Shri Malook Peeth, Vrindavan: The Seat of Sant Malook Das, History, Timings and Complete Guide

Key takeaways

• Shri Malook Peeth is in old Vrindavan at Vamsi Vat, opposite Gopeshwar Mandir, on the Parikrama Marg.

• It is the seat of the Bhakti poet-saint Sant Malook Das, once called the Malook Das Ji Akhara.

• Malook Das is famed for the doha Ajgar kare na chakri, on faith in God's providence.

• It is now led by Jagadguru Dwaracharya Swami Shri Rajendra Das Ji Maharaj.

• The Peeth runs Thakur and saint seva, katha, a Gurukul, a music school and great gau-seva.

• It is a living seva ashram, open through the day and free to visit.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018, more than 50,000 of them. Among the old lanes of Vrindavan, by the Yamuna at Vamsi Vat and opposite the ancient Gopeshwar Mandir, stands a seat of deep devotion that many pilgrims wish to see: Shri Malook Peeth. It is the very ground where the beloved saint Malook Das lived and sang and it lives on today as a great centre of seva, of service to God, to saints, to the poor and to the cow. Here is everything for your visit, told by someone from this soil: who Sant Malook Das was, his message, the Peeth and its work, its Gurudev 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.

Who was Sant Malook Das

Sant Malook Das was one of the great devotional poet-saints of the Bhakti movement, born in the year 1574 at Kara, near Prayagraj and he lived a long life through the reigns of Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. He belonged to the Ramanandi tradition and like Kabir and Guru Nanak before him, he sang of the love and oneness of God, of tolerance, equality and devotion that rise above every barrier of caste and creed. He worshipped the Lord both as the formless One and as Ram and Krishna and his verses of pure faith are loved across north India to this day. So great was his stature that even the emperor Aurangzeb is said to have honoured him, granting villages to the saint and his disciples.

Ajgar kare na chakri: the saint's message of faith

The most famous words of Malook Das are a single doha that nearly every household in the region knows: Ajgar kare na chakri, panchhi kare na kaam, Das Maluka kah gaye, sabke data Ram. In plain words, the python does no job and the bird does no labour, yet, says Das Maluka, Ram is the provider of all. Some have wrongly taken it as an excuse for idleness, but its true meaning is the highest surrender: that the same God who feeds the creatures of the wild will provide for the devotee who trusts in him and so one should live and serve without fear or greed. In another verse he says that he needs no rosary and no chant upon the tongue, for the Lord himself does his remembering and in that he has found his rest. This is the spirit of Malook Peeth: faith, surrender and love.

The Malook Peeth: the akhara of the saints

The Peeth stands in the Vamsi Vat mohalla of Vrindavan, on the bank of the Yamuna, at the place once known as the Sri Malook Das Ji Akhara. Here, in the saint's day, Malook Das lived with some two thousand five hundred saints, who gave their lives to the service of the Thakur, the service of the sadhus and the learning of sacred music and bhajan. It grew into a great and living organisation of Sanatan Dharma and to this day it keeps that same spirit of seva. It stands close to the Vamsi Vat and directly opposite the Gopeshwar Mahadev temple, in the heart of the old town.

Sri Gurudev: Jagadguru Rajendra Das Ji Maharaj

The Peeth is led today by the Malook Peethadheeshwar, Jagadguru Dwaracharya Swami Shri Rajendra Das Ji Maharaj, a renowned katha-vachak whose discourses on the Bhagavat and the Ramayana are heard by great gatherings across India. Under his guidance the Peeth carries on the service of the Thakur and of the saints, a Gurukul where students learn the scriptures, food and medical care for the poor, devotees and sadhus and an institution where the young learn the harmonium, the tabla and the art of devotional singing. There is also the Sri Bhagwan Naam Bank, the Ram Naam Bank, where devotees write and offer the holy name of God.

Gau seva: the gaushalas and Jadkhor Godham

At the heart of Peeth's work is the service and protection of the cow, which Gurudev commends in his every katha. The Malook Peeth Gaushala, about a km from the Peeth on the Chaar Sampradaya Ashram road, tends many Indian Vedic cows, whose milk and ghee become the offering to the Thakur and the prasad of the saints. Beyond it, Rajendra Das Ji Maharaj has established the great Jadkhor Godham, the Shri Brij Kamad Surabhi Van, in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, at the very place where, in the tradition, Krishna with Balaram and the cowherd boys grazed the cows and where Krishna took his oath upon the stones never to leave Braj, a land bound for ever to Giriraj Govardhan and the pastimes of the herds. More than nine thousand cows, most of them old or rescued from the butcher, are cared for there in safety, with plans for a cow hospital.

What to see and do at the Peeth

Shri Malook Peeth is a living seva ashram rather than a museum and a visit is as much about feeling its spirit as seeing its shrines. Here you will find:

• The Peeth temple: the shrine of the Thakur, where the daily seva and worship are offered.

• The Khaak Chowk temple: a temple within the Peeth's tradition, dear to its devotees.

• The Ram Naam Bank: the Sri Bhagwan Naam Bank, where the written holy name is gathered and offered.

• Katha and satsang: the discourses and devotional gatherings held under Gurudev's guidance.

• The gaushala: the Peeth's cow sanctuary, where pilgrims may take part in gau-seva.

To sit in a katha or lend a hand in the seva here is to touch the living heart of the tradition of Malook Das.

Timings and darshan

The Peeth is a living ashram and may be visited through the day and there is no entry fee. The kathas, satsangs and special programmes follow the Gurudev's schedule, so it is worth checking ahead for these. The table gives the general pattern.

Shri Malook Peeth timings. Approximate; reconfirm on the day.

How to reach Shri Malook Peeth

Shri Malook Peeth stands in old Vrindavan at Vamsi Vat, opposite the Gopeshwar Mandir, on the Parikrama Marg near the Yamuna, about 12 to 15 km from Mathura, roughly forty minutes by road. A private car with a guide is the easiest way, taking you to the old-town edge, from where the last stretch through the lanes is a short walk, as cars cannot enter the innermost gullies. Autos and e-rickshaws run from across Vrindavan to the Vamsi Vat area; agree the fare before you sit. The table sets out the ways.

Ways to reach Shri Malook Peeth. A private car with a short walk is the easiest.

The nearest railhead is Mathura Junction, about 12 to 15 km away and the nearest major airport is Delhi, with Agra closer for some. Our Mathura Vrindavan Gokul Barsana map shows how the old town sits within Braj.

Shri Malook Peeth and nearby

Standing in the old town by the Yamuna, the Peeth is ringed by Vrindavan's most loved places, all within an easy walk or short ride. The beautiful Kesi Ghat with its Yamuna aarti is close, the mystical grove of Nidhivan and Seva Kunj is nearby and the beloved Banke Bihari temple is a short way into the lanes. The table gives the short distances.

Distances from Shri Malook Peeth to nearby places. Approximate; verify on the day.

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

When to visit and events

The cool months of October to March are pleasant for old Vrindavan, easy for walking through the lanes and of the day the morning and the evening and the times of katha and satsang, are the sweetest. The Peeth keeps the Ekadashis, such as Nirjala Ekadashi and the great festivals of Vrindavan with devotion and Gurudev's katha programmes are held through the year; it is worth timing a visit to one. You will find the Braj 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 at the time of a katha or satsang if you can, to feel the Peeth at its fullest.

• Wear modest, respectful clothing and footwear you can slip off easily.

• Take part in the gau-seva or sant-seva if you wish; it is warmly welcomed.

• Keep the decorum of a living ashram and ask before photographing.

• Pair it with Gopeshwar Mahadev, Vamsi Vat and Kesi Ghat for a full old-town round.

The honest bit

Honest words on Shri Malook Peeth, from one born in Braj. This is a working seva ashram, not a ticketed monument, so come in a spirit of devotion and service and, if you are able, give a little back to the gau-seva or sant-seva. Darshan is free and there is no VIP pass; any donation is your own choice and goes to the seva. The Peeth sits deep in the old-town lanes, so a car brings you only to the edge and the last stretch is walked; wear easy footwear and go gently. If you wish to stay near the old town, see our Mathura Vrindavan hotels and our guide on where to stay in Vrindavan. Come with an open heart, sit a while in the spirit of Malook Das and you will carry away something of his faith.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul in the Mathura district and the lanes of old Vrindavan are my own 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 a visit to Shri Malook Peeth is the car to the right edge of the old town and the short walk shown, the Peeth placed in the right order with Gopeshwar Mahadev, Vamsi Vat and Kesi Ghat, the story of Sant Malook Das and his faith 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 Shri Malook Peeth in an unhurried mood and if a katha of Gurudev is on, sit and listen a while, for that is when the Peeth truly breathes. Take darshan of the Thakur, spend a little time in the gau-seva and let the doha of Malook Das settle in your heart, that the Lord is the provider of all. Then step across to Gopeshwar Mahadev and out to Kesi Ghat for the Yamuna. Taken slowly, this quiet seat of a great saint gives you the very soul of old Vrindavan. It is a darshan I hold especially dear.

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Plan your visit to Shri Malook Peeth

Tell me your dates and your group and I will build your visit to Shri Malook Peeth into your Vrindavan and Braj trip, the Peeth in the right order with the old-town temples and ghats and, if you wish, timed to a katha, with a car and a guide born on this soil, for one clear price. Our three day Mathura Vrindavan pilgrimage tour takes in the old town and the wider 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.