Food in Vrindavan
Vrindavan is a place which is roughly 135 km away from New Delhi. It can be reached by car via NH-2. It is located in the NW part of the state of Uttar Pradesh. There are trains available but many prefer to travel by road. Devotees of Lord Krishna come here with family from all parts of the world and enjoy the holy chants in the temples. ISKCON temple in Vrindavan is a place where you can find national as well as international devotees in colourful clothes and tilaks on their foreheads. Those who don’t know much about Vrindavan consider it as a place full of temples and saints. Yes, there are temples and saints but Vrindavan is also famous for its local delicacies.
It is a holy place for Hindus so one can only find vegetarian cuisine all over the place. It might turn out be a nightmare for those who go there looking for kebab stalls in the streets of Vrindavan like they get in New Delhi or elsewhere.
The food available at this place would not contain onion and garlic. This is because they prefer eating and serving Satvik Bhojan. Onion, garlic and non-vegetarian foods are considered Tamsik Bhojan and hence one may not find them in any food item. However, times have changed and one may find all types of food here as well. However, most of the people avoid such trade as they believe that it may bring bad luck to them.
Food Joints in Vrindavan
The place is famous for snacks and small meals. The well known delicacies may include kachori, aalu puri, chana bhatura and pakora. There are a number of tea stalls and sweet corners in Vrindavan where one can enjoy the above mentioned snacks.
MVT is famous restaurant located behind ISKCON temple. This is a good place to enjoy international cuisine prepared by international staff. Tourists enjoy different types of salads, pasta and ice creams served in this restaurant. Govindas is also a well-known food joint where one can find Indian, Italian as well as Chinese food. If you are looking for a coffee at midnight then Govardhan Palace is the place to look for. It has a 24-hour coffee shop where one can find Indian and Continental food throughout the day. Kachori and sabzi is a mouth-watering snack available in Vrindavan which can be enjoyed at Oma.
You may enjoy the food served in these good restaurants but the roadside sweet shops are also an option. These shops might appear that good to your eyes but they definitely make your stomach and mouth feel awesome when you try the snacks and the sweets. Many shops serve dahi and lassi in small kullarhs. It is healthy and good for your stomach as well. During summers, hawkers also sell lemonades and soda on cycles. Last but not the least, one must try the Govinda Canteen at ISKCON.
Sweet Tooth
Once you are done with the major meals, you should go and try the sweets. Shankar Mithai wala is a well-known sweet corner. One can not afford to come back home without trying pedhe. Rabri, Gulab Jamun, Laddus, Ras malayi, Barfi and Petha are other delicacies available at sweet shops. Even though one may initially feel uncomfortable due to lack of non-vegetarian food items but at the end of the day the person feels happy and relaxed. Some people don’t even feel the urge to eat Tamsik bhojan when they arrive here. They believe that Lord Krishna gives them control over their senses such that they happily enjoy the vegetarian culture.