Surabhi Kund, Govardhan: The Kund of the Celestial Cow on the Parikrama

Surabhi Kund at a glance

What is Surabhi Kund?

Surabhi Kund is one of the many sacred kunds or holy water tanks, that ring Govardhan Hill, lying in the Kadamba Van forest along the inner path of the Govardhan parikrama, about 1.5 km from Apsara Kund, near Raghav Pandit's cave and Indra Kund. It is named after and dear to, the celestial cow Surabhi, also called Kamdhenu, the wish-fulfilling cow of the heavens, mother of all cows, who by tradition bathed and anointed Lord Krishna here. It is a quiet, deeply holy spot on the inner parikrama, revered above all as a place for the forgiveness of offenses and for pure devotion to Braj. For the whole of Govardhan and the land of Krishna, a mathura vrindavan tour with Experience My India can bring you to the kunds and the parikrama.

From the ground (Gurudutt): On the inner path of the Giriraj parikrama, away from the road, in the quiet of the Kadamba Van, lies Surabhi Kund, where the heavenly cow Kamdhenu bathed our Krishna with her own milk. The old ones say this is the kund to come to when the heart is heavy with its faults, for here even great offenses, aparadhas, are forgiven and the Lord gives pure love for Braj. I bring my guests here on the inner parikrama; it is a place of mercy. Radhe Radhe.

The legend: the lifting of Govardhan and Indra's reconciliation

Surabhi Kund's holiness comes from the great story of the lifting of Govardhan:

• The wrath of Indra. When the young Krishna stopped the people of Braj from worshipping Indra, the king of the gods and taught them to worship Govardhan Hill instead, a furious Indra, in his pride, unleashed torrential rains and thunderbolts to devastate Braj and its people and cattle.

• Krishna lifts Govardhan. To protect the people, the cows and all of Braj, the young Krishna lifted the whole of Govardhan Hill upon the little finger of his left hand and held it aloft like a vast umbrella for seven days and nights, while all of Braj sheltered beneath it, safe and dry, until Indra's storm was spent.

• Indra's reconciliation. Humbled and realising at last Krishna's supreme divinity, Indra came to seek his forgiveness; and to help soften the Lord's mood and make his peace, Indra brought with him the celestial cow Surabhi, Kamdhenu, the wish-fulfilling mother of cows from the heavens.

The giriraj maharaj govardhan aarti lyrics sings of this Giriraj, Govardhan, whom Krishna lifted; see our govardhan hill guide for the hill and the parikrama.

Surabhi's abhishek and why she stayed in Braj

The heart of Surabhi Kund is the abhishek, the sacred bathing of Krishna:

• The abhishek of Krishna. Here, in reconciliation, the celestial cow Surabhi bathed and anointed Lord Krishna with the milk that flowed from her and Indra performed the abhishek, the ceremonial bathing, with the heavenly waters of the Ganga; and so Krishna was honoured and crowned, as Govinda, the lord of cows and of the earth, by heaven itself.

• Surabhi chooses to stay. So deeply was the celestial cow Surabhi moved by the sweetness of the leelas, the divine pastimes, of Radha and Krishna in Braj, that she chose to remain here, in this forest, for as long as Krishna's earthly pastimes continued; her love for the Lord of Braj kept her here and the kund is her abode and her memory.

• The mother of cows in the land of cows. That Surabhi, the mother of all cows, should choose to stay in Braj, the land of Krishna the cowherd and of his beloved cows, is deeply fitting; her presence blesses the pastoral land and her kund is dear to all who love the gentle, cow-herding Krishna.

Who established Surabhi Kund

Like many of the holy places of Braj, Surabhi Kund in its present form was established and consecrated by Maharaja Vajranabha, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna, who, ages after Krishna's pastimes, came to Braj and set up and revived its sacred sites, so that the memory of the leelas would live on. He established this reservoir in memory of Mother Surabhi, at the place of her abhishek of Krishna, so that pilgrims down the ages might come to her kund; the same Vajranabha established the ancient deity of Balarama at nearby Baldeo and many other dear sites of Braj.

The significance: forgiveness of offenses and love for Braj

Surabhi Kund is revered for a rare and precious grace:

• The forgiveness of offenses. Surabhi Kund is held to be a powerful place for the forgiveness of offenses; it is believed that sincere prayer here can absolve sins, material attachments and even great spiritual offenses, aparadhas, which weigh on the soul. For this reason it is dear to devotees who come seeking the Lord's mercy and a clean heart.

• Snan and achaman for pure love. Pilgrims perform snan, the holy bath and achaman, the reverent sipping of the sanctified water, at Surabhi Kund, with the faith that it bestows prema, pure love and devotion for Krishna and for the holy land of Vrindavan and Braj; it is a kund for the deepening of bhakti.

• A place of mercy on the parikrama. So Surabhi Kund is, for the pilgrim of the inner Govardhan parikrama, a place of mercy and of grace, where the heart may be unburdened of its faults and filled with love for Braj; a quiet, blessed spot amid the Kadamba groves.

Surabhi Kund on the inner Govardhan parikrama

Surabhi Kund lies on the inner path of the great Govardhan parikrama, the circumambulation of the sacred hill. The parikrama has an outer path, along the main road and an inner path, a dirt track closer to the hill, quieter and more arduous, on which lie many of the dearest and less-visited kunds; Surabhi Kund is on this inner path, in the Kadamba Van, near Indra Kund and Raghav Pandit's cave, about 1.5 km from Apsara Kund and Naval Kund. The devout who walk the inner parikrama seek out Surabhi Kund for its grace; it is best found on foot on the inner path, with a guide who knows the way, as it is away from the main road. See our apsara kund govardhan guide for the nearby twin kunds of Radha and Krishna and the kshir sagar for another of Braj's sacred tanks.

How to reach and visit Surabhi Kund

Surabhi Kund lies on the inner parikrama, a little off the main path:

• Reaching it. Govardhan town is about 22 to 25 km from Mathura and Vrindavan; Surabhi Kund is in the Kadamba Van on the inner parikrama path, near Indra Kund, about 1.5 km from Apsara Kund. As it is on the inner dirt path, away from the road, it is best reached on foot on the inner parikrama, ideally with a Braj guide who knows the way, as it is not on the main darshan circuit.

• Visit with reverence. The kund is ancient and holy and some of the inner-parikrama kunds are quieter and less restored than the great sites; treat the waters and the place with reverence, follow the local custom for snan and achaman and keep the peace of this devotional spot. It is a place to pray and to sit a while, not to rush.

• Best time. October to March is the most pleasant season for the parikrama, with cool weather for the inner path; Govardhan is dearest and busiest at Govardhan Puja after Diwali and on Guru Purnima. For a quiet darshan at Surabhi Kund, come on an ordinary day in the cool season, early in the day.

See our distance from mathura to gokul and how to commute in vrindavan guides for reaching this side of Braj and our mathura vrindavan temple timings guide for the Govardhan temples' hours.

We take pilgrims on the Govardhan parikrama, inner and outer and to its sacred kunds, Surabhi Kund, Apsara and Naval Kund, Govind Kund and more and across the whole of Braj, in a comfortable vehicle and on foot with a Braj-born guide who knows the kunds and their old stories. 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 Govardhan, our mathura vrindavan tour the twin cities and our vrindavan tour package Vrindavan in a day; the banke bihari temple and the braj yamuna ghats and leela sites are dear too. Message me on WhatsApp at +91-7302265809 to plan your Govardhan parikrama.

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