van, Vichhal Van, Kadamb Van, Swarna Van, Prem Van, Mayur Van, Manegit Van, Sheshshayee Van, Narad Van, Paramanand Van,
Surbhi Van
The twelve Adhivanas according to the Vishnu Purana:
Mathura, Radhakund, Nanda Gaon, Gadh, Lalita Gaon, Vrishabhanupur, Gokul, Govardhan, Jav, Sanket, Vrindavan, Madhuvan
The twelve Prativanas according to the Matsya Purana:
Rankvan, Varta, Karhavan, Kamnavan, Anjanvan, Karnvan, Krishna Dipanvan, Nand Prekshanvan, Indra Sikshavan, Tapovan, Vatsavan.
Throughout history, numerous rulers came, ruled, and departed, often bringing destruction to the language, faith, and monuments of Braj Mandal. The remnants of these eras have not endured. The dust of Braj (Braj Raj), the Yamuna River, and Govardhan Hill are among the few ancient elements that remain. Most of what you see in Braj today has been reconstructed over the last three thousand years. It was only after the 16th century, due to the devotion of countless premi bhakts (loving devotees), that Braj flourished and became a center of the Bhakti movement. From time immemorial, Braj Dham Vrindavan has been the epicenter of bhakti ras, the essence of devotion. As the Padma Purana states, "Bhakti nrutyati yatra cha" – Vrindavan is the place where devotion flourishes.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu arrived in Vrindavan around the year 1598. It is said that he first circumambulated Braj Mandal with a Brahmin from Mathura named Sri Krishna Das. After bathing at Swami Ghat in Mathura, the ghat was renamed Bangali Ghat. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu then sat under a five-thousand-year-old tamarind tree, enjoying the view of the Yamuna River. Near Govardhan, there was a village called 'Arit,' named after the leela of Sri Krishna in which he killed the demon Arishtasura, who had taken the form of a calf. This village, nearly forgotten, was revived and became famous as Radhakund. Before his arrival, Mahaprabhu had sent Lokanath Goswami and Bhugarbh Goswami to Braj Dham, while Adwaita Acharya and Nityananda Prabhu had already reached Braj Dham. Later, Mahaprabhu dispatched Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami to Vrindavan to revive the nearly lost holy sites.
The book ‘Brijlok Sanskruti’ by M.A. Curator, Provincial Museum, Lucknow, corroborates historical facts and acknowledges that Rupa and Sanatana Goswami played a crucial role in the revival of Sri Vrindavan during the medieval period. It is important to note that before Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's arrival in Braj, Sri Gopal Ji (Shrinath Ji) manifested in Govardhan through the devotion of Sri Madhavendra Puri. Later, Sri Vallabhacharya Mahaprabhu undertook the service and worship of Sri Nath Ji. Sri Swami Haridas Goswami facilitated the manifestation of Sri Banke Bihari in Nidhivan, while Goswami Sri Hitt Harivansh brought Sri Radha Ballabh from Dev Van. Sri Hariram Vyas Ji brought forth Sri Yugal Kishore, and Sri Madhu Pandit facilitated the manifestation of Sri Gopinath at Vansivat. Additionally, Sri Radharaman Dev emerged from the Damodar Shaligram deity, worshipped by Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami. Thus, the deities originally established by Vajranabh, the great-grandson of Sri Krishna, gradually reappeared, making Sri Vrindavan abundant with divine deities.
In the 16th century, this spiritual resurgence led to the construction of numerous beautiful temples. Notably, the Madanmohan temple was built in 1590 by devotee Ramdas Kapur from Multan, followed by the Govind Dev Ji temple constructed by Raja Mansingh of Amer. Other significant temples, such as the Sri Radha Ballabh temple by Sri Sundar Das and the Sri Yugal Kishore temple by Thakur Nonkaran, were built between 1556 and 1637 AD. During this period, devotees from South India, Odisha, and Bengal settled permanently in Vrindavan. However, the 17th century brought challenges during Aurangzeb’s reign, which saw the destruction of many temples in Braj Mandal. Prominent deities were clandestinely moved to Rajasthan for their protection. The severity of the situation led to Vrindavan being renamed ‘Mauminabad’ in government records. Between 1718 and 1803 AD, the Jats and Marathas ruled Braj. Despite attacks by Nadir Shah in 1739 and Ahmed Shah Abdali in 1757, which brought significant destruction, the Jat rulers played a pivotal role in safeguarding key sites.
In 1803, the East India Company defeated Daulatrao Scindia and established its control over the region, initiating a period of revitalization. Temples were rebuilt, and many ghats along the Yamuna River were restored, enhancing Vrindavan's beauty once more. According to the third edition of Sir William Henry Sleeman’s memoirs, traveler Victor Jacquen visited Vrindavan between 1803 and 1830 AD. He observed, “Of all the places that I have visited in Bharatvarsh, Vrindavan is the second largest Hindu city after Banaras.” The 19th century saw the construction of many more temples, such as the resplendent new Govind, Gopinath, Madanmohan, Ranganath, Tikari, and Lalababu temples, each adding a new jewel to the already rich tapestry of Vrindavan's sacred heritage, standing as timeless testaments to the enduring devotion and architectural splendour that define this holy land.
Source: Braj Mandal Parikrama (Ek Sodhatmak Granth) by Sri Anuragi Ji Maharaj
'Nidhivan' by Leeta Mohanty
Comments