Radha Kund, Uttar Pradesh: The Supreme Holy Place of Braj, Story, Timings and Complete Guide

Key takeaways

• Radha Kund is a sacred twin kund and a town in Arit village near Govardhan, Mathura district, UP 281504.

• Radha Kund and Shyam Kund lie side by side, the ponds of Radha and of Krishna.

• Gaudiya Vaishnavas hold it the supreme of all holy places, filled with the nectar of Radha's love.

• It was lost and rediscovered by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, then excavated by Raghunath Das Goswami.

• Pilgrims bathe first in Radha Kund, then Shyam Kund, then Radha Kund again.

• Its greatest day is Bahulashtami, with a unique auspicious midnight bath; entry is free.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018, more than 50,000 of them. Of all the holy places of Braj and indeed, the saints say, of all the worlds, there is none held higher than a pair of quiet ponds in a small town near Govardhan: Radha Kund and Shyam Kund. To the Gaudiya Vaishnavas who follow Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Radha Kund is the very crown of tirthas, dearer to Krishna than any other place on earth, for it is filled with the nectar of the love of Shri Radha. Here is everything for your visit, told by someone from this soil: the story of how the kunds were made, why they are held supreme, how they were lost and found, the sacred bath and Bahulashtami and how to reach it. 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.

The story of Radha Kund and Shyam Kund

The twin kunds were born of a sweet pastime of Radha and Krishna. Kansa, seeking Krishna's death, sent the demon Arishta in the form of a mighty bull; Krishna slew him with ease. But when he came to Radha afterwards, she and her sakhis teased him, saying that by killing one in the form of a bull he had taken on the sin of harming a cow and that he must first purify himself in all the holy rivers before he could touch her. Krishna smiled, struck the ground with his heel and summoned every sacred tirtha of the world to appear; they came at once in the form of water and filled the pit and Krishna bathed there. This became Shyam Kund.

Not to be outdone, Radha with her sakhis dug a kund of her own nearby, using their bangles to break the earth, but it stayed dry. Then the holy tirthas themselves, longing to purify their own waters by mingling with Radha's, prayed to be allowed into her kund and at her wish they flowed in and filled it. This became Radha Kund. And there Krishna gave a boon, that whoever bathes in Radha Kund will receive the very love that Radha bears for him; and Radha gave a boon, that whoever bathes in Shyam Kund will receive the love that Krishna bears for her. Krishna promised, moreover, to bathe in Radha Kund every day and to keep it always dearest to his heart. The two kunds are lovingly called the eyes of Giriraj Govardhan, close by.

The supreme of all holy places

In his Upadeshamrita, the Nectar of Instruction, the great saint Rupa Goswami sets out a ladder of holiness: Mathura, where the Lord took birth, is holy; more holy is the forest of Vrindavan, where he played the Rasa Lila; higher still is Govardhan, which he lifted on his finger; but highest of all, says Rupa Goswami, is Radha Kund, for it is flooded with the nectar of the love of Radha and Krishna and is their most confidential bathing place. The saints call Radha Kund the very liquid form of Shri Radharani. Raghunath Das Goswami, in his Radha-kundashtakam, sings that one may attain pure love of God simply by bathing here once with devotion; and the Chaitanya-charitamrita declares that Krishna gives ecstatic love, like Radharani's own, to whoever bathes in Radha Kund. This is why, for the devotee, no place on earth stands higher.

Lost and found: Chaitanya and Raghunath Das Goswami

For long ages the two kunds were lost to the world, shrunk to two shallow pools in the paddy fields near Arit village, known to the local people only as Kali Khet and Gauri Khet, the black field and the white field. Then, around the year 1515, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Braj searching for Aritagram, for the scriptures placed the kunds there and recognising the two pools at once as Radha Kund and Shyam Kund, he bathed in them in a rapture of divine love and marked his body with their sacred clay.

Later, on the instruction of Sanatana Goswami, the great renunciant Raghunath Das Goswami came to live at Radha Kund, performing his intense bhajan on its bank, chanting the holy names and offering thousands of obeisances each day. At that time the kunds were only tiny ponds. It is told that a wealthy merchant, on pilgrimage to Badrinath, was told by Lord Badri-Narayan in a dream to give his wealth instead to Raghunath Das Goswami at Arit, to restore Radha Kund; and so the kunds were excavated and given their stone ghats. Five old trees on the bank of Shyam Kund are said to be the five Pandavas. To this day the bank of the kunds holds the bhajan kutirs and samadhis of Raghunath Das Goswami and other Gaudiya saints, whose spirit of devotion you can also feel at the Radha Damodar temple of the Goswamis in Vrindavan.

The sacred bath and Bahulashtami

Pilgrims who come to Radha Kund bathe in a reverential mood, first in Radha Kund, then in Shyam Kund and then again in Radha Kund, praying for the pure love of Radha and Krishna. Radha Kund is, moreover, the one holy place in all of Braj where an auspicious bath is taken at midnight; this midnight snan is kept above all on Bahulashtami, also called Ahoi Ashtami, in the month of Kartik, which is honoured as the appearance day of Radha Kund. On that night the water of the kund is felt to be the very liquid love of Radharani and countless pilgrims gather for the bath. It is a night of extraordinary devotion and the greatest of the year at Radha Kund.

What to see at Radha Kund

Radha Kund is a place to walk slowly and feel, a small town wrapped around two holy ponds. On a visit you will find:

• The two kunds and their ghats: Radha Kund and Shyam Kund side by side, ringed by old stone steps and shrines.

• The bhajan kutirs and samadhis: the resting places and bhajan seats of Raghunath Das Goswami and other Gaudiya saints.

• Kundeshwar Mahadev: the Shiva temple that guards the kunds.

• The five Pandava trees: the old trees on the bank of Shyam Kund, held to be the five Pandavas.

• The temples of the town: the many small temples and the devotional life of the sacred town of Arit.

It is a place of quiet, intense devotion rather than grand spectacle and it rewards a slow, respectful visit.

Timings and darshan

The kund area and its temples are generally open through the day, about 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM and there is no entry fee. Bathing is done throughout the day, while the special midnight bath belongs to Bahulashtami. The table gives the general pattern.

Radha Kund, Uttar Pradesh timings. Approximate; verify on the day.

How to reach Radha Kund

Radha Kund lies in Arit village near Govardhan, about 26 km from Mathura and about 25 km from Vrindavan, roughly an hour by road, on the Govardhan parikrama a few km northeast of the hill. A private car is much the easiest way, taking you to Radha Kund via Govardhan. Those doing the Govardhan parikrama on foot pass through Radha Kund on the route. The table sets out the ways.

Ways to reach Radha Kund. A private car via Govardhan is the easiest.

The nearest railhead is Mathura Junction, about 26 km away and the nearest major airport is Delhi, with Agra closer for some. Our Mathura Vrindavan Gokul Barsana map shows how Radha Kund and Govardhan sit within Braj.

Radha Kund and nearby

Radha Kund lies in the holiest cluster of the Govardhan parikrama, so it joins easily with the rest. The beautiful Kusum Sarovar is about two km away, Govind Kund, where Indra bathed Krishna, is close to the parikrama and the great lake of Mansi Ganga lies at Govardhan town. The table gives the short distances.

Distances from Radha Kund to nearby places. Approximate; verify on the day.

You will find these and the rest of the Govardhan sites 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 Radha Kund, pleasant for the road and the parikrama. Its supreme day is Bahulashtami, the appearance day of the kund, in the month of Kartik, usually in October or November, when the midnight bath draws great crowds of devotion; the whole of Kartik is a specially holy season here. 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

• Bathe reverently, first in Radha Kund, then Shyam Kund, then Radha Kund again.

• If you bathe, bring a change of clothes and dress modestly at the ghats.

• For Bahulashtami and the midnight bath, expect large crowds and plan ahead.

• Do not use soap or pollute the kund; its water is held sacred.

• Pair Radha Kund with Kusum Sarovar and the Govardhan parikrama.

The honest bit

Honest words on Radha Kund, from one born in Braj. This is a place of deep, quiet devotion, not a grand tourist temple and its greatness is felt rather than seen; come with reverence and it will give you much. Darshan and the kunds are free and there is no ticket or VIP pass. Please treat the water as sacred, using no soap and leaving no litter and bathe modestly by local custom. It sits out near Govardhan, so a car that waits saves you the local fares and carries you round the parikrama sites. If you wish to stay near the Govardhan area, see our Mathura Vrindavan hotels and our guide on where to stay in Vrindavan. Come with an open heart, take the sacred bath with faith and you will carry away the true blessing of Radha Kund.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul in the Mathura district and the Govardhan parikrama and Radha Kund 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 Radha Kund is the door to door car and the fair fare set in advance, the kund placed in the right order with Govardhan and Kusum Sarovar, the deep story of the kunds and the Goswamis told on the ground and honest guidance without touts or pressure. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.

Tip from Gurudutt: come to Radha Kund in the early morning, before the day warms and the crowds gather and walk slowly around both kunds, taking in the ghats, the bhajan kutirs and the samadhis of the saints. If your heart calls you, take the reverential bath, first in Radha Kund, then Shyam Kund, then Radha Kund again and sit a while in the stillness. If you can, plan a visit for Bahulashtami and the midnight bath, the holiest night of the year here. Held with reverence, this humble pair of ponds gives you the very summit of Braj. It is the darshan, the saint's prize above all.

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Plan your visit to Radha Kund

Tell me your dates and your group and I will build your visit to Radha Kund into your Govardhan and Braj trip, the kunds in the right order with the parikrama and Kusum Sarovar, 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 the Govardhan side of Braj and you can browse all our Mathura Vrindavan Tour Packages. 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.