The leela - Shiva who became a gopi

This is the story the whole temple turns on. Lord Shiva, the great devotee, longed to witness Krishna's Raas Leela - the divine circle-dance with the gopis in Vrindavan. But the Raas was for the gopis alone; an outsider could not enter. Stopped at the edge of Vrindavan and told he lacked sakhi-bhav (the loving mood of the gopi-friend), Shiva did not turn back.

By the grace of the presiding power of Vrindavan - named variously in the tellings as Vrinda Devi, Paurnamasi or Radha's sakhi Lalita (the traditions differ and I share that honestly) - Shiva bathed in the Yamuna and emerged as a beautiful gopi and so entered the Raas. Krishna, recognising his great devotee, lovingly named him Gopeshwar - "the Lord of the gopis" - and granted that he dwell in Vrindavan forever. By one beloved tradition, Krishna blessed that none could enter the bliss of Vrindavan's leela without first taking Gopeshwar's blessing.

The gopi-shringar darshan - found nowhere else

Here is what makes this temple unlike any other. By day, Gopeshwar is worshipped as the Shiva-linga in his own form. But each evening, around the hour of the Raas, the linga is ceremonially dressed as a gopi - adorned with a saree, flowers and ornaments, in full shringar. The masculine and the feminine, Shiva and gopi, worshipped in one murti, one day.

I tell every pilgrim: come for the evening shringar darshan if you can, for this gopi-form of Shiva is found nowhere else in the world. It is tender, startling and deeply moving - Shiva himself in a gopi's love for Krishna.

Sakhi-bhav & Shiva the foremost Vaishnava

The temple carries a profound teaching. To enter the Raas - the innermost circle of Krishna's love - one needs sakhi-bhav, the selfless mood of the gopi who lives only to serve the union of Radha and Krishna. Even Shiva had to receive it before he could enter. So pilgrims who long for that highest devotion come to pray to Gopeshwar for sakhi-bhav - for the grace to love as the gopis love.

And the temple honours a great truth of the Bhagavata: that Shiva is the foremost of Vaishnavas - the greatest devotee of the Lord. The saints knew it: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sought this very linga's darshan and Sanatana Goswami came daily to bow here. At Gopeshwar, Shaiva and Vaishnava devotion are not two things but one.

One of Vrindavan's oldest - Vajranabha's linga

Gopeshwar is held to be among the oldest temples in Vrindavan. Its sacred linga is traditionally said to have been installed by Vajranabha, the great-grandson of Krishna - the king credited in tradition with re-establishing many of Braj's holy sites generations after the leela. By another belief, this is the very linga the gopis themselves once worshipped to attain Krishna.

So the antiquity is part of the sanctity: to stand before Gopeshwar is to touch one of the most ancient layers of Vrindavan's devotion, a shrine the Goswamis themselves revered.

Darshan, abhishek & offerings

By day, Shiva is worshipped here as a Shivling, with abhishek - water and milk poured over the linga - and the offering of bilva (bel) leaves, so dear to Shiva. Mondays (Somvar) are especially auspicious. In the evening, come simply to behold the gopi-shringar with a devoted heart.

The temple, the tradition says, seeks no elaborate offering - only sincere love: sing Krishna's name and Gopeshwar delights. Follow the temple's arrangements and let any priest's help be by your free choice, not under pressure.

Festivals - Shivaratri, Sawan, Kartik

Maha Shivaratri and the Sawan Mondays bring great Shiva-devotion; Kartik, the Raas-month, has a special resonance here, where Shiva entered the Raas. Festival dates are tithi-based and move yearly.

Timings, entry & photography

Gopeshwar opens very early for morning darshan and again in the evening for the gopi-shringar; the exact windows shift between the summer and winter schedules and on Shivaratri and Sawan Mondays, so I never quote a fixed clock. Check the temple timings guide and confirm locally - especially the evening shringar darshan time, which is the one not to miss.

Entry is free. Photography may be restricted, particularly of the gopi-shringar - always ask and respect the rule. The lanes around the temple are narrow and busy; mind monkeys and keep valuables secure.

How to reach Gopeshwar Mahadev

Gopeshwar Mahadev stands in Vrindavan, near Vamshi Vat on the Yamuna, on the Parikrama Marg close to Banke Bihari and Radha Raman - about 12-14 km from Mathura Junction.

• Within Vrindavan: a short walk from Banke Bihari through the old lanes or an e-rickshaw to the area.

• From Mathura: ~12-14 km by cab or auto.

• From Delhi: Yamuna Expressway to Mathura, then Vrindavan.

• For local routing, see the Vrindavan commute guide.

Experience My India is the most trusted and professional travel partner to book your Mathura Vrindavan Tour Package - a guided Vrindavan darshan can weave Gopeshwar into the old-lane cluster with Banke Bihari and Radha Raman, so you don't miss this hidden gem of a temple.

Best time to visit + crowd, safety & accessibility

Early mornings are calm; the evening shringar darshan is the special draw (and busier). October to March is the most comfortable season; Maha Shivaratri and Sawan Mondays bring large crowds.

The temple sits in the narrow, busy old lanes of Vrindavan, so guard valuables against pickpockets and monkeys (which snatch phones and glasses), mind the crowds near Banke Bihari and give any generosity to the temple rather than to donation-pressure touts. Elderly pilgrims should come at a quiet hour; the lanes can be congested. Drink only sealed bottled water.

Temples to combine nearby

Gopeshwar sits in the heart of the old-lane cluster:

• Banke Bihari - Vrindavan's most beloved temple, very near

• Shri Radha Raman - the self-manifest deity, close by

• Shri Radha Vallabh & Madan Mohan - Sanatana Goswami, who lived by Madan Mohan, came daily to Gopeshwar

• Nidhivan - the Raas grove itself, which Gopeshwar longed to enter

• Bhuteshwar Mahadev - the guardian Shiva of Mathura, Gopeshwar's complement

• Browse all at the Famous Temples of Mathura Vrindavan hub.

Food & prasad nearby

The Vrindavan lanes around Banke Bihari offer peda, makhan-mishri, kachori-jalebi and lassi. Favour busy, freshly-cooking stalls and long-established sweet-houses and drink sealed bottled water, especially if you're not used to local water.

Author's tips from Gurudutt - what only a local knows

• Come for the evening shringar darshan - Shiva dressed as a gopi, found nowhere else on earth; it is the whole point.

• It's steps from Banke Bihari - fold it into the old-lane cluster; most visitors walk right past without knowing it's here.

• Pray for sakhi-bhav - the gopi-mood that even Shiva had to receive to enter the Raas; this is the temple to ask for it.

• See it with Bhuteshwar - Shiva who guards Krishna's land (Mathura) and Shiva who enters Krishna's love (Vrindavan).

• Mind the lanes - monkeys and the crush near Banke Bihari take loose phones, glasses and bags in seconds.

Everyone comes to Vrindavan for Krishna. Few know that the greatest Krishna-devotee of all is Shiva - who loved so completely that he became a gopi to dance in the Raas. Come at dusk and see him in a gopi's saree and you will understand: in Braj, even the Lord of renunciation is mad with love for Krishna. - Gurudutt