The Oldest Temples of Mathura and Vrindavan: A Guide to Braj's Ancient Shrines

Mathura and Vrindavan are among the most ancient sacred places in India, worshipped for well over two thousand years and their oldest temples carry that vast history in their stones. From the ancient birthplace of Krishna and the guardian Shivas of Mathura to the great sixteenth-century Goswami temples of Vrindavan, the oldest shrines of Braj tell the story of how this land became the heart of Krishna devotion. Here, from one born in the Mathura district, is the guide to the oldest temples of Mathura and Vrindavan. Plan your visit with our Mathura Vrindavan tour packages.

Key takeaways

• Mathura's sacred sites are the most ancient, though their original temples were destroyed and rebuilt.

• Vrindavan's oldest surviving temples are the great 16th-century Goswami temples.

• Madan Mohan, around 1580, is widely regarded as the oldest temple of Vrindavan.

• Radha Damodar and Radha Raman were established around 1542.

• Govind Dev Ji, around 1590, was built by Raja Man Singh of Amber.

• The ancient guardian Shivas and the Chaurasi Khamba at Mahavan are among Mathura's oldest shrines.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018, more than 50,000 of them. I love to take those who care for history to the oldest temples and to tell the story of how Vrindavan was revealed by the Goswami saints and how Mathura's ancient sites survived invasion and time. This guide sets out the oldest shrines, their founders and their eras, honestly. Here are the oldest temples of Mathura and Vrindavan.

The oldest temples at a glance

Here are the oldest temples and sacred sites of Braj, with their town, era and founder. Dates are traditional and approximate; the detail follows below.

The oldest temples and sacred sites of Mathura and Vrindavan. Dates are traditional and approximate.

Mathura's ancient sites: older than any building

Mathura is one of the oldest cities in India, sacred for more than two thousand years, but its very antiquity is why few truly ancient temple buildings survive here: the great old temples were destroyed by invaders such as Mahmud of Ghazni and later Aurangzeb and rebuilt again and again. So in Mathura it is the sacred sites, rather than the structures, that are the oldest of all.

• The Krishna Janmabhoomi: the birthplace of Krishna, a sacred site for over two millennia, where temples have risen, fallen and risen again.

• Bhuteshwar Mahadev: the ancient guardian Shiva of Mathura, one of the four that protect the city's four directions.

• The Chaurasi Khamba at Mahavan: an ancient eighty-four-pillar temple from the site of Krishna's infancy, its weathered stone very old indeed.

Vrindavan's oldest temples: the Goswami shrines of the 16th century

Vrindavan, by contrast, was largely a forest until the sixteenth century, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sent his great disciples, the Six Goswamis, to rediscover the lost sites of Krishna's pastimes and build temples there. The temples they founded are the oldest surviving in Vrindavan and among the most beautiful and historic in all of Braj. These are the ancient jewels of the town.

The Radha Damodar temple, established around 1542 by Jiva Goswami, holds a sacred Giriraj shila given by Krishna and the samadhi of Rupa Goswami. The Radha Raman temple, from around the same year, enshrines a self-manifested deity that appeared to Gopala Bhatta Goswami and its worship has continued unbroken ever since.

The Madan Mohan temple, built around 1580 on a rise above the Yamuna and associated with Sanatan Goswami, is widely regarded as the oldest temple of Vrindavan, its old red-stone tower a landmark for centuries. The grand Govind Dev Ji temple, built around 1590 by Raja Man Singh of Amber, was once seven storeys tall, a masterpiece of red sandstone, before Aurangzeb's time reduced it.

The Radha Vallabh temple, of the sixteenth century, is the seat of Hit Harivansh Mahaprabhu's Radhavallabh tradition, where only Radha's crown stands beside Krishna. And the Jugal Kishore temple near Kesi Ghat, from the early seventeenth century, is counted among the oldest of the town. Nearby, too, is the ancient Gopeshwar Mahadev, the guardian Shiva of Vrindavan, held by tradition to be very old indeed.

The seven old temples of Vrindavan

Tradition speaks of the Sapta Devalaya, the seven principal old temples of Vrindavan founded by the Goswamis, whose original deities were later moved to safety, many to Jaipur, during Aurangzeb's time. Here are the seven:

The Sapta Devalaya, the seven old Goswami temples of Vrindavan.

The other ancient temples of Braj

Beyond Mathura and Vrindavan, the wider Braj holds more ancient shrines worth seeking out:

• Haridev temple, Govardhan: a sixteenth-century temple built by Raja Bhagwan Das at the foot of Govardhan hill.

• Dauji, Baldeo: the ancient and revered temple of Balarama, Krishna's elder brother.

• The old temples of Gokul and Mahavan, from the land of Krishna's infancy, carry great antiquity too.

• In Mathura, the Dwarkadhish temple, though newer (1814), stands among far older sacred ground by the Yamuna.

Why Vrindavan's temples survived and Mathura's did not

It is a question many ask: why are Vrindavan's sixteenth-century temples so well preserved, while Mathura's ancient ones are largely rebuilt? The answer is history. Mathura, a great and wealthy city on the invaders' route, was sacked repeatedly over the centuries and its grand temples destroyed. Vrindavan, revealed later and set a little apart, escaped the worst and its Goswami temples largely survived, though even here the original deities were spirited away to Jaipur and elsewhere for safety during Aurangzeb's reign, which is why some old temples now house replacement deities while the originals are worshipped in Rajasthan.

Visiting the oldest temples: a trail through history

The oldest temples cluster conveniently. In Vrindavan, the Goswami temples, Radha Damodar, Radha Raman, Madan Mohan, Govind Dev and Jugal Kishore, lie within the old town and can be walked as a single historic trail, best in the cool morning. In Mathura, the ancient sites, the Janmabhoomi and Bhuteshwar, sit close together, with Chaurasi Khamba a short drive across the river at Mahavan. A Mathura Vrindavan taxi and a guide who knows the history turn a scattered set of shrines into a rewarding day and we can arrange pooja and seva at the temples.

The best time to visit

The cool months of October to March are the most pleasant for walking the old temple trails, while the summer is fierce. The ancient temples are most beautiful, though busiest, during the great festivals, Janmashtami, Radhashtami, Holi and Kartik. See our best time to visit Mathura Vrindavan guide for the seasons in full and if you wish to stay overnight to explore slowly, our Mathura Vrindavan hotels desk can help.

Tips for visiting the oldest temples

• Walk the Vrindavan Goswami temples as a single old-town trail, best in the cool morning.

• Ask about each temple's history and deity; a guide brings the old stones to life.

• Remember that some old temples house replacement deities, the originals being in Jaipur.

• Wear easy shoes for the old lanes and stone floors and dress modestly.

• Confirm the darshan timings, which vary by temple and season.

• Beware touts offering paid priority; darshan at these temples is free.

The honest bit

Honest words from one born in Braj. The story of Braj's oldest temples is a story of both devotion and destruction and to tell it truly matters. Mathura's sacred sites are the most ancient of all, but their original temples were lost to invasion and rebuilt, so come for the ancient ground and its history, not for ancient buildings. Vrindavan's Goswami temples are the true old survivors, though even their original deities were carried to safety in Jaipur, so what you see may be a beloved replacement, worshipped no less devotedly. Dates here are traditional and approximate, as old histories often are. Seen with this honest understanding and with someone who knows the stories, the oldest temples of Braj are among the most moving in all of India.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul in the Mathura district and I know the old temples, their founders and their histories. Guiding since 2018, more than 50,000 pilgrims, 4.5 stars on Google, WhatsApp first, 8 AM to 9 PM daily. We walk you through the ancient Goswami temples and Mathura's old sites in the right order, tell you the true history on the ground, arrange any seva and pair them with the famous temples as you wish, with no touts and no false tales. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.

Tip from Gurudutt: give a whole cool morning to the Vrindavan Goswami temples and walk them in the order they were founded, from Radha Damodar and Radha Raman to Madan Mohan and Govind Dev. As you go, you are not just seeing old buildings; you are walking the very footsteps of the Goswami saints who rediscovered Vrindavan five hundred years ago. Told well, that walk is a journey back through the whole history of Krishna devotion.

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Plan your temple trail in Braj

Tell me your dates and how much time you have and I will plan a walk of the oldest temples of Mathura and Vrindavan, with a car and a guide born on this soil who knows their history, for one clear price. Our Mathura Vrindavan same-day tour by car can be shaped around the ancient temples. 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.