The ringlets of Sati's hair — Uma, the Radiant, in the sacred groves of Vrindavan where every tree, stone and pathway is infused with Krishna's divine play.
Vrindavan Peetha marks where the ringlets of hair (keshas) of Sati fell. The Goddess is Uma ("the Radiant/Brilliant" — Parvati in her most luminous form) and the Bhairav is Bhutesh (Lord of All Beings — Shiva). Vrindavan is the sacred forest of Krishna's childhood — where he played, danced and revealed his divine nature. The hair of the Goddess connecting to the landscape of the divine beloved's play creates a poetic convergence of Shakta and Vaishnava traditions.
The 5,000 temples of Vrindavan include the Katyayani Devi temple (also associated with this Peetha) where the Gopis prayed to marry Krishna. Vrindavan's cultural ecosystem — Braj Bhasha devotional music, the Rasleela tradition, the Parikrama barefoot circuit — is one of the richest living sacred traditions in India. The Braj Parikrama (270 km circuit of all twelve forests of Krishna) begins at Vrindavan.
By road from Delhi: 160 km (3 hours). By road from Agra: 65 km. By rail: Mathura Junction (15 km from Vrindavan) on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Chennai main lines.
Year-round. Janmashtami (August) and Holi (March — especially Lathmar Holi at Nandgaon/Barsana) are the supreme festivals.
The Vrindavan Parikrama (10 km barefoot circumambulation of the town) is done by pilgrims at any hour — the pre-dawn walk, before the heat, is exceptionally peaceful.
The Ringlets of Hair of Goddess Sati fell at Vrindavan, consecrating this land as a Shakti Peetha. The Shakti here is Uma and the guardian Bhairav is Bhutesh.
One of the 51 sacred Shakti Peethas — explore its unique significance in the divine circuit.
Explore →One of the 51 sacred Shakti Peethas — explore its unique significance in the divine circuit.
Explore →One of the 51 sacred Shakti Peethas — explore its unique significance in the divine circuit.
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