Radharamana Temple

Located close to Nidhivan and Loi Bazaar is the ancient and sacred Radha Raman Temple celebrating Lord Krishna in the appearance of the ‘One who gives pleasure to Radha’. A narrow alley leads you to the main gateway of the temple which is exquisitely crafted in Mughul architecture. Before you enter the temple, here’s a word of caution: watch out for the monkeys. There are lots of them around the temple, so secure your stuff well away from their mischievous eyes.

Inside the temple courtyard is the Samadhi room of Gopal Bhatta Goswami, the 15th century ardent devotee and saint who had first recognised his beloved Master Radha Raman in Shaligram form. The temple came to be built much later by Shah Behari Lall in 1826 and till date enshrines the self-manifested mesmeric deity of Lord Radha Raman in black stone. Besides the alluring beauty, what makes the deity even more fascinating is the fact that it is one of the few original idols left in Vrindavan. Most of the others are replicas as the original ones had to be moved to Jaipur as a safeguard against the invasive carnage caused by the Mughul Emperor Aurangzeb. A special festive event to watch out for is the full moon night in the Hindu calendar month of Vaishaka (April-May) when Panchamrita Abhisheka is performed for the deity in an elaborate manner.