Nidhivan and the mysteries around it!

Nidhivan is a sacred forest, located in Vrindavan in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. For the followers of Krishna and Radha, Nidhivan is the most sacred of sites. Also known as the Forest of Tulsi, Nidhivan is a place surrounded by legends. When you are visiting Nidhivan, you can’t help but notice the twisted trees, all in pairs, all across the forest ground. These basil ‘trees’ that are in pairs, are believed to be gopis, who come to life at night. But before we delve deeper into these, let’s look at some of the beliefs that surround this place, and what makes Nidhivan a mysterious place.

• It is believed that every night, at Nidhivan, Krishna and Radha perform raasleela.
• All the trees in the vicinity are believed to turn into gopis (female cowherds who were devoted to Krishna).
• Every evening after sundown, a bed is laid for Krishna and Radha, along with some food, water, ornaments, clothes and neem twigs. Every morning these things appear to have been used.
• Nobody is allowed to stay in the premises after sundown and nobody is allowed to look at the meeting of Krishna and Radha. It is believed that whoever looks at the performance either dies, becomes insane or loses eyesight.

Nidhivan isn’t a big forest in any form. The aforementioned tulsi trees make up most of the flora of Nidhivan. It’s a small patch of green in an enclosed space, with residential places all around it. So, if you are expecting a trip to a lush garden, you aren’t getting any of that.



However, what you will get here are plenty of small temples and areas marked as religiously important. Believers visit Nidhivan in large numbers and by 7 PM everyday, everybody has to leave the place. The gates to Nidhivan are locked from the outside every night and it is said that absolutely no living being is present in the premises after sundown. Not even the monkeys and the birds. But before leaving the premises, the priests make sure to prepare a bed for Krishna, along with some food, clothes, neem twigs, ornaments and paan.


It is also said that in the morning, when the doors are finally opened, all items seem out of place and the bed looks like it has been slept in.


One can’t help but wonder…if no one is allowed to witness the raasleela, and if anyone has had the misfortune to actually witness the event, they are either dead, turned blind, deaf and dumb, or have lost all the mental capabilities to describe an event that they have witnessed, how did people come to know about the raasleela? Curiouser and curiouser!


In this world, there are facts and then there are some legends that many believe, for whatever reason. We’ll never know. But let me leave you with this, didn’t anyone from the neighbouring areas see anything ever? Or they all met with the aforementioned unfortunate fate?


I guess, what happens in Nidhivan, stays in Nidhivan.

1. Where is Nidhivan?
   Nidhivan is located in Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
2. When to visit Nidhivan?
   The temple is open from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.
3. Is there an aarti ceremony at Nidhivan?
   Yes, there are evening aartis at Nidhivan.