Shah Ji Temple in Vrindavan

Shah Ji Temple, located in Vrindavan, one of the most revered places of India, is by far its best architectural specimen. The temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna is placed high for its religious and spiritual value to the Hindus, and thus, is one of the prime attractions of the town of Vrindavan.

History of Shah Ji Temple

This masterpiece was thought of, and built by the two Shah brothers, Shah Kundan Lal and Shah Phundan Lal, who were originally the residents of Lucknow (then, Awadh). They made a registered trust in favour of the deity i.e. Sri Thakur Radha Raman ji Maharaj in the year 1866. The construction of the temple started during the year 1860 and it took eight long years to get the construction work completed. The temple was finally erected in 1876. Another special historical feature of the temple is that the portraits of the founders were not put on the walls, as the usual custom is, instead, they are painted on the floor, to denote their humility and saintliness, and also, the importance of the soil of Vrindavan. The deity worshipped in this temple is another form of Lord Krishna, known as ‘Chote Radha Raman’.

Main Attractions of Shah Ji Temple

The temple, besides its religious significance, holds a special place for its outstanding architecture. The Temple uniquely blends Mughal, Greek and Hindu architecture, and therefore is very different from other temples in India.

Shah Ji Temple has been built as a palace for Krishna and Radha. And for a devotee, the temple provides a poetic kind of pleasure. With the image of beautiful marble paintings of women playing musical instruments and the delicate figure of Radha dancing joyfully with her beloved Krishna, etched on the mind, one enters the sanctum sanctorum.

The yellow chandeliers and the fountains are another example of its creative brilliance and among the statues depicting the Raas Leela, the statue of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah attending the sewa throws light on the secular temperament of the creators.

Another element which adds to the attractiveness of this temple is the Rituraj Bhavan, popularly known as Basanti Kamra. The entire room is yellow in color. The ceiling and the walls have been painted with multicolored paintings. The Singhasan (throne), the doors, several mirrors some as big as ten feet high are all gold plated. Although being older than 140 years they still glitter with amazing grandeur and brightness. The dome-shaped artistically painted ceiling supports 15 huge Belgium glass chandeliers.

Sewa and Shringaar

The timings for Sewa and Shringaar in Shahji temple are:
Morning: 8 am to 11 am; Evening: 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm

Special Days

On the occasions of Janmashtami and Govardhan pooja all the temples in Vrindavan, including Shah Ji Temple are decorated beautifully. On the occasion of Janmashtami (Lord Krishna’s Birth anniversary) especially, the Shringaar of Radha Raman ji is done magnificently and the sewas are performed as if tendering to a child.

How To Reach Shah Ji Temple

Via Road: Vrindavan lies on the NH2 and from Mathura it is about 12.3 kms via Mathura Vrindavan marg, whereas, Via NH2 it is just 20.8kms. From Chhatikara, the temple lies a mere 8.6 kms away and can be reached within half an hour, considering traffic caused delays.

Via Railway: From the Mathura railway station, the Temple is 14.1 kms via the Mathura Vrindavan Marg, and 21.1 kms via NH2.

Via Air: The nearest airport is the Agra airport which is 87 kms away via the Yamuna expressway, and just 79.7 kms via the NH2. Therefore, The NH2 is the quickest route to the Shah Ji Temple.

Hotels near Shah Ji Temple

• Hotel Shubham Holidays - only 0.9 kms from the temple, estimated tariff per person per night- Rs 1,349.
• MVT Bhaktivedanta Ashram- only 1.8 kms from the temple, tariff per night- Rs 1,700
• Hotel Madhuvan- Situated approximately 8 kms away from the Temple. Tariff per night is Rs 2,200