Imli Tala Temple, Vrindavan: The Ancient Tamarind Tree of Krishna's Longing

Imli Tala is one of the most tender and sacred of Vrindavan's hidden shrines, a temple built around an ancient tamarind tree (imli) where, by beloved legend, Krishna once sat chanting Radha's name in such longing that he took on her very golden hue and where, centuries later, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to chant and meditate. 'Imli Tala' means simply 'beneath the tamarind tree'. Here, from one born in Braj, is the complete guide to the Imli Tala temple: its darshan timings, its moving legend and how to visit. Plan your visit with our Mathura Vrindavan tour packages.

Key takeaways

• Imli Tala is a historic shrine in old Vrindavan, built around an ancient tamarind (imli) tree.

• 'Imli Tala' means 'beneath the tamarind tree', the heart of the shrine.

• By legend, Krishna sat here longing for Radha until he took on her golden hue.

• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu later sat beneath this tree to chant and meditate.

• Its deities are Radha-Gopinath Ji, Nitai-Gaur and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

• Darshan is 7:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM daily.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018, more than 50,000 of them and I love to take devotees to the tender, hidden shrines of old Vrindavan, of which Imli Tala is among the most moving. Many visitors pass it by, not knowing its story; here is all you need for Imli Tala, its timings, its legend and how to reach it.

Imli Tala temple at a glance

Here are the key details for the Imli Tala temple, before the story below.

Imli Tala temple at a glance. Confirm the darshan timings with the temple on the day.

The legend of the tamarind tree: Krishna's longing for Radha

At the heart of the shrine stands an ancient tamarind tree, said to be several thousand years old and its story is one of the most beautiful and poignant in all of Vrindavan. During the Maha Raas, the great dance of Krishna with Radha and the gopis, Radha, by one telling, suddenly disappeared from the dance. Bereft, Krishna wandered the groves searching for her and at last sat down beneath this very tamarind tree, overwhelmed by viraha, the anguish of separation from his beloved. There he chanted Radha's name again and again, in such depth of longing that, by the power of his absorption in her, his own dark-blue complexion slowly turned to her golden, fair hue. In that moment, longing for Radha, Krishna became like Radha. This is a truth dear to the heart of the devotional tradition: that the deepest love makes the lover take on the very form and mood of the beloved. The tamarind tree of Imli Tala is the silent witness to that divine longing.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Imli Tala

The tamarind tree holds a second, equally sacred association. Around five hundred and fifty years ago, when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the great saint revered as the combined form of Radha and Krishna, came to Vrindavan, he was drawn to this very tree and would sit beneath it regularly to chant the holy names and meditate, lost in devotion. The link is profound: Chaitanya is himself held to be Krishna who, like at this very spot, took on the golden hue and loving mood of Radha; so for him to sit and chant beneath the tree where Krishna first became golden with longing for Radha is deeply fitting. Imli Tala is thus one of the most potent sites in Vrindavan for kirtan, reflection and devotion, especially in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition that flows from Chaitanya.

The deities of Imli Tala

The shrine built around the tamarind tree houses beautiful deities: Radha-Gopinath Ji (Radha and Krishna as Gopinath, the Lord of the gopis); Nitai-Gaur (Nityananda and Chaitanya, the two great avatars of divine love); and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself. To take their darshan beneath the ancient tree, in the quiet of this old shrine, is a gentle and moving experience, away from the great crowds of the famous temples.

Where is Imli Tala and how to reach it

The Imli Tala temple is in the old part of Vrindavan, on Seva Kunj Marg (also known by Sri Premanand Road), in Gotam Nagar, near Loi Bazar, close to the sacred Seva Kunj grove and the other old shrines. As with the old-town temples, the approach is through narrow, crowded lanes where cars cannot easily go, so it is best to come by e-rickshaw or auto to the Loi Bazar or Seva Kunj area and walk the final stretch on foot. It is naturally visited together with Seva Kunj and the nearby Goswami temples; a restroom is available on site and, as at many Vrindavan shrines, do beware the local monkeys, who may snatch at glasses, phones or prasad. See our places to visit in Vrindavan guide and we can arrange your pooja and seva.

Tips for visiting Imli Tala

• Come within the darshan hours: 7:00 AM to 12:30 PM or 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

• Reach Loi Bazar or Seva Kunj by e-rickshaw, then walk the narrow lanes on foot.

• Sit a while beneath the ancient tamarind tree; it is a potent place for quiet chanting.

• Beware the local monkeys; keep glasses, phones and prasad secure.

• Pair it with the nearby Seva Kunj and the old Goswami temples.

• A local guide links the shrine, the tree and the legends on the spot.

The honest bit

Honest words from one born in Braj. Imli Tala is a small, quiet, ancient shrine in the old lanes, not a grand temple; its whole treasure is the sacred tamarind tree, its tender legend and its stillness and that is exactly its beauty. Come for the darshan, to sit beneath the tree and chant and to feel the longing of Krishna and the devotion of Chaitanya in the quiet. The legends here, of Krishna turning golden with longing, of Chaitanya meditating beneath the tree, come from the devotional tradition of Vrindavan and such sacred stories carry the variations of long telling; the devotion is undoubted. The lanes are narrow and the monkeys bold, so come on foot, with care and patience and a local who knows the way helps. Sought out with its story known, Imli Tala is one of the most moving hidden shrines of Vrindavan.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul in the Mathura district and I love to walk pilgrims through the tender hidden shrines of old Vrindavan, Imli Tala among the most moving. Guiding since 2018, more than 50,000 pilgrims, 4.5 stars on Google, WhatsApp first, 8 AM to 9 PM daily. We bring you through the lanes to the shrine, tell you the legend of the tamarind tree on the very spot, give you a quiet moment to chant beneath it, take you on to Seva Kunj and the old temples, keep you safe from the monkeys and arrange your seva, with no touts. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.

Tip from Gurudutt: when you come to Imli Tala, do not merely glance and go; sit a while beneath the ancient tamarind tree, close your eyes and chant softly. Remember that here, they say, Krishna longed for Radha so deeply that he became golden like her; and that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sat upon this very ground, lost in that same longing, centuries later. In the quiet shade of this old tree, away from the crowds, the two great currents of Vrindavan's love, Krishna's longing and the saint's devotion, meet in your own heart. It is one of the tenderest, most hidden jewels of Braj.

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Plan your visit to the old shrines of Vrindavan

Tell me your dates and I will plan your journey through the tender old shrines of Vrindavan, Imli Tala, Seva Kunj and the Goswami temples, with a car to the edge of the lanes, a guide born on this soil and your seva arranged, for one clear price. Our Mathura Vrindavan tour packages from Delhi and the NCR and our Mathura tour packages cover 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.