Place · Krishna sacred grove · India
Krishna's nightly rasa-lila
Also known as Krishna's nightly rasa, Krishna's nightly rasa-lila, Nidhivan, Nidhivan — Vrindavan, Vrindavan, lila
The Nidhivan sacred grove at Vrindavan, Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh — the small forest grove where Krishna is believed to leave his temple each night after the final evening darshan to sport (rasa-lila) with Radha and the gopis. The grove is sealed off at sunset and no human (including temple priests) is permitted to enter until dawn. The grove is said to be filled with pairs of entwined trees (Nidhivan has about 1,000 trees, almost all intertwined pairs) — the gopis in tree form. The adjoining Rang Mahal within the grove contains the empty bed where the lovers are said to come each night; the bed sheets are rumpled and the Krishna-Radha jewelry disturbed each morning. The grove was established by Swami Haridas in the 16-century and is managed by the Nidhivan temple trust. Visitors are strictly barred from entry between sunset and sunrise.
- Function
- Sacred site & pilgrimage
- Confidence
- Established / referenced
- Location
- 27.585, 77.697
Connections (2)
- Site withinVrindāvan
Krishna's nightly rasa-lila lies within Vrindāvan — the two sites sit about 1 km apart, well inside the city's historical boundary and part of the same urban or peri-urban landscape. Krishna's nightly rasa-lila is one of the specific sites that give Vrindāvan its layered character, and reads differently when seen as a stop within the larger city rather than as an isolated monument on an open map. The surrounding neighbourhoods, roads and other heritage ensembles belong to the same single urban fabric.
- Site withinMathurā
Krishna's nightly rasa-lila lies within Mathurā — the two sites sit about 11 km apart, well inside the city's historical boundary and part of the same urban or peri-urban landscape. Krishna's nightly rasa-lila is one of the specific sites that give Mathurā its layered character, and reads differently when seen as a stop within the larger city rather than as an isolated monument on an open map. The surrounding neighbourhoods, roads and other heritage ensembles belong to the same single urban fabric.
Sources
Wikipedia, “Vrindavan”. Archaeological Survey of India and State Archaeology monument records, and the standard regional literature.
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