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Practical Vrindavan Information

Orientation
Vrindavana is a town of about 70,000 people, 14 km from the fairly major city of Mathura. Vrindavan is a maze of small streets and everywhere you walk there are temples. The Govindaji and Ranganatha temples are in the eastern part of town. In the middle of the downtown area is Loi Bazaar, a main shopping bazaar to get devotional items and clothing.
There is a downtown area, which is made up of fairly thin streets with no sidewalks. There are also two main roads coming from the downtown, one going towards Mathura and the other going towards the main Agra-Delhi road. Most of the old temples are located in the main downtown area. There is not much motor vehicle traffic and most people either walk or take a bicycle rickshaw to get around. There is no real main area in town. Vrindavana is a maze of local bazaars (shopping areas) and temples.

There are many fairly large and important temples in Vrindavana. Govindaji temple is at one end of the main downtown area and the Madana-Mohan Temple is at the other.

The Krishna Balarama Mandir (ISKCON temple) is in a peaceful area called Raman Reti, about a 15-minute bicycle rickshaw ride from the main downtown area and Loi Bazaar. Loi Bazaar, the main shopping bazaar to get devotional items, is in the middle of the downtown area. The road in front of the Hare Krishna temple is called Bhaktivedanta Swami Road. It is also referred to by its old name, Chatikara Road.

Tours
There is a Braja Darshan bus tour (Rs 60, 8 am to 6 pm) departing from the Vrindavan bus stand. It goes to Nandagram, Varsana, Govardhan town, Manasi Ganga, and Radha Kund. There is no guide. It is a good, fast, cheap way to go to these places. You can also get this bus in front of the Krishna Balarama Temple.

Temple Timings
Most of the temples dedicated to Krishna are open for darshan of the Deities in the morning between 8 and 12 or 12.30 pm. Then most temples close for the afternoon. They then reopen in the late afternoon from about 4 or 5 pm to 8 or 9 pm. During the day there are usually several aratis a day and food offerings. Often during the food offerings the doors of the altar are closed in a temple. The best time to visit the temples in Vrindavana are in the morning from 9 am to 12 noon and from 6 to 8 pm. Most of the temples will be open at these times.

Often if you visit a temple that is in the middle of no where and is not often visited, the pujari in a temple will allow you to see the Deities in the temple, whatever time you arrive. In other temples the temple timings are very strict. Many Siva temples are open all day for darshan, only closing at night.

Braja Mandala Parikrama
Many different groups organize parikramas of the Braja Mandala area. Ten of thousands of people do this parikrama each year. It is traditional to do this walk in bare feet, although shoes are permitted.

Every year in Kartika (Oct/Nov) ISKCON puts on a Braja Mandala parikrama. It is a one-month walking tour that goes to all 12 forests in Vrindavana. The parikrama visits most of the major places in the Braja area including Mathura, Radha Kunda, Varsana, Nandagram, Gokula, Vrindavana, and Govardhana Hill.

VIHE (Vaishnava Institute for Higher Education)
Twice a year, courses are offered at the ISKCON temple on Krishna conscious subject matters. Usually in January-February and September-October. Courses vary from Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Communications, Editing, Cooking, Demons of Vrindavana and many other subject matters.

For further information contact the VIHE office at the Krishna Balarama Temple in Room No 31 of the Gurukula building. This office is on the first (second US) floor of the Gurukula building, at the top of the stairway, which is by the Gurukula entrance near the street.

Boat Ride on the Yamuna
You can get a boat in Vrindavana beside Kesi Ghata or around Sringara Vata. A boat ride for an hour should cost less than Rs 75. You can go from Vrindavana to Mathura for about Rs 300 to Rs 450. It is a pleasant excursion that takes four to six hours. You get a good view of the skyline of Vrindavana on this boat ride. There are periods during this ride when all you see around you is wilderness and it is totally quiet.

Phone
To call long distance you go to a STD/ISD phone place. They are not phone booths, but small shops. A computer records billing rates for a call. There are STD phones across the street from the ISKCON Temple. Downtown there is a STD phone by the Banke Bihari Temple and several other places.

There are three different billing rates for long distance calls in India. Normal (8 am to 7 pm), half rate (7 pm to 10 pm and 6 am to 8 am), and quarter rate (10 pm to 6 am). On Sundays and Holidays calls are half rate between 6 am and 9 pm and quarter rate between 9 pm and 6 am. International rates are always the same, regardless of the time of day a call is made.
International phone calls are about Rs 75 a minute and a call to Delhi costs about Rs 30 for three minutes. Local phone calls should not be more than Rs 3. If you call from outside of India you dial 00 91 565 and then the local number to called Vrindavana.

Water
Most of the water in the big cities is chlorinated and is not so harmful to drink (I wouldn’t drink it). Outside of the big cities, all the water should be suspect, unless you see a lot of healthy foreigners drinking it for a long time. Mineral water is available all over Indian and comes in many different brands. The water is usually not mineral water, but purified tap water. You should check the bottle cap, to see if the bottle was refilled and the cap reglued on. Cold drinks are usually safe, but I would not trust the less-known brands. Most of the tap water in Vrindavan is dangerous to drink and tastes horrible. If you do drink water from the tap or a well, you should only drink water that you see the locals drinking. It is best to ask the locals what water is safe to drink.

Most of the tap water in Vrindavana is dangerous to drink and tastes horrible. Even if the water tastes all right, unless you are used to drinking it, there is a good chance you will get sick. It is best to drink bottled water, purified water, or boiled water. The main cause of serious diseases in India is from bad water. If you do drink water from the tap or a well, you should only drink water that you see the locals drinking. It is best to ask the locals what water is safe to drink. It is also a good idea to use bottled or purified water to brush your teeth.

Photography Shops
One of the best places in Vrindavana to develop and purchase film is RK Studio. This place is close to Loi Bazaar. This place is open in the morning and evening, but it is not open in the middle of the afternoon. I have been told that they often take a while to make passport type pictures. Most of the rickshaw-walas know where it is located. They also have pictures of various temples and Deities in the Vrindavana area.

If you need passport type photos for registration or other such reasons, you can get these done quickly for Rs 40 for four pictures at the photographer on the road that leads to the Banke Bihari temple from Loi Bazaar. Coming from Loi Bazaar, it is about half way down the road, on the right near the STD phone.

If quality is important to you, it is best to either have you film developed in Delhi or when you return to your home country. The places in Delhi do a much better job than other places in India. There is a photo shop next to the Ranganath Temple that has many photos for sale of the temples, Deities and sadhus of Vrindavan.

Travel Agents
Aerotrek Travels is run by two brothers who work out of both Mathura (0565-404361) and Delhi (011 371-5966). The Delhi address is E-1 Mercantile Building, 2nd Floor, Connaught Place. This is across the street from Nirula’s on E Block. They can book plane tickets anywhere in the world at discount prices. They are highly recommended. One of the brothers, Sanjiv Misra lives in Mathura and goes to the ISKCON Guest House on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, and more often during the busy seasons. You can ask in the ISKCON Guest House how to get in contact with him. If you have problems getting a flight out of India because the flights are all booked, they may be able to help you get a reservation. You can ask in the ISKCON Guest House how to get in contact with them. I know many people that have dealt with them and they are highly trust-worthy.
Radha Travels (Office: 442-643, Resident: 442-474) Agrawal Market, Mandir Lane, Loi Bazaar, have been coming to the ISKCON Temple for years. During the busy times of the year someone from the travel agency normally comes to the temple every night. There is no problem with giving them your passport to arrange a tourist quota train booking. I have not heard of any case of them losing important documents. Also you can pay them in advance for train tickets without fear that you will lose your money.
If you arrange a train ticket with them it is a good idea to give them optional choices in case they cannot get the train and date you want. Sometimes they may tell you that they cannot get a particular train ticket for you. Often if you then give them your passport and ask them to access the tourist quota for that particular train, they are then able to get you the ticket. They also can arrange to reconfirm your plane reservation.

Monkeys
You have to be careful of the monkeys, because they will steal anything they can from you, if you give them a chance. They go especially for your eyeglasses, bananas (small surprise), and other fruit. They can jump down from a roof and snatch your glasses off your face in one swipe. While you are trying to get your friend’s glasses back, another monkey can come and steal your glasses too (true story). On the Vrindavana parikrama path there is a spot by the Yamuna River where you have to duck down to go through a doorway. This is a favorite spot for the monkeys to steal a pair of glasses. They also bite, especially small children. Children like to bother monkeys, and the monkeys won’t take any nonsense from them. Monkeys also sometimes carry rabies.

Most of the time monkeys are sneak thieves and will not try to steal from a formidable opponent. Keep your eyes on them, and never let them get too close to you without looking at them. Give them a look to let them know that you know they are there. Never turn and run from them, as they are extremely fast. If they go for your bananas and challenge you, renounce the bananas. This is a life and death situation for them. They are willing to die for a banana.

“In Jaipur Srila Prabhupada once advised his disciples how to deal with the monkey: ‘Neither be their friends nor their enemies. If you make friends with them, they will simply be a nuisance. If you become their enemies, they will become very vindictive. Just maintain a neutral position.”

Income Tax Clearance
The office to get an income tax clearance is by KR College, in Mathura. If you have a student or entry visa you need to bring a letter from the organization sponsoring you. You should also bring whatever foreign exchange certificates you have collected. I have been told that they often try to give you the run around at this office and that you have to be persistent to get your tax clearance within a couple of hours, even though you may be the only one there. I have been told that in Delhi you can often get your tax clearance without any hassle in 15 minutes.

WARNING! It is highly advised that women do not walk alone in secluded places at night. Even during the day it may not be safe. If you are staying at a place that you have to walk down a secluded back road it is best to do this during the day or to go with someone else. Many women have been handled and bothered. I do not know of any cases in the last 20 years where anyone was seriously injured, but a good amount of women have experienced quite a fright. This goes for Indian women too. At night it is best to take a rickshaw to get around.

Laundry
The men who do your laundry in India are called dhobi-walas. Besides paying someone to do your laundry, your only option is to wash your cloths by hand. There are no public washing machines in Vrindavana.

Each day at around 6 to 7.30 pm, a first class dhobi-wala comes to the ISKCON Vrindavana temple called Bhagavan. His son assists him. They go to the rooms in the Guesthouse and to the apartments at MVT and the guesthouse there. You can also pick up and drop off your cloths in the ISKCON Guest House Lobby. They do a great job at cleaning your cloths, but often knock off your buttons. You should check your bill carefully.
As of the time of publishing this book they charge Rs 5 for dhotis, kurtas, saris, and towels. A pair of pants cost Rs 10. If you have a brand new dhoti or sari and want to have the starch beaten out of it, it is Rs 15 a piece. They can also dry clean your cloths, but they charge a much higher price for dry cleaning. To have a sleeping bag dry cleaned cost Rs 100 and a coat cost Rs 60.

There are other people who wash cloths in Vrindavana and it is usually best to ask at the place that you are staying at where the closest place to go is located. There is a man across the street from the ISKCON temple who will iron cloths for Rs 2 a piece.

If you have a family and five rupees a piece for laundry is too much you can often hire someone to wash your whole family’s cloths for a set fee, often 200 or 300 rupees a month for any number of pieces. They usually will not iron your cloths, but you can either work out an extra amount to do this or take the cloths that need to be ironed to someone else.

Weather
During the summer the temperature is between 22°C (71°F) and 50°C (122°F). The winter has a low of 4°C (40°F) and a high of 25°C (77°F). The rainy season is from the end of June to September.
During the summer months of May and June, Vrindavan is one of the hottest places in the world. It can be very cold in the winter, from the end of November to mid-February. During the winter you need warm woolen clothing in the morning, but the weather is usually all right during the day. The weather is perfect from early October to mid-November, during the month of Kartika. Also the month of March and the first half of April is perfect. Kartika is the most likely to best time to come

When To Come
Most likely the best time to come is in the month of Kartika. The weather is perfect, it is an auspicious time to come, and the town of Vrindavana is in a festive mood. Many devotees visit Vrindavana at this time.

Krishna Janmastami and Srimati Radharani’s appearance day in August-September are major festival days in Vrindavana. This is at the end of the rainy season. It is a good time to come to Vrindavana, but accommodations can be difficult to find and it is best to arrange it in advance.
December, January and February can be very cold, especially in the early morning. During the day, especially if you are outside, the weather can be pleasant. There are not that many visitors to Vrindavana at this time, except during the Christmas holidays. I personally think the weather is too cold at this time, but many people think this is the best time to be in Vrindavana. In January, if you use an electric heater at night it will make the temperature bearable.

The weather is very good in March and the first half of April. During the ISKCON Vrindavana festival (usually March or early April) the accommodations around the ISKCON temple can be full. If you are coming at this time and are not part of the festival, it is best to try to arrange some accommodation in advance, but you can always find somewhere to stay.

The temperature in May and June is virtually unbearable and unless you really have to come to Vrindavana at this time, I would highly suggest that you come at another time. One advantage of coming at this time is that except during festivals there are very few visitors in Vrindavana. I have heard about people who came to India to come to Vrindavana at this time and left India after three days because of the unbearable heat. It is so hot that it is difficult to sleep at night, especially if the electricity goes off and you cannot use your fan, air-cooler, or air-conditioning.

During the rainy season, from July to the beginning of September, the weather is not so unpleasant. The rain brings the temperatures down and some days can be quite pleasant. On the other hand, while it is rainy it can be difficult to get around because of the mud on the street (because the roads are often dirt).

When the rainy season ends in the middle of September the weather can get really hot again, and it can be unpleasant on some days. Except on Janmastami and Radhastami not so many people visit at this time.

WARNING! I have heard of many people being pick-pocketed in Loi Bazaar. A group of women thieves working together are supposed to be active there. They may even act like they are customers and rob you while you are sitting in a shop.

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