Radha Rani Temple, Barsana

The Radha Rani Temple in Barsana is very famous. It is on a hill in the center of Barsana. The temple is also called 'Ladli Ji's Temple of Barsana.'

The temple was originally built by Vajranabha, the grandson of Lord Krishna about 5000 years ago. The temple is made of red and yellow stones. King Veer Singh renovated this beautiful temple in 1675 CE. Later, the present structure of the temple was built by Narayan Bhatt with the help of Raja Todarmal, one of the governors in Akbar's court. The temple stands on a hill about 250 meters high. Visitors climb stairs to reach it.

The people of Barsana call Radha Ji 'Lali Ji' and 'Vrishbhanu Dulari' with love. Radha Ji’s father was Vrishbhanu, and her mother was Kirti.

Radha Ji is Shri Krishna’s pleasure-giving energy and queen of divine pastimes. This makes the temple a sacred site for Radha-Krishna’s devotees.

Barsana is a sacred land full of greenery and natural beauty. Its hills have dark and fair stones, symbolizing the eternal love of Radha and Krishna, as believed by the locals.

Nandgaon, the home of Shri Krishna's father Nand, is 6.5 km from Barsana. On the route between Barsana and Nandgaon lies Sanket. As per legends, Krishna and Radha met here for the first time. The name 'Sanket' means 'a planned meeting place.'

A grand fair is held here from Bhadra Shukla Ashtami (Radhashtami) to Chaturdashi. During Phalgun Shukla Ashtami, Navami, and Dashami, beautiful plays and festivities take place.

Radhashtami
Radhashtami is celebrated with great joy at Ladli Ji Temple. It falls on the eighth day of the bright fortnight in the Bhadrapada month, 15 days after Janmashtami. On this day, Radha Rani Temple is beautifully decorated like a bride.

For the people of Barsana, Radhashtami is very special. The temple is adorned with flowers and fruits. The entire town is filled with festivity. Laddus are offered to Radha Ji as bhog and then given to peacocks. Radha Rani is also offered 56 types of delicacies, which are later fed to peacocks. Peacocks symbolize Radha-Krishna.

The remaining prasad is distributed to devotees. Devotees sing bhajans and celebrate with music and dance. Preparations for decorating Radha Ji’s palace start days earlier.

On Radhashtami, devotees also perform circumambulation of Gahvarvan.

Holi
Holi is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Barsana. The tradition of Lathmar Holi began in the 16th century and continues to this day. The celebrations start on Basant Panchami with the installation of Holi's symbolic stick (danda) at the temple. From that day, members of the Goswami community sing dhamar every evening. Visitors are sprinkled with gulal as prasadam.

On this day, the first chowpai is taken out from Radha Ji’s temple. Men of the Goswami community sing Holi songs while playing cymbals. The procession passes through Barsana's Rangili Gali, filling the markets with colors. This marks the beginning of Holi festivities.

A special ritual called Pandey Leela involves showering temple priests with large quantities of laddus, sometimes weighing quintals. Devotees come to the temple to seek Radha Ji’s blessings. The priests sprinkle kesar, scented water, tesu flower colors, and gulal on the devotees.

The temple courtyard becomes vibrant and full of life, immersed in colors and joy.

Timings

Summer Timings - Morning 05:00 am to 02:00 pm and Evening 05:00 pm to 09:00 pm.

Winter Timings - Morning 05:30 am to 02:00 pm and Evening 05:00 pm to 08:30 pm.

How to reach

By Road: Barsana is well-connected by road. From Mathura, it's about 45 km away. You can hire a taxi or take a bus to reach Barsana.

By Rail: The nearest major railway station is Mathura Junction, approximately 45 km from Barsana. Mathura Junction is well-connected to other major Indian cities like Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, and Mumbai. From Mathura, you can hire a taxi or take a bus to reach Barsana.

By Air: The nearest airport to Barsana is in Agra, about 100 km away. From the airport, you can book a taxi to reach Barsana. However, due to limited connectivity at Agra airport, many travelers prefer flying into Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, approximately 150 km from Barsana. From Delhi, you can hire a taxi or use public transport to reach Barsana.

Once in Barsana, local transportation options include auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws for short distances. For a more comfortable journey, especially if traveling from distant cities, consider hiring a private taxi or using reputable travel services.

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