Shri Charan Pahadi, Nandgaon: The Hill of Krishna's Footprints, History, Timings and Complete Guide

Key takeaways

• Charan Pahadi is a hill west of Nandgaon bearing the footprints of Shri Krishna in the rock.

• Charan means lotus feet and pahadi means hill, so it is the hill of footprints.

• In the tradition the rock softened at the sound of Krishna's flute and his footprints set into it.

• The nearby hill carries the marks of the sakhis, cowherd boys and the cows.

• It is open all day morning to evening, free and reached by a short climb.

• Nandgaon is about 50 to 54 km from Mathura and a private car is the easiest way.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018, more than 50,000 of them. Nandgaon, the village on the hill where Krishna spent his boyhood with Nanda Baba and Yashoda, holds many beloved leela sthalis and among the most moving is a hill just to its west, Charan Pahadi, the hill of footprints. Here, the Brajwasis say, the very rock melted with the sweetness of Krishna's flute and kept the print of his lotus feet, so that after five thousand years a pilgrim may still stand where the Lord once stood. Here is everything for your visit, told by someone from this soil: the story and its place in the Bhagwat, what to see on the hill, the timings and how to reach it. Plan it with our Mathura Vrindavan Tour Package, message on WhatsApp at +91 7302265809, any day from 8 AM to 9 PM.

The story of Charan Pahadi

The hill is the Nandishwar hill to the west of Nandgaon, held in the tradition to be non-different from Lord Shiva himself, who took the form of Nandishwar to witness the pastimes of Krishna in Braj. In his boyhood, while herding the cows across these fields, Krishna would climb to the top of this hill and play his flute to call the herds home and the sound was so sweet, so full of compassion, that lakhs of cows would gather to it. So tender was the melody that the hard rock of the hill softened like wax beneath his feet and there the print of his lotus feet, the charan chinha, was set into the stone. Seeing this, in the telling, Lord Shiva was filled with joy and blessed that these footprints would remain upon the hill for all time.

There is a second strand to the story too. It is said that after Krishna entered a cave known as the Luk Luk cave, he appeared upon the hill and played his flute and the sound broke the meditation of the sakhis, who looked up, saw their beloved and ran to him; and the sweetness that melted this hill melted the neighbouring hill as well, where the sakhis had been at play and the calves grazing, so that their footprints and the hoofmarks of the cows were left in the rock there. You will find Charan Pahadi set among the leela places of Braj in our Mathura Vrindavan temples guide.

The footprints and the Bhagwat: Akrur and Uddhav

The footprints of Krishna at this place are remembered twice in the Shrimad Bhagwat, at the coming of Akrur and again at the coming of Uddhav. When the great devotee Akrur was sent by Kansa from Mathura to Nandgaon, to bring Krishna and Balaram to the city, he saw as he arrived the footprints of the Lord upon the top of the hill and in the sand all around. Overwhelmed, he could not contain his love; he wept tears of joy and rolled upon the ground in the dust of that holy soil, pressing the marks of those feet to his heart. It is this same feeling of nearness that draws devotees to Charan Pahadi still, to stand where the Lord walked and to feel, across the ages, how close he remains.

What to see at Charan Pahadi

Charan Pahadi is a hillside darshan, felt as much as seen and it rewards an unhurried climb. On and around it you will find:

• Krishna's lotus footprints: the charan chinha set into the rock atop the hill, the heart of the darshan.

• The marks of the sakhis and cows: on the neighbouring hill, the impressions of the sakhis, the cowherd boys and the hooves of the cows.

• The Luk Luk cave: the cave linked in the tradition to Krishna's play, near the hill.

• Rohini Kund and Mohini Kund: sacred ponds close by the hill.

• Nanda Baba's cow posts: the stone posts in a nearby field where the cows were tied, at the site of Nanda's cowshed, which the Brajwasi women honour on special days.

Because the hill is bare and open, come early or late to avoid the midday sun and take your time; the climb itself, with Nandgaon spread below, is part of the darshan.

Timings and darshan

Charan Pahadi is an open hillside leela sthali, so it may be visited on all days from morning to evening and there is no entry fee. It involves a climb up the hill to the footprints, so plan for the cooler hours. The table gives the general pattern.

Charan Pahadi, Nandgaon timings. Approximate; verify on the day.

How to reach Charan Pahadi, Nandgaon

Nandgaon lies about 50 to 54 km from Mathura and about 50 km from Vrindavan, roughly one and a half hours by road, out in the countryside near Barsana. Charan Pahadi is on the western edge of the village. Because it is well out of the main towns and set on a hill, a private car is much the easiest way, carrying you to Nandgaon and the base of the hill, from where the footprints are reached on foot. Buses and shared jeeps run to Nandgaon from Mathura for those on a budget, with local transport in the village. The table sets out the ways.

Ways to reach Charan Pahadi, Nandgaon. A private car is the easiest.

The nearest railhead is Mathura Junction, about 55 to 60 km away and the nearest major airport is Delhi, about 120 to 130 km, with Agra closer for some. Our Mathura Vrindavan Gokul Barsana map shows how Nandgaon sits within Braj and to have a car meet your train and take you out to Nandgaon, book our Mathura Vrindavan taxi service.

Charan Pahadi and nearby

Nandgaon is full of Krishna's boyhood leelas and Charan Pahadi is easily joined with them and with Barsana close by. Atop the main hill stands Nand Bhavan, the home of Nanda Maharaj, with the Nandishwar Mahadev temple and Pavan Sarovar and Yashoda Kund below; nearby lies Ter Kadamba, where Krishna called the cows and Rupa Goswami wrote; the great Kokilavan Shani Dev Dham is a short way off; and Barsana, the town of Radha Rani, with Prem Sarovar on the way, is only eight or nine km distant. The table gives the short distances.

Distances from Charan Pahadi to nearby places. Approximate; verify on the day.

You will find these and the rest of the region in our places to visit in Mathura Vrindavan guide.

When to visit and festivals

The cool months of October to March are much the best for Nandgaon, pleasant for the road and for the climb up the hill, while the summer sun makes the bare rock hot and the winter mornings are lovely. Of the year's days, Nandgaon is famous with Barsana for the Lathmar Holi, in the days before the great Holi, when the two villages meet in the loved play of colour and sticks and Janmashtami and the Nandotsav are kept here with joy in the village of Nanda. You will find the calendar in our Braj festivals guide and the seasons in full in our best time to visit Mathura Vrindavan guide.

Tips for your visit

• Come early morning or late afternoon, as the bare hill grows hot at midday.

• Wear sturdy footwear you can remove at the footprints and go slowly on the climb.

• Carry water, especially in the warmer months.

• Keep decorum and ask before photographing the footprints.

• Pair Charan Pahadi with Nand Bhavan and Pavan Sarovar for a full Nandgaon round.

The honest bit

Honest words on Charan Pahadi, from one born in Braj. This is a simple, open hill, not a grand temple, so come for the bhava of standing where Krishna stood and the climb and the quiet are part of the gift. Darshan is free and there is no VIP pass here or anywhere in Braj, so keep your money in your pocket. It is a real climb on bare rock, so wear good footwear, carry water and avoid the midday heat; a car that waits at the base saves you the local fares and carries you on to Nand Bhavan and Barsana. If you wish to stay near the leela sthalis, see our Mathura Vrindavan hotels and our guide on where to stay in Vrindavan. Come with an open heart, climb slowly and stand a while at the footprints; it is a darshan you will not forget.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul in the Mathura district and Nandgaon and Barsana are part of my own home ground of Braj. Guiding since 2018, more than 50,000 pilgrims, 4.5 stars across 204 Google reviews, WhatsApp first, 8 AM to 9 PM daily. What a local brings to a visit to Charan Pahadi is the door to door car and the fair fare set in advance, the hill placed in the right order with Nand Bhavan, Pavan Sarovar and Barsana, the leela and the story of Akrur told on the ground and honest guidance without touts or pressure. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.

Tip from Gurudutt: give Nandgaon a full half day and climb Charan Pahadi in the soft light of the early morning, before the rock warms. Stand a while at the footprints, look out over the village of Nanda, then come down to Nand Bhavan atop the main hill and to Pavan Sarovar and keep Barsana, just across the fields, for the same day or the next. Taken slowly, from the hill of footprints outward, Nandgaon opens its whole boyhood world to you. It is among the tenderest darshans in all of Braj.

Plan your visit to Charan Pahadi

Tell me your dates and your group and I will build your visit to Charan Pahadi into your Nandgaon, Barsana and Braj trip, the hill in the right order with Nand Bhavan and the leela sthalis, with a car and a guide born on this soil, for one clear price. Our two day Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Govardhan, Nandgaon and Barsana tour covers Nandgaon and you can browse all our Mathura Vrindavan Tour Packages too. WhatsApp +91 7302265809, any day 8 AM to 9 PM. Packages from Rs 1,999 per person, 4.5 stars from 204 Google reviews. Born in Gokul, Mathura.