Radha Kund Uttar Pradesh: The Holiest Kund of Braj at Govardhan

Key facts at a glance

Radha Kund Uttar Pradesh: an overview

Of all the sacred waters of Braj, none is held more holy than Radha Kund, the pond of Shri Radha, near the Govardhan hill in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh. Beside it lies Shyam Kund, the pond of Krishna and the two together are revered by the tradition of Braj and above all by the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, as the very embodiment of the divine love of Radha and Krishna, holier even, many saints say, than the Ganga. Here, by the cherished tradition, Radha and her gopis made their kund after Krishna slew the demon Aristasura and here Krishna promised to bathe each day. Revealed to the world by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and made the abode of the great Goswamis, it draws pilgrims from across the earth, above all for the midnight bath of Ahoi Ashtami. This guide gives the full story, the significance, the sacred bath, what to see, the timings and how to reach; and if you are planning a mathura vrindavan tour package with Experience My India, Radha Kund is the spiritual heart of a Govardhan day.

Why visit Radha Kund:

• To behold the holiest of all the sacred kunds of Braj, with Shyam Kund beside it

• For the liquid embodiment of the divine love of Radha and Krishna

• The deeply devotional evening aarti and the peaceful ghats

• The samadhis and bhajan-kutirs of the great Goswamis who lived here

• As the spiritual heart of the Govardhan parikrama

From the ground (Gurudutt): Radha Kund is, to the devotees I guide, the most sacred spot in all of Braj and I bring them here with a hush in my voice. My honest counsel is to come not as a sightseer but as a pilgrim: sit quietly on the ghats, take the darshan of the two kunds, pay respects at the Goswami samadhis and stay for the evening aarti, which is unforgettable. The bathing here is done in a deeply reverential mood, first in Radha Kund, then Shyam Kund; follow local guidance and go with faith. We hold this holiest of places with the deepest reverence. See our Mathura Vrindavan tour Package  or message WhatsApp +91 7302265809.  

The story of Radha Kund and Shyam Kund

By the cherished tradition of Braj, drawn from the Padma Purana and the Bhagavata, the story of the two kunds unfolds like this and is recounted here with reverence:

• Kamsa sent the demon Aristasura, in the form of a great bull, to kill Krishna and Krishna, with Balaram, slew him and saved the people of Braj.

• In loving jest, Radha and the gopis told Krishna that, by slaying one in the form of a bull, he had incurred a fault and must purify himself by bathing in all the holy rivers.

• Krishna struck his heel upon the ground and made a kund and called the sacred waters of all the tirthas, which came in person to fill it; there he bathed and it became Shyam Kund.

• Not to be outdone, Radha with her gopis dug an adjoining kund with their bangles and hands, so that its central pond is still called Kankan Kund, the kund of the bangle.

• As they filled it with pots of water from the nearby Mansi Ganga, the holy tirthas themselves prayed to Radha to be allowed into her kund; she granted it and her kund was filled with all their sanctity.

• Krishna then declared Radha Kund the dearest to him and holiest of all, promising to bathe there daily and blessed that whoever bathes in it with love attains prema, the love that Radha bears for him; and Radha blessed Shyam Kund in like manner.

This is the divine and transcendent love-play of Shri Radha and Krishna, never a worldly matter. We present it as the cherished belief and tradition of Braj, held with faith and recounted with reverence.

The significance of Radha Kund

• The holiest of tirthas. Radha Kund is revered as the holiest of all the sacred waters of Braj and by many saints as holier even than the Ganga, for it is worshipped as the very embodiment of the love of Radha and Krishna.

• The giver of prema. By the cherished belief, a bath here, taken in a reverential mood, is held to bestow prema-bhakti, pure love of God, the rarest and highest of all attainments.

• Glorified in scripture. Its glory is sung in the Padma Purana and the Bhagavata and it is cherished above all other tirthas by the acharyas of the devotional tradition.

• Revealed by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Lost for ages, the kunds were revealed by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Braj and Raghunath Das Goswami made Radha Kund his abode, so that the Six Goswamis and later saints built their bhajan-kutirs and samadhis here.

We recount these as the cherished belief and tradition of Braj, held with faith and reverence and not as any guarantee.

Radha Kund Snan and Ahoi Ashtami

The most sacred bath of the year at Radha Kund falls on Ahoi Ashtami, in the month of Kartik, the very day on which, by the tradition, Radha made her kund; it is remembered here in these points:

• The midnight bath. Radha Kund is cherished as the one tirtha where the auspicious bath is taken at midnight; on Ahoi Ashtami, bathing begins at the midnight or nishita, hour and continues through the night.

• The order of the bath. Pilgrims bathe in a reverential mood, first in Radha Kund, then in Shyam Kund and again in Radha Kund, following local guidance.

• A prayer of the heart. By the cherished belief, couples who long for a child come to bathe here in faith on this day, keeping a fast and offering prayers; they come as devotees seeking blessing and we present this as belief and faith, not as any assurance.

• The offerings. Devotees offer prayers, garlands and the kushmanda, the white pumpkin known as petha, wrapped in red cloth, in the old custom of the day.

The Kartik month as a whole and Govardhan Puja and Kartik Purnima, are cherished times to come. We recount these customs with reverence, as the tradition of Braj.

Radha Kund at a glance

In one line: Radha Kund, in Uttar Pradesh near Govardhan, is the holiest kund of Braj, made by Radha herself and revered as the embodiment of her love with Krishna, with Shyam Kund at its side.

What to see at Radha Kund

• The two kunds and their ghats. Radha Kund and Shyam Kund lie side by side, ringed by stone ghats where pilgrims sit and take their sacred dip; the central Kankan Kund is the very part Radha is said to have dug.

• The Goswami samadhis and kutirs. Around the kunds are the bhajan-kutirs and samadhis of the great Goswamis, including Raghunath Das Goswami and Krishnadas Kaviraj, the author of the Chaitanya Charitamrita, revered by pilgrims.

• The many temples. Small temples and shrines ring the kunds, built by the acharyas and later devotees, giving darshan of Radha and Krishna.

• The evening aarti. At dusk the ghats fill with lamps and song for the aarti, one of the most moving devotional experiences of Braj.

The other sacred waters of the Govardhan country and the Goswami and acharya seats, are gathered in our braj kunds and sarovars and baithakji of mahaprabhu in braj guides. We recount these as the cherished tradition of Braj, with reverence.

Timings, entry and the best time to visit

Radha Kund, being an open kund with ghats and temples, may be visited freely through the day; there is no entry fee. The cool months of October to March are the loveliest and Ahoi Ashtami and the Kartik season are the most sacred, if crowded, times. The general hours of the region's temples are set out in our mathura vrindavan temple timings guide.

How to reach Radha Kund

Radha Kund is near Govardhan, on the parikrama path, in Mathura district; the distances from the main starting points are given below.

In short, by each mode:

• By road (best): from Mathura or Vrindavan take a car, taxi or bus to Govardhan and an auto or e-rickshaw on to Radha Kund; for the road out to the hill, see our vrindavan to govardhan distance guide.

• On the parikrama: Radha Kund lies on the Govardhan parikrama path, near Kusum Sarovar, so pilgrims walking the circuit reach it on foot.

• By train or air: Mathura Junction, about 26 km away, is the nearest railhead and Delhi, about 150 km, the nearest airport; from either, continue by road.

The full circuit is described in our govardhan temples guide, getting around Braj in our how to commute in vrindavan guide and the hill itself in our govardhan hill guide.

Places to visit near Radha Kund

Radha Kund is the heart of the sacred Govardhan country, so much is close by; the nearby places at a glance:

Beside Radha Kund is the kusum sarovar govardhan and around it the govardhan temples and mukharvind of the sacred hill, all walked as part of the 84 kos braj parikrama. We hold these as the tradition of Braj, with reverence.

Tips for your visit and how to plan

• Come as a pilgrim, not a sightseer; sit on the ghats and stay for the evening aarti.

• Bathing is done in a deeply reverential mood, first in Radha Kund, then Shyam Kund; follow local guidance.

• Ahoi Ashtami and Kartik are the most sacred but the most crowded times; plan ahead.

• Dress modestly, keep the calm of the ghats and respect those in prayer and bhajan.

• Entry is free; carry a little water and some cash for any free-will offering and beware of touts.

• See it with Kusum Sarovar, the Govardhan hill and Mansi Ganga on a Govardhan day.

Our mathura vrindavan tour itinerary helps you shape the Govardhan day around the parikrama and the temple hours.

We arrange guided Govardhan tours that take in Radha Kund, Shyam Kund, Kusum Sarovar and the parikrama, with pick-up from Mathura or Vrindavan, a comfortable vehicle and a knowledgeable Braj-born guide to tell the story of the kunds on the ghats. A shared day tour starts from around ₹1,499 per person, with darshan free at the temples; our govardhan barsana tour covers the western cluster in a day, our mathura vrindavan tour the twin cities, the braj 84 kos yatra the whole circuit and the agra mathura vrindavan tour package adds Agra and the Taj Mahal. Message me on WhatsApp at +91-7302265809 to plan your visit to Radha Kund.

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