"Brajbhumi Driving Tour"

proxyindian

In the DK guide, they suggest taking a Brajbhumi Driving Tour. We're spending three nights at the Hotel Brijwasi Royal in Mathura this coming October (16th-18th). One day will be going about Mathura, the next will be Vrindavan. We thought that the third day would be this tour. It goes to Vrindavan (which we can skip since we'll have had a full day there), Radhakund, Govardhan, Barsana, Nandgaon, and Kosi. This is 300 km (112 miles). I'm assuming that the hotel can line up a driver.

Has anyone gone to these sites as part of a pilgrimage? Have you driven this route? If so, it takes all day, doesn't it? What's you're favorite spot? Anything else you'd like to suggest is welcome.

After a full week in Kolkata, three nights in Varanasi, two in Agra, we thought that this section of the trip would be more relaxing, before heading to Delhi for a week.

Thanks.

atala

You do not need a whole day in Mathura. Depending when you arrive there just visit the Krishna Janma Bhumi, takes about half an hour, and if you are interested in Buddhist sculptures go to the small Mathura museum. It has a few statues of the Buddha that are worth seeing. Mathura was a major center of sculpting from about 500 CE onwards. Spend more time in Vrindavan to visit temples and experience the rural type of quaint old fashioned market atmosphere, around Loi Bazar.

check out this thread

http://www.indiamike.com/india/uttar...ndavan-t50814/

I would not go on a tour to the places you mentioned, because you would be rushed with no time to relax at sites. Take your own car and driver instead, preferably from Vrindavan, because drivers from there know the individual pilgrimage spots from experience.

Here are the typical prices you'd have to pay

http://www.iskconvrindavan.com/main/...s.php#taxisetc

If pilgrimage is what you'd like to experience, you'd probably want to do a Goverdhan parikrama, a walk around Goverdhan Hill. Takes 5-7 hours for the 21 km. Do it early morning till noon. If you did not want to walk you could take a cycle Rickshaw (but not really recommended, take the shortcut if you want to spend less time). There is also a short cut to do a smaller parikrama. On this excellent link you find a map where you see which turns you could take.

http://www.vaisnava.cz/clanek_en.php3?no=186

The same day you visit Goverdhan, you would also want to see Radha Kund which is at one end of the hill.

http://www.vaisnava.cz/clanek_en.php3?no=142

Do Goverdhan and Radhakund on one day, and then a journey to Barsana and Nandgaon on the next day. If you are detail-oriented, Radhakund would take quite some time, because there are many sites to see as it is considered the holiest place in the Vaishnava faith.

About Barsana:
http://www.vaisnava.cz/clanek_en.php3?no=117

You could also skip Nandgaon, and the rest that is proposed by the tour you mentioned.

Remember to buy a walking stick when you visit Vrindavan, to not attract the thieving monkeys trying to steal your camera.

proxyindian

Atala,
Thanks for the good links!!! Very interesting. We'll probably just go to those places you mentioned.... and in just that order too.
Day 1: A little bit of Mathura in the morning (we get there at 8:30 from Agra), then on to Vrindavan for the rest of the day.
On day 2, we'll go to Goverdhan and Radhakund, and, yes, we are very detail oriented! Then we'll go back to Mathura where our hotel is.
On day 3, we'll go back out to Barsana and Nandgaon.
We figure we'll get a bit of Vrindavan and Mathura in on days 2 & 3 simply because we'll be there.

Thanks for the great suggestions! For John, it will be a religious pilgrimage. One of our favorite experiences in Bikaner last year was visiting a temple complex that is across from the chhatris. Vijay, from Vijay's Guest House, took us there and he said no one goes there, not even the locals, so it was nice to be "off the beaten trail" for tourists.

And, yes, I will have a walking sticks for the monkeys. We've seen monkeys jump on a guy, bite another guy's butt, and steal a sweater off lines. When we were in Old Delhi, we saw monkeys going across cables and rooftops where vendors had their vegetables. No one looked at ease while those monkeys were there. I am no fan of monkeys.

atala

One consideration worth mentioning is that if you do the Goverdhan parikrama in the morning, try to be at Radhakund (at the Kund or pond itself) around 11 a.m. since there are some temples there which will close (the altar only) around 12.30 until about 4 p.m., but which your husband would like to see most likely.

Since there are no restaurants at Radhakund, be prepared by bringing something or just buying some fruit locally, most likely just bananas. Same thing for Barsana and Nandgaon. An option would be to ask at a temple whether you could receive their noon prasad (most likely eaten around 1 p.m.), but it is probably difficult to communicate; they might just understand that you want some morsel prasad as is usually given to pilgrims.

There are people there at the Kund (as well as around Goverdhan) who wish that you employ them in your service. They generally just want money. Either you get one and give him a 100 Rupees or so in the end, or you just plain avoid even talking to them. They are just out for the money. In temples around Radhakund, especially in the Samadhi areas, there are genuine devotees there, which contrast much with the aforesaid money-people.

proxyindian

Yes, we're familiar with the people who just want money. They race you to one murti to another, "This is Krishna. This is Shiva. This is Hanuman." We've learned to completely ignore their existance because otherwise they latch on and act as if they're helping you. One guide in a haveli in Jaisalmer (I think) wouldn't let us be... We said we didn't want a guide but he followed us around. The thing is, John might or might not know more than the guide... or at least knows how to communicate it. This guide only pointed at the rooms and said, "Bedroom" or "office" and then tried to get us to move along. But John and I like to Listening to John is like history coming alive. John knows all about the furniture and says, "This is where the man would sit and people would come to do business with him. They'd sit here and wait. And they would smoke this, and there were papers kept in that." Only John is more articulate. But the poor guide! We told him that he would be better off with other tourists but he kept following... Still, we tipped 100 rupees.

Hey, have the monkey's learned to avoid the walking canes? Should I bring mine from the states just to brandish it at the monkeys or are they sold on the streets by touts as much as handkerchiefs and photos from inside the Taj?

atala

These monkeys are sneak thieves which are stealing from you only when you are not watching them. Now you cannot look at them all the time when you walk by since they are on all sides and mainly above you, in Vrindavan. When they see a stick however they will not venture to steal from that person. They spontaneously shy away when they see one, even without it being waved at them. (Only if you carried bananas without a cover they might be tempted to try it anyway, for monkeys are ready to die for a banana. If you ever are attacked while carrying bananas, just leave them to the monkey, or you risk your life. Serious. But most likely you would not notice it anyway, since they are so fast taking what they want.)

Do not bring a cane. It is a headache. Most likely you will forget it somewhere on your trip. You can buy one for Rs 30 (less than a dollar) in General Stores in Vrindavan. Wearing glasses is also a reason to carry a stick. Vrindavan monkeys are experts in stealing your glasses from your nose without you even noticing, except afterwards when you suddenly do not see sharp anymore.

proxyindian

This is great advise! Buy a walking cane as an anti-magnet against monkeys. This is also the first I ever heard of it, actually, and I need my glasses to see more than a yard away.

Atala, we've been looking through the pictures of the Govardhan walk that you refered us to. http://www.vaisnava.cz/clanek_en.php3?no=186 This is a great site.... a step-by-step walk around the hill. Nature, temples, healthy cows, pilgrims, ISKCON, and lots and lots of walking... What a neat way to spend a day! After two weeks of Delhi/Kolkata/Varanasi/Agra it'll be nice to see so much open space.