Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan, Gokul Dham: The Home of Krishna's Childhood, a Complete Guide

Key facts at a glance

Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan: an overview

Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan, in the Gokul Dham area at Mahavan near Gokul, is one of the most tender and beloved sacred sites of the land of Krishna's infancy. It is revered as the home of Nanda Baba and Yashoda Maiya, the foster parents of Krishna, where, by the tradition, the infant Krishna spent his childhood, raised in their love after he was carried across the Yamuna from Mathura to be kept safe from the tyrant Kansa. It is a place that echoes with the playful childhood of Krishna and the boundless maternal affection of Mother Yashoda.

The temple is dedicated to Nanda and Yashoda and the child Krishna and is filled with beautiful statues, murals and vibrant paintings depicting the tender leelas of his childhood, so that a visit is like walking through the story of baby Krishna. This guide covers the Bhawan and its meaning, the story of Krishna's infancy at Gokul, Nanda and Yashoda, the temple and its art, the childhood leelas, the worship and the 56 Bhog, what to see nearby and how to reach and visit. It lies in the land of Gokul; see our gokul barsana nandgaon day trip guide for the wider circuit of Braj.

From the ground (Gurudutt): Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan is a joy for its statues and murals of baby Krishna's leelas, so allow time to walk through and take them in, not just take darshan and it is especially delightful for families and children. It lies in Mahavan, in the Gokul Dham area across the Yamuna from Mathura, a quieter and more tender corner of Braj than busy Vrindavan, so come for its sweetness and devotion rather than grandeur. Darshan is free and the 56 Bhog is offered and shared as prasad. Combine it with the other sites of Gokul and Mahavan, such as the Chaurasi Khamba and Raman Reti and mind the state of the Yamuna nearby. See our Mathura Vrindavan tour Package  or message WhatsApp +91 7302265809.  

The temple at a glance

Here are the essentials of Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan in one place.

In one line: Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan in Gokul Dham is the revered home of Nanda and Yashoda, where the infant Krishna was raised, rich with statues and murals of his childhood leelas.

What is Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan?

Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan, sometimes called Nand Bhawan, is a revered temple in the Gokul Dham area at Mahavan, near Gokul, on the bank of the Yamuna in the Mathura district. It is honoured as the home of Nanda Baba and Yashoda Maiya, the foster parents of Krishna, where, by the tradition, the infant and young Krishna was lovingly raised; the temple is dedicated to them and to the child Krishna and is filled with statues, murals and paintings of his childhood pastimes.

So Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan is at once a place of worship, a memorial of the home of Krishna's infancy and a tender depiction of his childhood leelas, cherished by devotees who come to feel the sweetness of baby Krishna and the maternal love of Yashoda. Its atmosphere is gentle and devotional, in the quieter land of Gokul across the river from Mathura. We present its deities and its leelas with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith. So Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan is a beloved and tender sacred site of the land of Krishna's infancy.

The story of Krishna's childhood at Gokul

The Bhawan takes its meaning from the beloved story of Krishna's infancy, cherished in the Bhagavata and the tradition of Braj. By the tradition, Krishna was born in Mathura to Devaki and Vasudeva, who were imprisoned by the tyrant Kansa, Devaki's brother, who feared the prophecy that her eighth child would slay him. On the very night of Krishna's birth, by the tradition, Vasudeva carried the divine infant across the flooded Yamuna to Gokul, to the home of Nanda and Yashoda, to keep him safe from Kansa.

So it was in Gokul and Mahavan, in the home of Nanda and Yashoda, that Krishna spent his infancy and childhood, raised as their beloved son alongside his brother Balaram, playing his tender and miraculous childhood leelas among the cowherds and the cows. Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan is revered as this very home of his upbringing. So the Bhawan is the place of the sweetest chapter of Krishna's life on earth, his childhood in the love of Nanda and Yashoda. We present this story as the cherished belief and tradition of Braj, held with faith and recounted with reverence, the sacred tale to which the Bhawan is dedicated.

Nanda and Yashoda, the foster parents

At the heart of the Bhawan are Nanda Baba and Yashoda Maiya, the foster parents of Krishna, among the most beloved figures of the whole tradition. By the tradition, Nanda was the chief of the cowherds of Gokul, a man of great goodness and devotion and Yashoda his wife, whose boundless maternal love for the child Krishna is cherished as the very model of vatsalya, parental love for the divine.

By the tradition, Nanda and Yashoda raised Krishna as their own beloved son and in their simple, loving home the Lord of all the worlds played as a child, accepting their love and lavishing his sweetness upon them. The love of Yashoda for Krishna and his for her, is among the most tender and cherished of all the relationships of the tradition. So Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan honours these beloved foster parents and their love for the child Krishna. We present Nanda and Yashoda and their devotion with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith, the cherished parents of Krishna's infancy in the land of Gokul.

The temple, its statues and murals

Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan is beloved above all for its beautiful statues, murals and vibrant paintings, of traditional Indian craftsmanship, which depict Nanda, Yashoda and the child Krishna and the many tender scenes of his childhood, so that a visit is like walking through the living story of baby Krishna.

• The statues of Nanda, Yashoda and Krishna: beautiful images of the foster parents with the child Krishna and his brother Balaram, at the heart of the temple, radiant with love.

• The murals of the childhood leelas: vibrant paintings and scenes across the temple depicting the tender and miraculous pastimes of Krishna's childhood, a delight to behold.

• The traditional architecture: the temple is built and adorned in traditional Indian style, with intricate work and colourful art creating a warm, devotional atmosphere.

• A joy for families: the story-telling statues and murals make the Bhawan especially delightful for children and families, bringing the tales of baby Krishna to life.

So the Bhawan offers not only darshan but a walk through the beautiful depictions of Krishna's childhood, a rare and tender feature that sets it apart. So allow time to take in the statues and murals, the special glory of the temple. It is a wonderful place for families; see our guide to visiting Braj with children for such family-friendly stops. So the art of Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan brings the leelas of baby Krishna to life, a delight for pilgrims and children alike.

The childhood leelas of Krishna

The Bhawan celebrates the bal-leelas, the childhood pastimes of Krishna, cherished in the Bhagavata and the tradition of Braj, which are among the most tender and beloved of all his leelas. By the tradition, it was in the home of Nanda and Yashoda at Gokul that the child Krishna played these pastimes: his infant miracles, his mischief and his sweetness.

Among the cherished childhood leelas honoured in the tradition are the tender scenes of Yashoda nursing and cradling the child Krishna; the makhan-chori, his beloved stealing of butter; the Damodar-leela, when Yashoda bound the child with a cord; his revealing of the universe within his mouth to his mother; and his infant defeat of the demons sent by Kansa, such as Putana. These are cherished not as mere tales but as the sweet and profound pastimes of the Lord in the guise of a child. So the Bhawan is a place to remember and cherish the childhood leelas of Krishna. We present these leelas as the cherished belief and tradition of Braj, held with faith and recounted with reverence and joy, the sweet pastimes of baby Krishna in the home of Nanda and Yashoda.

Worship, the 56 Bhog and etiquette

At Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan, the child Krishna is worshipped with the loving devotion befitting an infant deity, and, by the tradition, the 56 Bhog, the Chhappan Bhog, the offering of fifty-six varied foods, is offered to Krishna and shared with devotees as prasad, a cherished feature of the temple's worship. Devotees offer flowers, fruits and sweets, take darshan and receive the prasad with reverence.

A few points of etiquette, in the manner of the temples of Braj: dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees and avoid revealing clothing; remove your footwear where required; seek permission before photography, as it may not be allowed in the sanctum; offer flowers, fruits or sweets if you wish; perform pradakshina, circumambulation, where it is the custom; and accept the prasad with your right hand and with reverence. So worship at the Bhawan is tender and devotional, centred on the child Krishna and the 56 Bhog. So visit respectfully, take darshan and prasad and honour the customs of the temple, in the sweet spirit of the home of baby Krishna at Gokul.

What to see nearby

Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan is best visited as part of a tour of Gokul and Mahavan, the land of Krishna's infancy, for the other sacred sites are close by.

• The Chaurasi Khamba: the ancient eighty-four-pillared hall at Mahavan, revered as an old palace of Nanda, one of the most ancient sites of the region.

• Raman Reti: the soft sacred sands where, by the tradition, the child Krishna played with his cowherd friends, a beloved and peaceful site.

• The Gokulnath temple: the chief temple of Gokul, a great seat of the Pushtimarg, dear to the followers of Vallabhacharya.

• The ghats of Gokul: the sacred Yamuna ghats of Gokul and Mahavan, tied to the pastimes of Krishna's infancy.

So Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan sits amid the tender sites of Gokul and Mahavan, easily combined with the Chaurasi Khamba, Raman Reti and the Gokulnath temple. So take in the Bhawan along with these on a tour of the land of Krishna's infancy. Across the Yamuna lie the great sites of Mathura, such as the dwarkadhish temple mathura; and the eastern Braj holds the dau ji temple baldeo; while the sacred keshi ghat yamuna aarti and Govardhan are within reach. So combine the Bhawan with the sites of Gokul and the wider Braj for a rich pilgrimage.

Timings, entry and how to reach

Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan keeps the general rhythm of the temples of Braj, open to pilgrims in the morning and the evening and closing for a while through the middle of the day for the rest of the deities, so plan your visit for the morning or the evening rather than the midday break. Darshan is free and the 56 Bhog is shared as prasad; keep any offering voluntary and do confirm the current timings locally, as they follow the temple's schedule and the season.

The Bhawan stands at Mahavan, in the Gokul Dham area near Gokul, about 15 km from Mathura across the Yamuna. Reach Mathura first, about 150 km from Delhi and 55 to 60 km from Agra, by road or train, then Gokul and Mahavan by taxi, auto or e-rickshaw; the nearest major railway station is Mathura Junction and the nearest airports are Agra and Delhi. Our how to reach vrindavan guide covers arriving in the region and our best time to visit vrindavan mathura guide the seasons. The land of Gokul is also famed for its sweets and food, from Mathura pede to bedai; see our famous food in vrindavan and mathura guide. We arrange Gokul and Braj tours taking in Shri Nand Yashoda Bhawan and the sites of Krishna's infancy, with the transport, the routing, the timing around the closures and a knowledgeable local guide to bring the childhood leelas alive. A shared day tour starts from around ₹1,499 per person, with darshan free throughout and our one-day vrindavan tour package and two-day mathura vrindavan tour cover the region. Message me on WhatsApp at +91-7302265809 to plan your visit.

Related guides

• places to visit in mathura

• mathura vrindavan with kids

• mathura vrindavan with elderly parents

• vrindavan guide for foreigners

• braj festival calendar

• mathura vrindavan local sightseeing