One of the most popular temples in the country, the Bankey Bihari Temple, Vrindavan is located in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. Dedicated to Lord Krishna, devotees come here to worship the combined form of Radha and Krishna. The name of the temple is derived from Banke and Bihari. While Banke means bent, Bihari refers to Vihar meaning one who benefits. Significantly, in this temple, the united form of Radha Krishna comes in the form of Tribhanga.
It can be noted that Tribhanga is a posture that shows a standing body that is used in the traditional art of India and classical dance forms have been installed in the temple. The temple also reflects Swami Haridas devotion to Radhe-Krishna. It is believed that the temple was built by him.
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He was also the guru of the famous singer Tansen. According to the story, once his disciples asked him to sing a verse in Vrindavan. After listening to his verses, Radha-Krishna appeared before him and his followers.
However, they could not bear the charm of the divine couple and asked them to take the unified form. Accepting their request, the divine couple merged into the single idol of Banke Bihari, the one that is venerated at the temple.
Previously, the deity was worshiped in Nidhivan. After the temple was built in Vrindavan in 1862, the idol was moved there. The architecture of the temple is considered to be influenced by the heritage of Rajasthan.
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The Mangla aarti is performed annually at the temple on the occasion of Janmashtami. It is done at 3 am on the auspicious day. Following this, bhog is served at 5 a.m. and darshan ends at 6 a.m. after another aarti.
While devotees can visit the temple on any day, the ideal time for devotees visiting the temple from remote locations will be from February to April and October to December as the weather in Mathura will remain relatively cooler. The city also witnesses huge rushes during Janmashtami every year.
