Situated in Gotam nagar in Vrindavan, Mathura, Bankhandi Mahadev Mandir was foreseen by Shri Sanatan Goswami who stayed at his kuti at the ancient Shri Madan Mohan Temple. In Sanatan Goswami’s old age he had trouble in going to the temple, hence one night Shri Gopeshwar Mahadev appeared in his dream and told him to stay in his kuti since Lord himself will stay with him from now on. And the next day, Gopeshwar Mahadev came to Bankhandi himself making Goswami overwhelmed at his gesture. Since that very day Goswami would visit the temple near his kuti and since then it came to be known as Bankhandi Mahadev Mandir.Bankhandi Mandir is indeed the charm in itself. There are various rooms to stay since the time it has been renovated and it has only added to the beauty of the premises of Bankhandi Mahadev Mandir which itself is a delight to visit.
The deities placed in the dazzling temple have been brought from various places like Jaipur for clothes and from Jodhpur for silver and gold ornaments and utensils. The temple hosted a grand opening after its renovation which was filled with joy and a lot of devotees donated an entire lot of deities with heavy ornaments for the temple.
The temple is segregated among various shrines with the middle one being the huge sculptures of Shri Gopeshwar Mahadev along with Lord Krishna and Radharani. It also puts up sculptures of many gopis nearby Lord Krishna. The temple also has a gigantic garden to add to the scenic beauty of it which also features small sculptures of Lord Krishna, Radharaniji and the gopis.
Early morning it offers a splendid view of the temple since it is the time of the prayers to start. At as early as 4 o'clock in the morning there are enchantments all over the place making it a stunning venue for the devotees of Lord Krishna and Shri Gopeshwar Mahadev.
Temple Schedule
- Aarti- which gets started at 4.00 in the morning
- Darshan- which starts at 7.15 and goes on till 11.00
- Aarti, Raj bhog & Prasada distribution – which takes place between 12 to 12.30
- Evening Aarti for: In Winters- starts at 16.30 and ends at 20.00; In Summers starts at 17.00 and ends at 20.45
One may not find many options available to stay at Vrindavan and it can also be a good idea to just stay back in Mathura and travel accordingly for the day and come back later. But if one stays in Vrindavan he can be adjacent to various temples around. To add to it, a person can locate budget hotels which can start from 600 INR -700 INR, deluxe rooms which can range from around 2000 INR and luxury hotels can cost a person as high as 3000 INR for a day. One can opt for a train or a flight to reach Bankhandi Mahadev Mandir with Agra Airport being the nearest airport from where once can opt for a taxi to reach the temple. If a disciple is travelling through a train he can deboard it at Bharatpur Station or Chhata Train Station which are 42 and 26 kilometers away respectively from where it can take around 40 minutes and around 100-120 INR to reach the temple by auto rickshaw or bus which you can be found outside the railway station.
Address: Bankhandi Mahadev Temple, Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg, Gotam Nagar, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh - 281121
