Sri Krishna Janmasthan temple, also known as Krishna Janmabhoomi, is the most important temple in Mathura and Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India. As the name indicates, this is the exact spot where Sri Krishna was born. The temple is located in the heart of Mathura city.
The temple is a few meters above the ground – almost like it is on a small hillock.
History Of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple
The original temple was built by Vajranabha and later rebuilt by Vikramaditya. The original murti was 15 feet tall and made of gold and precious gems. Mahmud Ghazni ransacked the temple and desecrated the murtis. It is believed that the temple was destroyed and rebuilt 17 times. The final attack was by Aurangzeb.
Many Temples In Sri Krishna Janmasthan Temple Complex
The present Sri Krishna Janmasthan temple is a complex with several temples. At the left corner of the entrance courtyard is the Keshav Dev temple. The murtis are on the left hand side of the temple. In the middle of the sanctum sanctorum is a huge murti of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, made of white marble. Below the murti of Bhagavan Krishna are smaller murtis of Radha, Balarama and Krishna.
Behind the Keshav Dev temple is the Giriraja temple. There is a black murti of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Like in many other Krishna temples in North India, the murti has only the face of Bhagavan Sri Krishna and not the full murti. Next is the Yogamaya Temple - the form of Mother Goddess that escaped from the hands of Kansa.
To the right of the courtyard, after one climbs a few steps, one comes across the biggest temple in the Sri Krishna Janmasthan. The main deities in the temple are Radha and Krishna. Both the murtis are huge and are made of white marble. Krishna is to the left of Radha. Below the huge murtis is a smaller pair of Radha Krishna murtis. There is also a black murti of Krishna (only face) to the right.
When one performs the parikrama of the main deities in the sanctum sanctorum, one can see huge pictures of the ten incarnations of Vishnu on the walls. To the left of the sanctum sanctorum is a small room that houses idols of Jagannath, Balarama, and Subhadra, reminiscent of Jagannath Puri. To the right is another similar small room that houses the murtis of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. Right opposite, is the murti of Hanuman. Next to this is a small room with a Shivling known as Keshaveshwar. Opposite to this is another room where Goddess Durga is worshipped.
Sri Krishna Janmasthan – Exact Spot Where Sri Krishna Was Born
Between the biggest temple in the temple complex and Keshav Dev temple is the exact spot where Sri Krishna was born. Next to the Keshav Dev temple, is a narrow, inconspicuous looking entrance leading to a passage that finally leads to a dimly lit small room. This narrow passage is the prison passage leading to the small room that was a prison 5000 years ago, where demon King Kansa had imprisoned Devaki and Vasudev. The room is quite small and dark, like the prison that it was thousands of years ago.
On the right side of the room is an elevated platform that has a slab that marks the exact birth spot of Sri Krishna. There is a murti of Krishna on the slab. Devotees bow and touch the sacred slab in reverence. Above the slab, verses of Garbh Stuti are painted on the walls. These were the holy verses sung by Brahma and Shiva in praise of Vishnu. The verses were addressed to the womb of Devaki when she was carrying Krishna in her stomach and therefore it is known as Garbha Stuti.
There are various paintings and pictures adorning the wall above the raised platform. On the right is a painting of Brahma paying obeisance to Vishnu. In the center is a picture of Devaki and Vasudev getting a glimpse of Sri Krishna in the prison. Below this is a picture of Vasudev carrying an infant Krishna in a small basket, across the Yamuna River. There is also a picture of Krishna with four arms similar to Bhagwan Vishnu.