History, Importance, Timings, Architecture, Kirtan Timings, Sri Krishna Balaram Guest House, Interesting Facts and Travel Guide of ISKON, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India
The Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir also known as ISKON Vrindavan is situated in the Raman Reti area of Vrindavan. For devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan's Raman Reti, holds special significance. Srila Prabhupada, the Founder Acharya of ISKCON, intended to build a temple of unprecedented beauty for the worship of the transcendental brothers Krishna and Balaram in the same village where they played more than five thousand years ago, and this beautiful temple represents his ambition. Srila Prabhupada personally oversaw all elements of design and construction, and summoned the Lord to accept the adoration of His followers from all over the world. "Lord Balaram is the wellspring of spiritual strength, and I created this temple just to give spiritual strength to the people.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York City in 1966 with the mission of spreading the transcendental message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appearing as a devotee in this age of Kali. ISKCON is a part of the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya, one of the four vaishnava sampradayas. It has an authorised disciplic succession of great spiritual preceptors who have taught the science of self realisation based on the Bhagawat Gita and Srimad Bhagwatam. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1532), along with His brother Nityananda Prabhu and six of His principal associates, the Goswamis of Vrindavana, taught and codified the precepts and practises of ISKCON (Sanatana, Rupa, Jiva, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunatha Dasa and Raghunatha Bhatta). The Bhagavad-gita, The Hare Krishna Movement's primary scripture, is an eternal teaching with written origins dating back over 5000 years, and it was previously an oral tradition passed down from teacher to student from time immemorial.
Sri Chaitanya sparked a major bhakti (devotional) movement across India. Hundreds of volumes on the philosophy of Krishna consciousness were compiled under His supervision. Many devotees followed Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's preceptorial line, notably Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-1914), an accomplished Vaishnava theologian who conveyed Krishna consciousness to a modern audience by sending a book on Lord Caitanya's Teachings to McGill University in Canada in 1896. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami (1874-1937), Bhaktivinoda Thakur's son, became Srila Prabhupada's (1896-1977) guru and urged him to preach Krishna awareness to the English-speaking people of the West. On this order, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada took a perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean to USA in 1965, and consequently started the most auspicious spiritual movement, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, for the fulfillment of his guru’s desire. ISKCON quickly spread to the major cities of the whole world in a mere 11 years.
The Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir is now a thriving spiritual hub. Pilgrims from all over the world pour through the gates every day of the week. In truth, the enormous green government signs put over the Vrindavan highway exit only point to two temples: Banke Bihari and ISKCON.
At the temple's central altar, Krishna and Balarama serve as Presiding Deities. Radha Krishna as Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar stands on the right altar with Gopi, Lalita, and Vishakha. On the left altar are Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda, as well as A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ISKCON Founder Acharya and 32nd Acarya in Gaudiya Vaishnava Disciplic Succession, and his Guru Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. The Krishna-Balaram Mandir maintains one of Vrindavan's highest levels of cleanliness and deity worship. The white marble samadhi mandir shrine of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada is located near the temple, at the complex's entrance.
After approaching the holy valley of Vrindavan, one may see the majestic ISKCON temple. The temple is made of white marble and embellished with stones that attract the eye at first glance. Three altars grace the magnificent white structure. The brothers Krishna and Balaram are honored on the central altar. Sri Gaur Nitai and Sri Radha Shyamasundar are honored on the other two altars. The temple's galleries have paintings of Lord Krishna representing many joyful episodes from his life. The temple's courtyard is surrounded by a lovely verandah with wall paintings of Sri Radha-Krishna and Sri Gaur-Nitai placed on it. The temple's main deity, a picture of Krishna and Balaram, is housed beneath the temple's central spire, or shikhar. Other deities' images are well-decorated and placed around the centre shrine. The temple is enormous and has been separated into parts to accommodate religious activities at all hours of the day and night. The temple's first floor resembles a balcony, with 108 flowers painted on the floor.
The devotee continuously chants HARE KRISHNA, HARE RAMA which has a great meaning behind this continuous chanting. Krishna means all-attractive, Rama signifies maximum pleasure, and Hare alludes to Srimati Radharani, Krishna's internal pleasure potency. We are all essentially Krisnha conscious entities as living spiritual souls, but our consciousness has been contaminated by the material surroundings owing to our long interaction with matter. Maya, or illusion, is the name given to the material environment in which we presently live. Maya denotes the absence of something. And what exactly is this deception? The illusion is that we are all attempting to be lords of material nature, despite the fact that we are all bound by her strict laws. The term illusion refers to a servant's attempt to artificially emulate the all-powerful master. We are all striving to use the resources of material nature in this polluted idea of existence, yet we are becoming further entangled in her complexity. As a result, despite our valiant efforts to conquer nature, we are becoming increasingly reliant on her. The resurrection of our Krsna consciousness can put an end to this illusory struggle against material nature right away. The transcendental process of recovering this original, pure consciousness is chanting the maha-mantra. We may cleanse our hearts of all pollutants by reciting this transcendental vibration. Their foundation is the delusion that I am the lord of all I see. Krishna consciousness is not imposed on the mind artificially. This is the origin of awareness.
Temple trust manages Sri Krishna Balaram International Guest House, Vrindavan to accommodate devotee.
Kirtana is a traditional type of communal chanting used by devotees in the Hare Krishna movement. The percussion instruments gongs, drums (mrdanga), and cymbals accompany this ensemble chanting of Hare Krsna (karatala). Devotees frequently stand or dance during kirtana, whether within or outside the temple. Everyone responds to one person who leads the singing. Devotees hold kirtanas (also known as harinamas) in public areas so that others can benefit from hearing the Lord's holy names. Such unintended listening is considered devotional service by Krishna, and it entitles one to provide additional service in the future.
Pilgrims soak in the sparkling image of the Lord, painstakingly embellished with no regard for cost or labor, truly a festival for the eyes, standing captivated with open eyes and folded hands. This entire temple complex is a bustling preaching powerhouse with thirty departments, including a guesthouse, welcome centre, Samadhi Museum, ten book stalls, bakery, restaurant, broadcast studio, residential Brahma Cari ashram, and a Deity department with one of the highest standards of worship in the world, engaging over one hundred devotees directly in seva every day.
The festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm. Janmashtami, Holi, Ram Navami, Guru Purnima, Diwali are celebrated every year.
Millions of devotee across the world visits Vrindavan across the year, thus to facilitate them lots of Ashram, Dharmshala, Hotels, Guest House, Yatri Bhavan, Restaurants are built. Also you can easily find the public and private transport, auto rickshaw for the local sightseen and visit nearby Yatradham like Mathura, Barsana, Gokul, Jatipura, Govardhan Hill, Nandgaon etc.
How to Reach Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir, Vrindavan, The Abode of Lord Krishna, Uttar Pradesh, India
ISKON Temple is one the most popular pilgrimage site of Vrindavan where thousands of devotee and tourist reaches here around the year. Vrindavan being one of the major pilgrimage center and tourist destination, of Uttar Pradesh where people across the world visits around the year. It is very well connected with all major cities of India via road, rail and air network. Mathura has major railway junction just at 14 km from Vrindavan from where you can get train to almost all region of India. Agra Airport and Delhi Airport are the nearest airport at distance of 69 and 140 respectively from Vrindavan. From where you can get flight to all major cities of India and across the globe. You can find private taxi and public transport as well from both airport to reach to Vrindavan. Vrindavan is located at just 14 km from Mathura, 26 km from Gokul, 42 km from Barsana, 30 km from Jatipura, 23 km from Govardhanhill, 70 km from Agra, 180 km from Delhi. You can get direct buses from Mathura, Agra, Delhi etc. to reach Vrindavan.
