Bhagwan Shri Krishna (Continued)

Shri Krishna Temples 

The beautiful ancient temple at Dwarka is considered to be one of the four most holy pilgrimage sites of India the other three being Badrinath, Puri and Rameshwaram Lord Krishna is worshipped here as ‘Dwarkadheesh’ (king of Dwarka) and this temple is predated by the original temple which was said to be built in the same place as where King Krishna lived. Archaeological studies have discovered the artefacts giving clues to the magnificent Dwarka Kingdom where years ago Sri Krishna ruled and which submerged in the ocean afterwards. The main deity made of black stone depicts Krishna carry the Sudarshan Chakra, a conch, a mace and a lotus in his four arms.

The Krishna temple at Guruvayur in Kerala is the most popular in south India where some ‘tantrik’ forms of worship are also followed to please the deity. This is known as the ‘Dwarka of Dakshin’. The temple in Udipi, Karnataka is known as ‘Krishna Math’ where Krishna is said to answer the prayers of all pious devotees regardless of their identity. In Tamil Nadu, the Rajagopalaswamy temple celebrates its annual fair and festivities known as ‘Panguni Thiruvizha’ also dedicated to Sri Krishna.

Krishna grew up in Vrindavan near Mathura and hence a host of beautiful temples are in this region. The Madan Mohan/Madan Gopala temple is situated on the banks of the Yamuna River is one of the four said to be built during the reign of King Akbar. The Bankey Bihari Temple is said to have been built by Swami Haridas referring to Krishna as ‘Van ke Vihari’. The ‘Prem Mandir’ also provides information about ‘Sanatan Dharma’ for devotees. The ancient Radha Raman temple is known for the beautifully carved architecture and self manifested deity, the Govinda Dev Temple for its seven-story structure, with an altar of marble, silver and gold. The Jugal Kishore temple, Gokulananda Mandir, Radha Damodara temple and the Krishna Balaram Mandir by ISKCON are all worth a visit to name but a few.

The Hare Krishna ISKCON movement based on the Bhakti Marg promoted by ‘Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’ promotes the teachings in the ‘Bhagwad Gita’ by Sri Krishna addressed to Arjuna during the Mahabharata war in Kurukshetra. This organization founded by ‘Srila Prabhupada’ is internationally renowned and has contributed enormously to the growth of Krishna consciousness all over the world.