Overview of Vrindavan Temples

Vrindavan (also spelled Vrindaban or Brindaban) is a historic city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is part of the Braj region, and is deeply sacred to Vaishnavism traditions of Hinduism. According to devotees, Lord Krishna spent significant portions of his childhood in Vrindavan, and the city is dotted with temples dedicated to Krishna and his consort Radha in fact, it is said to house about 5,500 temples in their honour. Vrindavan is also a key node in the “Krishna pilgrimage circuit” under development by India’s tourism authorities, linked with places such as Mathura, Gokul, Govardhan, Barsana, Kurukshetra, Dwarka, and Puri.

Temples in Vrindavan: Prominent Shrines

The richness of Vrindavan’s spiritual landscape is reflected in its many temples. Below are some of the most important ones mentioned in the source

1. Shri Radha Madan Mohan Temple

Located near the Kalidah Ghat, this is among the older temples. It was built by Kapur Ram Das of Multan. The original deity (Madan Gopal) was moved to Karauli (Rajasthan) during the rule of Aurangzeb, and today a replica is worshipped.

2. Sri Radha Raman Mandir

This temple was constructed at the request of Gopala Bhatta Goswami, and houses a saligram-based deity of Krishna known as Radha Ramana, along with Radha.

3. Banke Bihari Temple

Built in 1862, the temple is centered around the deity Banke-Bihari, whose image was discovered in Nidhivan by Swami Haridas.

4. Radha Vallabh Temple

One of the ancient temples of Vrindavan, built in 1585 CE. It was among the first made using red sandstone.

5. Radha Damodar Temple

A Gaudiya Vaishnavism temple, constructed in 1542 CE, dedicated to Radha-Krishna.

6. Sri Krishna-Balarama Temple (ISKCON)

Established by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Raman-Reti. The main deities are Krishna and Balarama, with Radha–Shyamasundar and Gaura–Nitai also present. The temple complex includes the samadhi of ISKCON’s founder, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

7. Prem Mandir

A large spiritual complex on the outskirts of Vrindavan (54 acres) built by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Maharaj. It is one of the ten largest Hindu temples in the world and is made in marble, with many depictions of Krishna.

8. Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir

A modern temple under construction, featuring a geodesic structure with a traditional gopuram influenced by Khajuraho architectural style. On completion, it is intended to be the tallest temple in the world. It is being developed by an ISKCON faction based in Bangalore, at a projected cost of ₹300 crore.

9. Shri Rambag Mandir

A Ramanandi Sampradaya temple, supposedly the first Shri Ram mandir in Vrindavan, built from white sandstone and dedicated to Shri Ram Darbara in 1930.

These temples reflect a variety of historical periods, patronage, architectural styles, and devotional traditions within the Krishna / Radha worship tradition in Vrindavan