Barsana is a must visit town in Uttar Pradesh that will take you into the world of Radha and Krishna. Lord Krishna devotees from all over the world come to this town to experience and see the beautiful temples in region as well as sites where Lord Krishna and Radha performed Raas Leela. Other than visiting temples and having a religious journey, there are many other things to do in Barsana; these include visiting different ghats, taking part in the Holi celebrations as well as visiting the holy cities of Vrindavan and Mathura. Visiting Barsana is a great way to learn about the life of Radha and Krishna and especially appeals to devotees of Lord Krishna. Let’s have a look at some of the things you can do in this wonderful town of Barsana.

The Gahvar Van in Barsana is the site where Radha would come along with her Sakhis to spend some time alone, away from everyone. This used to be a divine forest and place for Radha to rest; over the years the forest has been deteriorating and the same beauty was not maintained. Recently due to kind donations that were made by various organizations, this forest was restored and now it is being renovated for tourists as well. Now there is a grilled fence, a gate, a trail to walk on, benches and so much more for the public to come explore. This is a great place to sit and relax for a day.

The Prem Sarovar in Barsana has a great story to it; it is said that one day a bee came and almost stung Radha, at this time Lord Krishna asked one of his friends to shoo away the bee and after he did so, he came back to Radha and said that ‘Madhu is gone’. Madhu is also the name of Krishna and when these words came out Radha thought that Krishna has gone and she started to cry. Seeing Radha in tears even Lord Krishna started to shed tears and this is how the Prem Sarovar was formed. This place is visited often by many devotees of Krishna.

Shri Charan Pahadi temple is situated a few kilometers from Barsana in a small town called Nandgaon. It is said that after Krishna entered a cave by the name of Luk Lukka Khandar, he appeared all of a sudden on top of a hill and right then he started playing a melodious tune on his flute. Listening to his tune, the Sakhis who were meditating broke from the trance and ran towards the hill to meet him. The beautiful sound of the flute is said to have melted the hill where Krishna’a feet made an impression. This is where the Shri Charan Pahadi Temple was built and devotees can still see the impression of his feet in the temple.

Krishna Baag in Barsana is a garden in the city that used to be a place where Lord Krishna and Radha would pass their time together, dancing the raas. This beautiful garden is strewn with shrubs, trees and some very fragrant flowers as well. It is believed that this was one of the places where the duo did raas leela, which is dancing like peacocks. Devotees of Lord Krishna want to see every place he was ever at and this is one of them. Recently, there have been some additions to the garden; benches are placed, there are lights, pathways and places where you can sit and relax and even have a picnic with your family.

If Barsana got you in the religious mode, then visit Vrindavan and Mathura to complete your pilgrimage. Especially if you are a devotee of Lord Krishna, these two places must be visited. Once you visit, you can see a number of temples like the famous Banke Bihar Temple, Shri Paagal Baba Temple in Vrindavan and temples like Shri Krishna Janamsthan Temple, Dwarkadish Maharaj Temple in Mathura and so many more. Include these two cities in your trip to Barsana to have a complete trip of all the places that Lord Krishna has ever lived in or left any traces.

Lord Krishna, his childhood and his life are of great interest to every devotee and also tourists who visit. The character and stages of Lord Krishna’s life are depicted in cities like Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana. The Nand Bhawan in Nandgaon is a popular attraction as well. A few kilometers from Barsana is the town of Nangaon where Lord Krishna sort refuge from Kansa in Nandbhawan that was owned by Nand Maharaj. He took care of him and played the part of his foster father. Nand Bhawan is situated in between tall mountains with lush greenery all around. Visit this place to know more about Lord Krishna’s childhood.

Located close to Mathura and a few kilometers from Mathura is the Kokilavan Dham. Right on the banks of Yamuna River next to the Dham is a beautiful ancient temple that is dedicated to Shani Dev. The temple has a lot of lush greenery around it which creates a serene atmosphere. Many pilgrims mandatorily visit this temple in order to pray to Lord Shani. Although the best time to visit this Dham and temple is on Saturdays, you will find a lot of crowd on this day, but it is considered very auspicious.

The festival of Holi that takes place in the month of March is considered very auspicious in Barsana. By tradition, the men from the nearby town of Nandgaon come to Barsana to play Holi with the women there. The men also come with the aim of raising a flag on Shri Radhakaji’s Temple; when they go towards the temple, girls come at them with sticks and not colours. All of this is done playfully and nothing is serious; this is how the festival got its name Lathmaar Holi. Along with these old traditions, there is a lot of fun and frolic during this time and it is a great time to visit the city of Barsana.

Within the Rangeela Palace complex there is a Satsang Hall, a meditation center in Barsana. This is a very peaceful place which is visited by almost everyone who visits this complex. Priests give out discourses and help devotees meditate in the hall and devotional prayers are sung as well. You will get to experience a peaceful and calming state of mind at this meditation after hearing the chants and mantras and this experience is like no other. This is one of the best things to do in Barsana as it gives you utter peace of mind, taking you away from everyday troubles.

Once you are done visiting all the temples in the area of Barsana as well as Vrindavan and Mathura, go on a relaxing boat ride on the Yamuna River. As you ride the boat, feel the holy water and its vibrations and take in the fragrance of incense sticks being burnt at nearby temples. The best time to venture on this journey is either early mornings or later evening when Aarti is performed; this is a magical experience that you will have and is definitely a must do in Barsana.