Shri Banke Bihari Ji Temple is amongst the most sacred and famous temple of Lord Krishna in Vrindavan. It was established in 1864 by Swami Haridas who was a great devotee of Lord Krishna. Prior to the construction of this temple, the mesmerizing idol of the supreme power was worshiped in Nidhivan. Lord Krishna in this idol is standing in tribhanga position, this is the reason the Deity is called Banke Bihari as Banke means bent from the three angles and Bihari means the supreme enjoyer. The idol of Goddess Radha Rani was set up afterward and till date, the divine couple is always seen together in the temple.

“Yashomati maiya se bole nand lala radha kyun gori main kyun kala.” Brij ki Holi is believed to have emerged from this very thought of Lord Krishna when he asked his mother Yashoda that why is he having the dark complexion and why his beloved Radha is having the fair complexion. After which, Shyam Sundar Kanha along with his friends from Nandgaon headed straight to Barsana to color Radhika in his own color. Goddess Radha along with other Gopis in response to the abeer and gulal chased away Nandagopala and his friends beating them playfully with long bamboo sticks. Let BrijDarshan have the esteem opportunity to help you seek the blessings of Shri Banke Bihari Ji.

Lalita Sakhi in Dwaparyug who was the friend of the inner consortium of Dwarikadhish Krishna reincarnated as Swami Haridas. He was also the guru of the famous musician of Mughal period, Tansen. It is believed that when on request of his disciples, Swami Haridas sang the song devoting to Shri Radha Krishna, the Holy couple graced the Saint and his followers with their presence. The beauty of the Lord and his beloved was such that everybody was left spellbound by their charm. The divine aura created at that time was of a kind that normal mortals cannot handle the celestial blessings. Swami Ji wanted all the devotees of Lord Krishna to experience the hallowed presence of the Almighty and wanted his lord to always be in front of his eyes. Thus, Swami Haridas requested Shri Radha Krishna to take the shape of a figure which combines both of them like cloud and lightning and which the mortals of earth can bear. Kind Lord Krishna and his divine consort acknowledged his request and united into a single black idol which embellishes the Shri Banke Bihari Ji temple today. Though the Almighty took the physical form of a statue but a single gaze of Thakur Ji’s idol can leave you captivated with its charm. It is deemed that if anyone gapes into the eyes of Shri Banke Bihari Ji, he/she can lose self-consciousness. This is the reason that during darshan in this temple curtains are shut open and closed continuously. Swami Haridas gave the opportunity of caring and worshipping Shri Banke Bihari Ji to Goswami Jagannath who was the chief disciple of Swami Ji and his younger brother too. Till present day, the sewa of Lord Krishna is carried by the Descendants of Jagannath Goswami.

God Krishna is pampered and worshipped as the child in Shri Banke Bihari Ji temple. The sewa of the deity is done atypical to other temples. The sewa is primarily divided into Shringar, Rajbhog and Shayan. No Mangal sewa is done in this abode of Lord Krishna as Swami Haridas believed that Kanha Ji plays late till night so it is not fair to wake him early. Mangal Seva is only done once a year on the eve of Janmashtami which is celebrated in full swing. Apart from that Janmashtami, Holi and Jhulan Festival are amongst the prime festivals which are celebrated here and worshippers from all around the globe emerge to be the part. Akshay tritya, also has great significance here as this is the time when the peace of viewing the lotus feet of Shri Radha Krishna can be experienced. It is also the day when the God holds his flute. Also in this temple, there are no bells as it has been alleged by the priest that this may disturb the child like Lord. While Aarti also there are not bells just the enchantment of Shri Radha Krishna fills the air and spreads the aura of divinity. Once you enter Shri Banke Bihari Ji Temple you are sure to get beguiled by the cosmos build up here with the presence of the Deity.