Apsara Kund, Govardhan: The Sacred Twin Kund at the Tail of the Holy Hill

Apsara Kund is a sacred and beautiful water tank at the southern tip of the holy Govardhan hill, near Poonchhari, the 'tail' of the hill, set amid dense kadamba groves and twinned with the adjacent Naval Kund. Its story is among the loveliest of all Govardhan's kunds: here the celestial Apsaras danced at the coronation of Krishna and here, by devotional tradition, Radha and Krishna themselves melted in love and flowed into these twin pools. Here, from one born in Braj, is the complete guide to Apsara Kund: its story, its significance and how to visit it on the Govardhan parikrama. Plan your visit with our Mathura Vrindavan tour packages.

Key takeaways

• Apsara Kund is a sacred tank at the southern tip (Poonchhari, the 'tail') of Govardhan hill.

• It sits right beside Naval Kund (also called Poonch Kund), as a twin pair.

• By legend, the celestial Apsaras danced and offered their waters here at Krishna's coronation.

• By tradition, Radha and Krishna melted in a raas-lila into these twin kunds (Radha into Apsara Kund).

• Scriptures say 24 incarnations of Vishnu performed pastimes on its banks.

• It is set amid kadamba groves, with the Apsara-Bihari and Kundeshwar Mahadev shrines nearby.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018, more than 50,000 of them and I take devotees to the kunds of Govardhan, of which Apsara Kund, far out at the quiet tail of the hill, is one of the loveliest and least-crowded. Many pass it on the parikrama without knowing its beautiful story; here is all you need.

Apsara Kund at a glance

Here are the key facts about Apsara Kund, before the detail below.

Apsara Kund at a glance. The detail follows below.

The story of the Apsaras: dancing at Krishna's coronation

The kund takes its name from a beautiful event. After Krishna, as a boy, lifted the Govardhan hill on his finger for seven days to shelter Braj from the storm of Indra, the humbled king of the gods came to beg forgiveness and performed an abhishek, a ceremonial bath and coronation, of Krishna, at the nearby Govinda Kund. To witness this wonder, the Apsaras, the celestial dancing-maidens of heaven, came down from the skies; and here, at this spot, they danced in joy and offered their own sacred waters and their prayers to the Lord. From their heavenly dance and offering, the kund took its name, Apsara Kund, the tank of the celestial dancers.

The twin kunds: where Radha and Krishna melted in love

There is a second, deeper story, dear to the devotional Vaishnava tradition, that explains why Apsara Kund and Naval Kund are a twin pair. It is said that once, during a divine spring raas-lila, the dance of love, Sri Radha and Sri Krishna were so overwhelmed by the ecstasy of their love for one another that they melted, their very forms dissolving into liquid and flowing into two pools side by side. Apsara Kund is the melted, liquid form of Srimati Radharani and the adjacent Naval Kund the melted form of Sri Krishna. So these twin kunds are held to be nothing less than Radha and Krishna themselves, melted together in love, a tender and astonishing belief that makes this quiet spot one of the most sacred of all Govardhan's waters.

The significance: the pastimes of the Lord

Apsara Kund is held to be a place of great sanctity and divine pastime. The scriptures say that twenty-four of the primary incarnations of Lord Vishnu have performed their pastimes on the banks of this kund and that Krishna himself would sometimes, here, reveal various of his divine forms to his cowherd friends and to the gopis. So the quiet pool at the tail of Govardhan is remembered as a stage of the Lord's leelas, where the human and the divine met and where the very forms of God were shown. To sit on its bank, amid the kadamba groves, is to be in a place of deep and ancient holiness.

The shrines and groves around Apsara Kund

Apsara Kund does not stand alone; it is set in a holy and beautiful corner of Braj. It is surrounded by dense kadamba groves, the kadamba being Krishna's own beloved tree, under which he played his flute. And close by are several sacred shrines: the Apsara-Bihari temple, dedicated to Krishna as the Lord of this spot; the Kundeshwar Mahadev temple, a shrine of Shiva, who guards the holy kunds as he guards all of Braj; and the cave of Raghav Pandit, a great devotee-saint of the Gaudiya tradition who did his devotions here. Together, the twin kunds, the groves and the shrines make Poonchhari one of the most atmospheric and sacred corners of the whole Govardhan parikrama.

Where is Apsara Kund and how to visit

Apsara Kund lies at Poonchhari, the southern tip or 'tail' of Govardhan hill, the farthest point of the sacred 21-km Govardhan Parikrama Marg from the main Govardhan town and so one of the quietest and most remote stops on the circuit. Govardhan is about 22 km from Mathura and 26 km from Vrindavan. Because Poonchhari is far out on the parikrama, it is best reached as part of the full parikrama (on foot or by vehicle on the motorable route) or on a dedicated trip to the tail of the hill. It is naturally seen together with Naval Kund beside it and the other sites of the southern Govardhan. See our Vrindavan and Govardhan guide and we can arrange your pooja and seva.

Tips for visiting Apsara Kund

• Visit it at Poonchhari, the southern tail of Govardhan, on the parikrama marg.

• See it together with the twin Naval Kund right beside it.

• Visit the nearby Apsara-Bihari temple, Kundeshwar Mahadev and Raghav Pandit's cave.

• It is far out on the parikrama, so plan the time, by foot or on the motorable route.

• Come October to March for pleasant weather for the Govardhan parikrama.

• A local guide links the twin kunds, the shrines and their stories on the ground.

The honest bit

Honest words from one born in Braj. Apsara Kund is a quiet, remote and deeply holy spot, far out at the tail of Govardhan, not a grand temple or a busy site; its treasure is its beautiful story, its twin kund, its groves and its stillness and that remoteness is its charm. Come for the darshan and the stories, the Apsaras' dance, the melting of Radha and Krishna, not for spectacle. Because it is far out on the parikrama, give it the time it needs and come in the cool season. The legends here, of the twin kunds, of the 24 incarnations, come from the devotional and Puranic tradition of Braj and such ancient stories carry the variations of long telling; the sanctity is undoubted. Sought out with its story known, as part of the Govardhan parikrama, Apsara Kund is one of the hidden jewels of the holy hill.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul in the Mathura district and I guide pilgrims around the Govardhan parikrama, to Apsara Kund and the quiet kunds and shrines at the tail of the hill that many pass without knowing their stories. Guiding since 2018, more than 50,000 pilgrims, 4.5 stars on Google, WhatsApp first, 8 AM to 9 PM daily. We bring you to the twin kunds and the groves of Poonchhari, tell you the story of the Apsaras and of Radha and Krishna on the bank, guide your parikrama of Govardhan and arrange your seva, with no touts. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.

Tip from Gurudutt: on the Govardhan parikrama, do not turn back before you reach Poonchhari, the far tail of the hill, for there, in the quiet amid the kadamba groves, lie the twin kunds of Apsara and Naval. Sit a while on the bank of Apsara Kund and remember what the devotees believe: that these are not mere pools, but Radha and Krishna themselves, melted together in the ecstasy of their love, flowing into the earth of Braj. In the stillness of this remote and tender place, far from the crowds, you may feel the love at the heart of Govardhan more nearly than anywhere; it is a jewel that rewards the pilgrim who walks the whole hill.

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Plan your Govardhan parikrama and visit

Tell me your dates and I will plan your Govardhan parikrama and visit to Apsara Kund and the holy sites of the hill, with a car, a guide born on this soil and your seva arranged, for one clear price. Our Mathura Vrindavan tour packages from Delhi and our Mathura tour packages cover Govardhan and the heart of Braj. WhatsApp +91 7302265809, any day 8 AM to 9 PM. Packages from ₹1,999 per person, 4.5 stars on Google. Born in Gokul, Mathura.