Banke Bihari Temple

Banke Bihari Temple is one of the most visited Krishna temples in Vrindavan, in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, set in the narrow lanes of Banke Bihari Colony. The temple is dedicated to Krishna in the form of Banke Bihari, and its devotional tradition is linked with the Haridasi sampradaya. A distinctive custom is the curtain: the curtain before the deity is drawn open and closed repeatedly during darshan, so that devotees see the image only in short glimpses. Services include an early morning mangala-type opening, a midday closing, and an evening reopening, with approximate hours of 7:45 AM to 12:00 PM and 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM that shift seasonally. The temple is reached through a dense market of sweet shops, flower stalls and pilgrim lodgings, and vehicles cannot approach closely. From Mathura, about 12 km away, visitors take a shared tempo or taxi to Vrindavan and then walk or hire an e-rickshaw. Inside, the main hall is crowded and noisy, and queues can be long, particularly at weekends, on Ekadashi, and at festivals such as Janmashtami and Holi, when the crowd can become dangerous. A visit generally takes one to two hours, including the approach. Weekday mornings are the calmest. Phones, cameras and large bags are generally restricted in the temple, and lockers or shops in the lanes hold belongings, so visitors travel light. Pickpockets operate in the crowd, and monkeys grab glasses and snacks in the lanes. Dress is modest, and shoes are left outside. Entry is free.