Sankari Khor: The Narrow Pass of the Dana Leela

Sankari Khor is a very narrow passage between two hills at Barsana. In the tradition Krishna and his cowherd boys, playing at being toll-collectors, would block it and demand butter, yogurt and ghee from Radha and the gopis, the loved dana-leela.

Sankari Khor lies among the hills of Barsana, at the junction of the hills the tradition names for Brahma and Vishnu, on the Barsana parikrama. Distances are approximate.

Sankari means narrow and khor means a lane, so Sankari Khor is the narrow lane, a tight passage between two hills at Barsana, named for its very narrowness.

Sankari Khor is famous as the narrow pass where, in the tradition, Krishna and the cowherd boys stopped Radha and the gopis to demand a playful toll, the dana-leela, one of the most charming pastimes of the love-country.

The dana-leela is the toll-pastime: in the tradition Krishna and his boys, dressed as toll-collectors, blocked the narrow pass and demanded a tax of butter, yogurt and ghee from Radha and the gopis, in a laughing, teasing exchange.

In the tradition Radha and the gopis carrying their pots of butter, yogurt and ghee had to pass through this narrow defile and Krishna and his boys, as playful toll-collectors, blocked the way with their sticks and demanded their dana or toll.

Because Sankari Khor is so narrow that the gopis could not slip past, the dana-leela could be played out in full there, the toll demanded and the teasing exchanged, which is why the tradition treasures this exact spot.

Yes, as one of the most-loved and atmospheric spots on the Barsana parikrama, the very scene of the dana-leela, it rewards the pilgrim. Experience My India brings the story alive in the pass itself.

The Dan Bihari Mandir, near Sankari Khor, honours Krishna as Dan Bihari, the playful demander of the dana or toll in the leela of the narrow pass. It is part of the same loved pastime.

Yes, Sankari Khor lies on the Barsana parikrama, among the hills below the Radha Rani temple and Maan Mandir, a natural and beloved stop on the circuit. Experience My India sequences it.

In the tradition Radha and the gopis would carry pots of butter and yogurt through Sankari Khor and Krishna with his boys, as toll-collectors, blocked the way and demanded a tax, the sweets or a teasing forfeit, in a laughing, sparring exchange the gopis matched.

Beyond the play, saints read the dana-leela as the Lord lovingly claiming what is his, the heart's devotion, the cream of the soul, from those who would carry it past him: a sweet teaching wrapped in a teasing game.

Dan Bihari is Krishna in his playful role as the demander of the dana, the toll, in the leela of Sankari Khor. The nearby Dan Bihari Mandir honours him in that loved, teasing pastime.

In the tradition Krishna and his cowherd boys dressed as toll-collectors at Sankari Khor as a playful pretext to stop Radha and the gopis in the narrow pass and demand a tax of their butter and yogurt, all part of the teasing love-play.

In the tradition the hills of Barsana are held to be formed of Brahma, who did penance to witness the pastimes of Radha and Krishna and Sankari Khor lies at a junction the tradition names for Brahma and Vishnu, so the very hills are witnesses to the leela.

The tradition holds Sankari Khor to be very ancient, a witness to the pastimes of Radha and Krishna. We leave its precise age as the tradition gives it, without fixing a number of years.

In the tradition the gopis carried their pots of butter, yogurt and ghee through the pass on their way to sell or deliver them and it was this that gave Krishna and his boys the chance to demand their playful toll there.

Sankari Khor is one of the great leela-spots of Barsana, the home of Radha, set among the hills below her temple, where the teasing love-play of the dana-leela was enacted in the narrow pass. It is part of the living love-story of the town.

Sankari Khor is an open passage on the Barsana parikrama, accessible through the day; any nearby shrine keeps its own hours. Reconfirm on the day. Mornings are calmest.

October to March for pleasant weather. The Holi season, when Barsana's love-story is celebrated, is the most vivid time, though busiest. Summers are very hot.

No, Sankari Khor is mostly free, an open passage on the Barsana parikrama, with voluntary donations at nearby shrines.

Allow about 20 to 30 minutes to pass through and hear the dana-leela, more as part of the wider Barsana parikrama. Experience My India sequences it with the Barsana sites.

It can be, being narrow and much-loved, so you may wait for a group passing through and it is busiest in the Holi season. Mornings are calmer.

It is a genuinely narrow rock passage, so wear good shoes and take care, especially after rain. With care it is manageable for most. Experience My India advises on the approach.

With care, as the pass is narrow and the rock uneven; some elderly pilgrims prefer to view it rather than pass through. Experience My India advises and assists on the Barsana parikrama.

A guide adds much, telling the dana-leela in the pass itself, where it comes alive and managing the narrow approach. Experience My India provides Braj-born guides.

Sankari Khor lies among the hills of Barsana, on the parikrama below the Radha Rani temple, reached on foot on the circuit. Experience My India arranges transport to Barsana and a guide for the parikrama.

Sankari Khor is nearby on the Barsana parikrama, among the hills below the Radha Rani temple and Maan Mandir, a short walk on the circuit. Distances are approximate; Experience My India sequences it.

Sankari Khor, at Barsana, is about 42 to 45 km from Mathura, roughly a 90 minute drive. Distances are approximate; Experience My India arranges the route.

The nearest major railhead is Mathura Junction, about 45 km away. From there, taxis reach Barsana. Experience My India arranges the transfer.

You reach Barsana by car, then Sankari Khor on foot on the parikrama among the hills. Experience My India handles the drive and guides the walk.

Yes, Sankari Khor is a beloved part of the Barsana parikrama, visited with the Radha Rani temple, Maan Mandir, Pili Pokhar and the other hill-sites. Experience My India sequences them.

Yes, Sankari Khor at Barsana pairs with Prem Sarovar and, along the belt, Sanket and Nandgaon, for the full love-country day. Experience My India sequences them.

Yes, Sankari Khor and the Barsana-Nandgaon belt fit a one-day trip from Delhi, about 3 hours each way. Experience My India plans the day.

We guide you through the narrow pass safely, tell the dana-leela right where it happened, take you to the Dan Bihari Mandir and fold it into the Barsana parikrama. Our guides are born and raised in Braj.

Yes, the playful dana-leela, of Krishna teasingly blocking the gopis for a toll, is a delight for families and children love the narrow pass. Experience My India tells it simply and watches the footing for all ages.

That this single narrow pass was the stage of the dana-leela, where Krishna and the boys stopped Radha and the gopis for a playful toll, makes Sankari Khor special, one of the most charming leela-spots of Barsana.

Yes, in the Holi season Barsana's whole love-story, including the teasing of the dana-leela, comes alive, making Sankari Khor especially vivid then, though busiest. Experience My India can time your visit.

Yes, Sankari Khor is one of the most-loved stops on the Barsana parikrama, among the hills below the Radha Rani temple. Experience My India sequences the full circuit.

Near Sankari Khor are the Radha Rani temple, Maan Mandir and Pili Pokhar at Barsana, with Prem Sarovar and Sanket out toward Nandgaon. Experience My India sequences them.

In the tradition Krishna and his cowherd boys stopped Radha and the gopis for a playful toll at Sankari Khor, the narrow pass at Barsana, demanding butter and yogurt from their pots, the dana-leela.

The dana-leela is the toll-pastime of Braj: at the narrow pass of Sankari Khor at Barsana, Krishna and his boys, as playful toll-collectors, demanded a tax of butter and yogurt from Radha and the gopis.

Sankari Khor is the very narrow pass at Barsana, between two hills, where in the tradition the dana-leela was played, Krishna stopping Radha and the gopis for a teasing toll. Its name means the narrow lane.

Sankari Khor means the narrow lane, from sankari, narrow and khor, a lane, named for the tight passage between two hills at Barsana where the dana-leela was enacted.

October to March for pleasant weather. The Holi season, when Barsana's love-story is celebrated, is the most vivid time, though busiest. Summers are very hot.

Pilgrims visit Sankari Khor to walk the narrow pass that was the stage of the dana-leela, where Krishna stopped Radha and the gopis for a playful toll, on the Barsana parikrama.