Banke Bihari Temple

Considered to be one of the holiest towns in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Vrindavan houses a beautiful temple that is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Shri Bankey Bihari Mandir, established by Swami Haridas, a guru of the famous singer, Tansen shelters the image of Lord Krishna in the "Tribhanga" posture. This temple was constructed in 1864 and worships Lord Krishna in the form of a child or more accurately called "Nand Gopal". Situated in close proximity to the Radhavallabh temple, Banke Bihari temple constitutes one among the 7 temples of Thakur of Vrindavan. Banke translates into "bent in three places" and Bihari means "Supreme Enjoyer" and therefore the image of Lord Krishna is seen to be bent in three places.

The prominent saint and musician, Haridas Swamiji, not only nurtured great talents such as Tansen but was also considered to be the reincarnation of Lalit 'Sakhi' or female friend of Lord Krishna. Originally worshipped under the name of Kunj-Bihari, the image of Bihariji installed in the Shri Banke Bihari Mandir is considered to be one granted to Swami Haridas by the celestial couple Shyama-Shyam themselves. It is said that the Lord appeared in person with his divine consort and left back a black charming image before disappearing after submitting to the desires of the devotees.

The Seva of the Bihariji is unique in its own way. It is performed in three parts every day ie Shringar, Rajbhog and Shayan. The first part, Shringar (which includes bath, dressing and adornment with jewellery like crown and necklaces) takes place during the morning, Rajbhog(feast) is offered in the forenoon and the Shayan Seva (Shayan means sleep) occurs in the evening.