Vrindavan is a town in the district of Mathura on the site of an ancient forest which is believed to have been the region where Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared as a cowherd boy and spent his childhood days. He performed many wonderful pastimes there with His associates. It is about 15 kilometers away from Mathura city, where Krishna appeared as the son of Vasudev and Devaki in the prison cell of King Kamsa. The town has about 5000 temples dedicated to the worship of Radha and Krishna. Vrindavan is a very sacred place that is very dear to the vaishnavas and staunch worshippers of Lord Krishna.

Vrindavan consists of 12 main forests: 5 on one bank of the Yamuna and 7 on the other. There are many villages on both sides of the river and many untouched places of pastimes since the time of Lord Krishna. Some of the ancient forests still remain, including a number of protected tulsi woods, which are of special significance to the local inhabitants, many of whom use leaves from the tulsi plant in their everyday worship.

Vrindavan is a replica of the spiritual world known as Goloka Vrindavan. To distinguish between them, although there is no real difference, here it is known as Bhumi Vrindavan. These 84 square miles of land is the most sacred in all the three worlds, for Lord Krishna grew up and performed innumerable pastimes there. He walked barefoot on the dust, He swam in the Yamuna, He tended the cows, rested on the hills, drank the waters of the cool ponds, ate the fruit from the trees, and sported in the 12 forests. That is what makes this bit of land the most sacred and the most incomparable land in all the worlds.

Srila Prabhupada said "It is not that such devotees meet Krishna face to face in that tract of land, but a devotee's eagerly searching after Krishna is as good as his seeing Him personally. How this is so cannot be explained, but it is factually realized by those who are pure devotees of the Lord. Because Krishna, His name, form, pastimes and remembrance, are all on the absolute plane, to search for Him at Vrindavan in pure God consciousness gives more pleasure to the devotee than seeing Him face to face."

Cultivating Krishna consciousness in Vrindavan is the best means of being liberated from material bondage, for in Vrindavan one can automatically meditate upon Krishna. (Srimad Bhagavatam upon Krishna. 9.19.19 purport)

To live in Vrindavan is the highest perfection and to grow up in Vrindavan the greatest fortune. Even to live in Mathura-mandala for a fortnight guarantees one liberation (Srila Prabhupada letter, 20 January 1976).

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