Barsana vs Nandgaon: The Twin Towns of Radha and Krishna

Barsana vs Nandgaon at a glance

Barsana vs Nandgaon: the short answer

Barsana and Nandgaon are two of the most beloved towns of Braj and they belong together, for one is Radha's and one is Krishna's. Barsana, in the west of Braj, is the town of Radha Rani, the home of her father King Vrishbhanu and its great Radha Rani temple crowns the hill. Nandgaon, only about 8 to 9 km away, is the town of Krishna, the village of his foster father Nanda Baba and its Nand Bhavan temple crowns its own hill. The two are bound forever by the famous Lathmar Holi played between them and by the eternal love of Radha and Krishna. So the question is not which is better, but how to visit both; and a mathura vrindavan tour with Experience My India can take you to both hills.

From the ground (Gurudutt): People ask me, Barsana or Nandgaon? and I laugh, for you cannot separate Radha and Krishna. Barsana is our Kishori Ji's town, high on her hill and Nandgaon is Kanhaiya's town on his; between them the Lathmar Holi is played, the sweetest, wildest festival in the world. Climb both hills, take darshan of Radha at Barsana and of Krishna at Nandgaon and you have held the whole love of Braj in one day. Radhe Radhe.

What Barsana is

Barsana is the town of Radha Rani, the beloved of Krishna:

• Radha's town. Barsana, in the west of Braj, is the home town of Radha Rani, the Vrishbhanu Lali, the beloved daughter of King Vrishbhanu and Queen Kirti; it is where Radha grew up and every corner is dear to her devotees.

• The Radha Rani temple. The great Radha Rani temple, the Shriji temple, crowns the hill of Barsana, reached by a climb or a palki; there Radha, as Kishori Ji, is the presiding deity and her aarti is sung with the deepest love.

• The hills and the leelas. Barsana sits among hills held to be sacred, with places of the leelas such as Maan Mandir, Sankari Khor and Prem Sarovar nearby and Kirti Mandir for Radha's mother; it is a town steeped in the love of Radha.

See the radha rani temple barsana, Radha's birthplace at radha rani temple rawal and the radha rani aarti lyrics sung in her adoration.

What Nandgaon is

Nandgaon is the town of Krishna, the village of Nanda Baba:

• Krishna's town. Nandgaon is the town where Krishna grew up, the village of his foster father Nanda Baba and foster mother Yashoda, who moved here from Gokul; it is where the boy Krishna played, tended the cows and grew in the love of Braj.

• The Nand Bhavan temple. The Nand Bhavan temple, also called the Nandrai temple, crowns the hill of Nandgaon, on the site of Nanda Baba's home; there Krishna is worshipped with Nanda, Yashoda and Balaram and the darshan is dear.

• The hill and the ponds. Nandgaon sits on its own hill, with sacred ponds such as Pavan Sarovar and Yashoda Kund nearby; it is a peaceful, beautiful town, steeped in the childhood of Krishna and looks across to Radha's Barsana.

The key differences

In short, the two twin towns differ in a few clear ways:

• Radha's or Krishna's. Barsana is Radha's town, the home of her family; Nandgaon is Krishna's town, the home of Nanda Baba's family. So Barsana is the town of the beloved and Nandgaon the town of the Lord, the two sides of one love.

• The families. Barsana is the town of King Vrishbhanu and Queen Kirti, Radha's parents; Nandgaon of Nanda Baba and Yashoda, Krishna's foster parents. Each town honours its own family and its own temple on its hill.

• In the Lathmar Holi. In the famous Lathmar Holi, the women of Barsana playfully drive off the men of Nandgaon with sticks; so Barsana is the women's side and Nandgaon the men's, in the sweetest of Braj's festival play.

The Lathmar Holi that binds them

Nothing binds Barsana and Nandgaon like the Lathmar Holi, the stick Holi, one of the most famous festivals in the world. In the days before the great Holi, the men of Nandgaon, Krishna's town, come to Barsana, Radha's town, to play Holi; and the women of Barsana, taking the part of Radha and her friends, playfully drive them off with sticks, the lath, while the men shield themselves, in a joyful re-enactment of the teasing love of Radha and Krishna. The next day, the men of Barsana go to Nandgaon and the play is returned. It is colour, song, laughter and devotion together and it is why the two towns are spoken of as one; to see the Lathmar Holi is to see the love of Radha and Krishna alive. The marble prem mandir vrindavan of Vrindavan, dedicated to Radha-Krishna, carries the same love.

Which should you visit?

The honest answer is both, for they are twin towns; but here is what each offers:

• Visit Barsana for. The great Radha Rani temple on the hill, the darshan of Kishori Ji, Radha's own town and its leela places; it is the heart of Radha devotion and dearest of all on Radhashtami, Radha's appearance day.

• Visit Nandgaon for. The Nand Bhavan temple on the hill, the darshan of Krishna with Nanda and Yashoda, the peaceful town of Krishna's childhood and its sacred ponds; it is a beautiful, quieter counterpart to Barsana.

• Visit both, ideally. As they lie only about 8 to 9 km apart, most pilgrims see both on one trip, often with Govardhan; together they tell the whole story of Radha and Krishna and neither is complete without the other.

How to visit both, best time and tips

Barsana and Nandgaon are easily visited together, in the west of Braj:

• Reaching them. Both lie about 45 to 50 km from Vrindavan and Mathura, in the west of Braj, about an hour and a half by road; most pilgrims visit both on a day trip, often with Govardhan, by car with a Braj guide.

• The climbs. Both temples crown their hills, reached by a climb of steps or a palki; wear comfortable shoes, carry water and allow time for both hills and the darshan, especially at festivals.

• Best time. October to March is the most pleasant season; Barsana is dearest at Radhashtami and both towns are unforgettable at the Lathmar Holi in the days before the main Holi, though it is very crowded, so plan well ahead for those dates.

See govardhan hill nearby and our how to commute in vrindavan and mathura vrindavan temple timings guides for planning.

We take pilgrims to both Barsana and Nandgaon and across the whole of Braj, with a comfortable vehicle, the darshan and the climb or palki arranged and a Braj-born guide, above all for Radhashtami and the Lathmar Holi. A shared day tour starts from around ₹1,499 per person, with darshan free. The braj 84 kos yatra covers the whole of Braj including Barsana and Nandgaon, our mathura vrindavan tour the twin cities and our vrindavan tour package Vrindavan in a day; in Vrindavan the banke bihari temple and the braj yamuna ghats and leela sites are dear and our mathura vrindavan tour itinerary helps you plan. Message me on WhatsApp at +91-7302265809.

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