As I made my way through the bustling streets of Vrindavan, the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of incense and the sound of temple bells. As I navigated my way through the labyrinthine alleys, my eyes caught sight of a magnificent structure, nestled in the heart of the city – Sri Radha Damodar Mandir. As I approached the entrance of the temple, I could feel a sense of peace and tranquility enveloping me. I knew I had to step inside and experience the divine energy that emanated from within. The address of Sri Radha Damodar Mandir was etched in my memory, and I knew I would never forget the awe-inspiring beauty of this sacred place.
In 1542, Srila Jiva Goswami established the Deities of Sri Sri Radha Damodar in the sacred town of Vrindavan. These Deities were gifted to Srila Jiva Goswami by his guru and uncle, Srila Rupa Goswami, and have been revered and worshiped at the temple ever since. The temple premises also house the bhajan kutir (a secluded meditation hut) and samadhi (tomb) of Srila Rupa Goswami, as well as the samadhis of Srila Jiva Goswami, Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami, Bhugarbha Goswami, and the bhajan kutir of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. The presiding Deities at the temple include Sri Radha Damodar, worshiped by Srila Jiva Goswami, Sri Radha Vrindavan Chandra, worshiped by Srila Krishna Dasa Kaviraja Goswami, Sri Radha Madhava, worshiped by Srila Jayadeva Goswami, Sri Radha Chailchikan, worshiped by Srila Bhugarbha Goswami, and Govardhan Sila, worshiped by Srila Sanatana Goswami.
A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada resided at the Radha Damodar temple for several years before embarking on his mission to spread the teachings of Krishna consciousness in the United States. Today, the room where Srila Prabhupada stayed has been renovated and holds immense significance as a holy pilgrimage site for devotees.
History of Radha Damodar Temple
In 1516, a year after Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s visit to Vrindavana-dhama, Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Sanatana Goswami arrived in the holy land upon the Lord’s instructions to reveal the various pastime places of Lord Krishna. They traversed the entire Vraja region and lived a simple and devoted life, immersed in their profound love for the Divine Couple. At that time, Vrindavana did not have any temples; it was covered in dense forests. The Goswamis would reside under trees, thorn bushes, or in vacant crocodile-holes. They spent brief periods of time performing devotional practices (bhajana) in places such as Ter Kadamba, Barsana, Radha-kunda, and the Radha Damodar temple area. Some years later, their young nephew, Sri Jiva, joined them. He received initiation (diksha) from Srila Rupa Goswami and dedicated himself to serving his beloved guru.
Sri Rupa Goswami, known for his expertise in deity worship, obtained a piece of black marble from the Vindya Mountains in 1542. In the auspicious month of Damodar (Karttika), he personally carved, installed, and offered a Deity of Lord Damodar to his dear disciple Srila Jiva Goswami. Srila Jiva Goswami purchased land at Seva-kunja, in Vrindavan, for thirty rupees to establish a place for worshiping his beloved Lord. After the disappearance of Srila Rupa and Srila Sanatana Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami became the head of the Gaudiya Sampradaya (disciplic lineage) and the Radha Damodar Temple gained renown as a center of knowledge due to its extensive library of rare books and manuscripts authored by the Goswamis. After Sri Jiva’s passing in 1596, he entrusted his Deities and library to his successor Sri Krishna Dasa, who was the head pujari at that time. The current sevaites (who serve at the temple) are the direct descendants of Sri Krishna Dasa and have inherited the responsibility of taking care of the Deities and library. This lineage has been maintained over the years, and the present sevaites continue to honor the traditions and customs established by their forefathers.
Deity of Radha Damodar
According to the Goswamis, they have been fortunate enough to witness the divine sight of Radha Govinda deva, Madan Mohan, and Gopinath united in the form of Radha Damodar. It is said that the physical features of Radha Damodar reflect those of the three individual deities, with the feet resembling Madan Mohan, the face resembling Govinda dev, and the torso resembling Gopinath.
During the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, there was an attack on Vrindavan and as a result, the deities of Radha Damodar ji had to be shifted to Jaipur for safety reasons. However, they were eventually brought back to Vrindavan when the situation improved. When the deities returned to Vrindavan, a counterpart of the original deity, known as the pratibhu, was installed in Jaipur. This is a common practice in the worship of Hindu deities, where a replica of the original deity is made to allow devotees to continue to worship the deity even when the original is not present. The power and potency of the Original Deity and the Pratibhu (replica) deities are considered to be identical.
In Radha Damodar Mandir, the magnificent deities of Sri Radha Rani and Lalita Sakhi are positioned on the left and right side of Sri Damodar, respectively. This divine arrangement has an enthralling story that has been meticulously recorded by the ancestors of Sri Nirmal Chandra Gosvami.
The legend goes that in Bengal, a fisherman once found two deities instead of fish while he was out on his fishing expedition. These deities were then presented to the king, who had a dream that same night. In his dream, he received divine instructions to send the deities to Srila Jiva Goswami at Sri Dham Vrindavan. The king followed the instructions and presented the deities to Srila Jiva Goswami, who was ecstatic to receive them. However, he was perplexed as he was unable to differentiate between the two deities.
That very night, Sri Radha Rani appeared in Srila Jiva Goswami’s dream and revealed the identity of the deities. The next day, Srila Jiva Goswami placed Sri Radha Rani on the left and Lalita Sakhi on the right of Sri Damodar, and began to serve them with utmost devotion. The history of these beautiful deities has been carefully preserved and passed down through generations, and now continues to inspire and captivate the hearts of devotees.
Govardhan Sila gifted by Krishna to Sanatana Goswami
Sripad Sanatana Goswami, elder brother of Rupa Goswami, resided in Vrindavan close to Sri Radha Madan mohan temple. As a daily practice, he undertook a Parikrama to Govardhan hill from Vrindavan. Despite advancing age, he continued to perform this ritual with unwavering devotion. Observing this, Lord Krishna himself appeared before him and expressed his pleasure with Sripad Sanatana Goswami’s devotion. The Lord instructed him to remain in Vrindavan and serve Radha Krishna instead of embarking on the arduous journey to Govardhan hill. However, Sripad Sanatana Goswami expressed his profound sorrow at the thought of missing out on the experience of the Govardhan Parikrama. To alleviate his grief, Lord Krishna gifted him a Govardhan Sila that bore His Foot Print, Flute, Stick, and cows’ footprints. The Lord instructed Sripad Sanatana Goswami to perform four Parikramas of the Sila, each time paying homage to one of the four signs, to obtain the complete benefits of a Govardhan Parikrama. The Sila has been venerated in the Radha Damodar temple ever since, attracting numerous devotees who undertake Parikrama every day.
What to See
#1 Sri Radha Damodar, worshiped by Srila Jiva Goswami, Sri Radha Vrindavan Chandra, worshiped by Srila Krishna Dasa Kaviraja Goswami, Sri Radha Madhava, worshiped by Srila Jayadeva Goswami, and Sri Radha Chailchikan, worshiped by Srila Bhugarbha Goswami.
#2 Samadhi of Jiva Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami and Pushpa samadhi of other vaishnava saints.
#3 Giriraj Govardhan Sila that Sanatana Goswami used to circumambulate
#4 Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s room
How to Reach
Radha Damodar temple is located in Loi Bazar, near Seva Kunj Gali, and the address reads Vrindavan – 281121, District – Mathura, UP, India. The beauty of the temple is overwhelming, and one cannot help but stop to take it all in.