Must-Attend Aarti in Mathura Vrindavan: The Great Aartis of Braj

The must-attend aartis at a glance

The aartis of Mathura and Vrindavan: an overview

To attend the aarti is the heart of a Braj pilgrimage, for in that moment of circling lamps, ringing bells and singing, the devotee stands before the Lord and the river in their full glory. Mathura and Vrindavan hold some of the most beautiful and famous aartis in all of India, from the unique elephant aarti at Raman Reti to the great evening Yamuna aartis on the ghats and the temple aartis of Banke Bihari, ISKCON and the Janmabhoomi. This guide gathers the must-attend aartis, with their usual times, so you can plan your days around them. To have the aartis timed and arranged for you, a mathura vrindavan tour with Experience My India can build them into your visit.

From the ground (Gurudutt): I always tell my guests that the aarti is where Braj opens its heart. Do not miss the elephant aarti at Raman Reti, it delights everyone; and give an evening to the Yamuna aarti at Vishram Ghat, one of the loveliest sights on earth. Plan a morning aarti and an evening aarti each day, rest in between and let the lamps and the bells carry you. Times change with the season, so let me check them for you and we will arrive in good time. Radhe Radhe.

A note on the times: all the aarti times below are the usual schedules; they shift with the season, the sunset and on festival days and each temple keeps its own arrangements. Always confirm the current times before you go, ideally against each temple's official schedule; our mathura vrindavan temple timings guide gathers the full temple timings and is the place to check.

The elephant aarti at Raman Reti, Gokul

The most unique and delightful of all the Braj aartis is at Raman Reti in Gokul:

• The elephant performs the aarti. At the Raman Reti ashram in Gokul, the village of Krishna's infancy, a temple elephant takes part in the evening aarti, performing the aarti and ringing the bell with its trunk; it is a joyful, moving sight found nowhere else, beloved by children and elders alike.

• The time. The elephant aarti is held in the evening, usually around 6:00 to 7:00 PM; as with all the aartis, the time shifts with the season, so confirm it before you go and arrive a little early.

• Where. Raman Reti is in Gokul, the village of Krishna's infancy, across the Yamuna from Mathura; it pairs with the other Gokul sites, the Nand Bhavan and Brahmand Ghat.

See our gokul mandir guide for Raman Reti and the sites of Gokul.

The Yamuna aarti at Vishram Ghat, Mathura

The grandest of the Yamuna aartis is at Vishram Ghat, the central and most sacred ghat of Mathura, where Krishna rested after slaying Kansa. At dusk, the great Sandhya Aarti to Yamuna Maharani is performed with circling lamps, bells and diyas floating on the river, usually around 6:30 to 7:00 PM, though the time shifts with the season. You can watch it from the steps or, beautifully, from a boat. It is one of the loveliest sights in all of Braj. The braj yamuna ghats and leela sites guide covers Vishram Ghat and the wider riverfront.

The Yamuna aarti at Keshi Ghat, Vrindavan

In Vrindavan, the principal Yamuna aarti is at Keshi Ghat, the town's chief and most beautiful ghat, named for the leela in which Krishna slew the horse-demon Keshi. The evening aarti is held here, usually around 6:30 to 7:00 PM, with the great Madan Mohan temple rising behind; the lamps and the river at dusk make it a highlight of a Vrindavan visit. As with the others, the time shifts with the season, so confirm before you go and you may watch it from the steps or a boat.

The ghat aarti at Brahmand Ghat, Gokul

At Gokul, the ghat aarti at Brahmand Ghat, the ghat where, it is believed, Mother Yashoda beheld the whole universe in the mouth of the infant Krishna, is held in the evening, usually around 6:30 to 7:00 PM. It pairs beautifully with the elephant aarti at Raman Reti for an evening in Gokul; confirm the time before you go, as it shifts with the season.

The aartis at Banke Bihari

The beloved Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan keeps its own distinctive timings, opening later than most and its aartis are dear to devotees. The usual schedule, by season:

Banke Bihari has unusual and changeable hours, so it is especially important to confirm the current timings; see our banke bihari temple page for more.

The aartis at the ISKCON temple

The ISKCON Krishna-Balaram temple in Vrindavan keeps a full and beautiful daily round of aartis, from before dawn to night. The usual schedule:

• Mangala Aarti, about 4:30 AM. The first worship of the day, before sunrise, a deeply peaceful aarti with kirtan.

• Narasimha and Tulasi Aarti, about 5:00 to 5:15 AM and Shringar/Darshan Aarti, about 7:15 AM. The early-morning worship, when the deities are revealed in fresh morning dress.

• Rajbhog Aarti, about 12:30 PM. The midday offering, after which the temple often closes for a few hours, about 1:00 to 4:00 PM.

• Dhupa/Utthapana, about 4:15 PM; Sandhya/Gaura Aarti, about 7:00 PM; Shayana Aarti, about 8:30 PM. The afternoon reopening, the main evening kirtan aarti and the final worship before the deities rest.

The Mangala Aarti at dawn and the Sandhya Gaura Aarti in the evening are the most beloved; see our iskcon temple vrindavan page for more.

The aartis at the Krishna Janmabhoomi

At the Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura, the birthplace of Krishna, the daily aartis are kept with great devotion. The usual schedule:

• Mangla Aarti, about 6:30 AM. The first aarti of the day, varying between about 5:30 and 6:30 AM with the season; a deeply auspicious morning worship at the birthplace.

• Bal Bhog about 8:00 to 9:00 AM and Rajbhog Aarti about 11:10 AM. The morning offerings, before the midday closure from about 12:00 PM to 3:00 or 4:00 PM.

• Sandhya/Evening Aarti, about 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The evening worship, after the temple reopens around 3:00 PM in winter or 4:00 PM in summer; it adjusts with the season.

• Sayan Aarti, about 8:25 PM in winter or 8:55 PM in summer. The final night aarti before the deities rest.

Remember that phones and bags are not allowed inside the Janmabhoomi; see our krishna janmabhoomi page for more.

Planning your aartis and tips

• Plan a morning aarti and an evening aarti each day, resting through the midday closures; the mornings are calmer, the evenings grander.

• Do not miss the two great evening highlights: the elephant aarti at Raman Reti in Gokul and the Yamuna aarti at Vishram Ghat in Mathura.

• Always confirm the current aarti times before you go, as they shift with the season, the sunset and on festivals; use each temple's official schedule.

• At the Yamuna ghats, you can attend the evening aarti from a boat, in a shared or private boat; agree the fare beforehand.

• Arrive a little early for a good place, dress modestly and note that photography may be restricted inside the temples.

We plan our tours around the great aartis of Braj, timing your day so you catch the elephant aarti, the Yamuna aartis and the temple aartis, with a comfortable vehicle, the darshan and the boat or e-rickshaw arranged and a Braj-born guide who knows the current times. A shared day tour starts from around ₹1,499 per person, with darshan free. Our mathura vrindavan tour covers Mathura and Vrindavan, our vrindavan tour package Vrindavan in a day and the braj 84 kos yatra the whole of Braj; the prem mandir vrindavan and its evening light show pair beautifully with the aartis and our mathura vrindavan tour itinerary and how to commute in vrindavan guides help you plan. Message me on WhatsApp at +91-7302265809.

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