Gopinath Temple, Vrindavan: The Radha Gopinath Temple, Its Timings, History and How to Reach

Key takeaways

• The Gopinath Temple is one of the seven great Goswami temples of Vrindavan.

• It is dedicated to Krishna as Gopinath, the Lord of the gopis.

• The deity was rediscovered by the Gaudiya saints at Banshivat.

• The original deity was moved to Jaipur for safety in Aurangzeb’s time.

• The present deity is Murlidhar, Krishna playing the flute.

• Entry is free; it lies in the old temple heart of Vrindavan.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018: more than 50,000 of them. Among the great old temples of Vrindavan, the Gopinath Temple holds a special place, for it is one of the seven principal temples established by the Goswamis, the great saints whom Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sent to reveal the holy places of Braj. It is ancient, deeply revered and quieter than the famous Banke Bihari, a place of true devotion. Here is everything you need: the timings, the history, the deity, the location and how to reach it, told by someone from this land. Add it to your trip with our Mathura Vrindavan Tour Package, message on WhatsApp at +91 7302265809, any day from 8 AM to 9 PM.

What is the Gopinath Temple?

The Gopinath Temple, known also as the Radha Gopinath temple, is one of the most ancient and revered temples of Vrindavan, dedicated to Lord Krishna in his form as Gopinath, which means the Lord, the beloved, of the gopis, the cowherd maidens of Braj. It is counted among the Sapta Devalaya, the seven great temples of the Goswamis, the seven principal deities revealed and served by the great saints of the Gaudiya tradition whom Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sent to Vrindavan and so it stands with the Govind Dev, the Radha Raman, the Radha Damodar, the Madan Mohan and the others among the holiest and most historic shrines of the town. It lies in the old temple heart of Vrindavan and though it is quieter than the thronged Banke Bihari, it is beloved of those who know the deep tradition of Vrindavan and its atmosphere is serene and profoundly devotional. The table gives the essentials at a glance.

The Gopinath Temple, Vrindavan, at a glance.

The history of the Gopinath Temple

The story of the Gopinath deity reaches back to the very dawn of Vrindavan’s worship. It is told that the original deity of Gopinath was installed in ancient times by Vajranabh, the great grandson of Krishna, who first established the worship of Braj thousands of years ago and that in the course of the ages the deity was lost. Then, in the time of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the deity was rediscovered at the sacred Banshivat by the Gaudiya saint Paramananda Bhattacharya and its worship was gloriously revived. The grand temple that we know was built in 1632 by Rai Singh, a son of the royal house of Bikaner, a soaring temple of red sandstone like its great sister temples. But in the troubled reign of Aurangzeb this temple too was attacked and largely destroyed and to protect the sacred deity the Goswamis carried the original Gopinath away to safety in Jaipur, in Rajasthan, where the original deity is worshipped to this day. Later, in 1821, worship was re-established at Vrindavan with the deity served here now and the temple stands today as a witness to all the ups and downs of Vrindavan’s long and sacred history.

The deity: Gopinath, the Lord of the gopis

The deity worshipped at the Gopinath Temple is Krishna as Murlidhar, the holder of the flute, standing in his enchanting three fold bending pose and playing the music that calls the whole of creation to love. The name Gopinath, the Lord of the gopis, points to the very heart of Vrindavan’s devotion, for Krishna here is the beloved of the cowherd maidens, the Lord who is won not by power or wealth but by pure love alone. In the arrangement of the deities here, Krishna as Gopinath stands with Radha on one side and, in a rare and beautiful detail, Ananga Manjari, the younger sister of Radha, on the other, with the dear sakhis Lalita and Vishakha in attendance, so that the deity embodies the whole sweet household of divine love. To take the darshan of Gopinath is to stand before the Lord in his most tender and irresistible form, the flute player of Vrindavan.

The seven Goswami temples

It helps to understand the company the Gopinath Temple keeps. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Vrindavan, he sent his great disciples, the six Goswamis, to recover the lost holy places of Braj and to establish the worship of its sacred deities and from their work arose the seven principal temples of Vrindavan, the Sapta Devalaya. These are the temples of Govind Dev, Gopinath, Madan Mohan, Radha Damodar, Radha Raman, Radha Shyamsundar and Radha Gokulananda and together they are the historic and spiritual foundation of Vrindavan as a place of pilgrimage. The Gopinath Temple is one of these seven and a visit to it is best made as part of a pilgrimage to these great old temples, which are the true heart of Vrindavan beneath its many later shrines. Our Radha Damodar temple and Madan Mohan temple guides cover two of its sister temples.

Timings and aarti

The Gopinath Temple opens for a morning and an evening darshan each day, with a long midday break and the hours shift a little between the summer and the winter, as the box above and the tables below set out. The Mangala Aarti in the early morning, the Sandhya Aarti in the evening and the Shayan Aarti before the temple closes for the night are all beautiful to attend. As with every temple in Vrindavan, treat these hours as the pattern and confirm on the day, for the darshan and aarti times vary with the season and on the festivals. The tables give the timings.

Gopinath Temple darshan timings. Closed midday. Verify on the day; times vary by season.

Gopinath Temple aarti timings. Verify on the day; times vary by season.

Location and how to reach the Gopinath Temple

The Gopinath Temple stands in the old temple quarter of Vrindavan, in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, among the historic Goswami temples near the Yamuna and the parikrama path. Vrindavan is about twelve to fifteen kilometres from Mathura, the nearest railway junction and about a hundred and eighty kilometres from Delhi, the nearest airport, by the Yamuna Expressway. Within Vrindavan the temple is best reached on foot or by cycle rickshaw or e rickshaw through the narrow old lanes, which are not for large vehicles. It is best seen together with the other Goswami temples on a walk of the old town. The table gives the distances.

Reaching the Gopinath Temple, Vrindavan. Distances are approximate; verify on the day.

It pairs naturally with the other places to visit in Vrindavan and our Mathura Vrindavan taxi service brings you to Vrindavan and its old temple quarter.

Nearby temples in Vrindavan

The Gopinath Temple sits among the great temples of Vrindavan and is best woven into a walk of the old town. Nearby stand its sister Goswami temples, the Radha Raman, the Radha Damodar and the Radha Gokulananda; the sacred Banshivat, the Maharaas Sthali where the Gopinath deity was rediscovered; the mysterious Nidhivan; the beloved Banke Bihari; and the beautiful Shah Ji temple of the twisted pillars. Seen together, these make the old heart of Vrindavan a profound day of the love of Radha and Krishna, with the Gopinath Temple among its most ancient and holy points. Our Banshivat, the Maharaas Sthali guide covers the place of its rediscovery and the three day Mathura Vrindavan pilgrimage tour takes in Vrindavan with the whole of Braj.

When to visit

The cool months of October to March are the most comfortable for a visit and within the day the morning and the evening darshan and aarti are the loveliest times. The great days of Radha and Krishna, Janmashtami, Radha Ashtami, Holi and the devotional month of Kartik, are the most joyful here, though also the most crowded. For a calm and devotional darshan, a cool ordinary morning is ideal, when the old temple is at its most peaceful. The peak summer of May and June is very hot in the old town lanes, so the cool season is kindest. Our best time to visit Mathura Vrindavan guide has the seasons.

The honest bit

Honest words on the Gopinath Temple. Entry is free and no official VIP pass exists here or anywhere in Braj; simply come and take darshan. This is an ancient and profound temple, one of the true seven of Vrindavan, quieter and less showy than the great crowd temples, so come for its depth and its history, not for spectacle and it will reward you. Note that the original Gopinath deity is now in Jaipur and it is the deity re-established later that is served here, so come to understand what you will see; the sanctity and the history remain. The temple lies in the narrow old lanes, best reached on foot or by rickshaw, not by a large car and it keeps a long midday break, so come in the morning or evening darshan hours. Confirm the current timings before you come, walk the old town with a quiet heart and the Gopinath Temple will give you one of the most authentic and historic darshans in all of Vrindavan.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul Mahaban Bangar and the old Goswami temples of Vrindavan are part of my own devotional home ground. 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 the Gopinath Temple is the timing for the morning or evening darshan around the midday closure, the history of the seven Goswami temples told on the spot, the rare arrangement of the deity explained, the way through the old lanes and the pairing of the Gopinath Temple with its sister temples and the Banshivat of its rediscovery in the right order. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.

Tip from Gurudutt: see the Gopinath Temple not alone but as one of the seven great Goswami temples and give a morning walk to walking these ancient shrines of the old town together, the Radha Raman, the Radha Damodar, the Gopinath and their sisters. These seven are the true and historic heart of Vrindavan, older and deeper than the famous crowd temples and to walk them quietly, with their stories in your heart, is to touch the very foundation of Vrindavan’s devotion. Take the darshan of Gopinath, the flute player, with an unhurried and loving heart and you will feel why the Goswamis held this place so dear.

Related guides

• Nidhivan and Sevakunj, Vrindavan: timings and history

• Vrindavan parikrama: route, timings and distance

• Things to do in Vrindavan: the experiences

• Yugal Ghat, Vrindavan: the ghat of the Divine Couple

• Vrindavan tourism: a complete travel guide

Plan your Vrindavan visit

Tell me your dates and your group and I will build the Gopinath Temple and the seven great Goswami temples of old Vrindavan into your Braj trip, the darshan timed around the midday closure, the old temples walked in the right order, with a guide and a car to the edge of the old town, for one clear price. WhatsApp +91 7302265809, any day 8 AM to 9 PM. Packages from Rs 5,999 per person, 4.5 stars from 204 Google reviews. Born in Gokul, Mathura.