Sri Banke Bihari Temple - Vrindavan

Sri Banke Bihari Mandir is located in the holy city of Vrindavan in the Mathura district in the State of Uttar Pradesh.

Lord Krishna is the main deity of this temple. The image of lord Krishna in the temple appears in the form of a child and is seen standing in the Tribhanga Position.

There are no bells or conchs on the premises as the lord does not like the sound of these instruments.

This is among the 7 temples of Vrindavan which also include Radhavallabh Ji, Shri Govind Ji, and others.

This temple was built in 1864 AD

The image of a young child is used to worship Banke Bihari. As a result, no aarti is performed in the early morning, and no bells are hung anywhere on the temple's property because doing so might disturb Banke Bihari. Mangala aarti, or early morning aarti, is only performed on Krishna Janmashtami. To prevent uninterrupted darshans of Banke Bihari—who, it is widely believed, may accompany devotees to their homes if darshans are not interrupted—curtains are repeatedly drawn shut every five minutes. Banke Bihari only plays the flute once a year, which is on the occasion of Sharad Purnima.

The legend of the Banke Bihari Temple illustrates how the temple came into existence. It is believed that Swami Haridas, who was a devotee of Lord Krishna, spent most of his time meditating, praying, and reading holy scriptures. His commitment to the lord was so devout that he continued his strict discipline even after getting married to Harimatiji. After her surrender to the lord, Haridas left for Vrindavan, where he chose a secluded spot for meditation, which is now known as Nidhivan. One day, when Swamiji granted his permission to his disciples to enter Nidhivan, they saw something unusual. There was bright light filling the whole place, which was unlike anything they had seen. It was none other than Lord Krishna himself, who had appeared in front of the devotees in person with his consort Radha. Sensing the effect of the Lord's appearance on his disciples, Swami Haridas requested both, the lord and his consort to take a single form. Moreover, he also wished for his beloved deity to be in front of his sight always. The lord granted both his wishes and left a charming black image after submitting to the desire of his devotees. The temple was formally constructed in 1864 with the contribution of Goswamis. After the construction of the temple, the Goswamis transferred the idol to this temple. The present idol in this grand temple is the same one that the Lord granted to Swami Haridas.

Temple Timings :

Summer – Two days after Holi

Winter – Two days after Diwali

Summer :

7.45 am to 12.00 pm

5.30 pm to 9.30 pm

8.00 am – Shringar

11.30 am to 12.00 pm – Raj Bhog

12.00 pm – Rajbhog Aarti

8.30 pm to 9.00 pm – Shayan Bhog

9.30 pm – Shayan Aarti

Winter :

8.45 am to 1.00 pm

4.30 pm to 8.30 pm

9.00 am – Shringar

12.00 pm to 12.30 pm – Raj Bhog

1.00 pm – Rajbhog Aarti

7.30 pm to 8.00 pm – Shayan Bhog

8.30 pm – Shayan Aarti

How to reach the Temple

400 km from Lucknow

75 km from Agra

15 km from Mathura

Nearby Temples

Vrindavan, Katyayani Vidya Peeth – 2 km

Mathura, Sri Krishna Janmasthan Temple – 10 km

Mathura, Sri Dwarakadheesh Mandir – 11 km

Govardhan, Sri Giriraj Maharaj Ji Temple – 28 km

Barsana, Sri Radha Rani Mandir – 46 km