Nanda Bhavan

This was the site of Nanda Maharaja’s residence known as Nanda Bhavan where Krishna and Balarama lived; the word ‘bhavan’ means a palatial residence. The present temple of Krishna Balarama has been built on the spot where Nanda’s residence once stood. Within this temple one can see the large deities ofYasoda Mayi and Nanda Maharaja with Krishna and Balarama standing in between them. On the right side of Nanda are Krishna’s friends Shridama and Madhumangala.
On the left of Yashoda one can see Radharani, and then Rohini and Revati, the mother and the
consort respectively of Balarama.
These deities of Nanda, Yashoda and Krishna, are said to be the same deities found by
Lord Chaitanya in a cave on Nandishwara Hill. The other deities were added at a later time. After
Lord Chaitanya’s departure from Vrindavana, He sent the Six Goswarnis to the holy Dhama for
the purpose of excavating all the lost places of Krishna’s pastimes as well as establish temples
of Radha-Krishna, write books on the science of devotion, and in general revitalize the cult of
Krishna-bhahti amongst the population. Within a short time, temples were built at all the important
pastime places like Vrindavana, Govardhana, Nandagrama and Varsana. The present Krishna
Balarama temple at Nandagrama was reportedly built by the wealthy landowner Rupa Rama
Singh of Varsana in the 19th Century.

Pastime Places Within the Compound of Nanda-bhavana
The compound of Nanda-bhavana is immense and holds many delightful pastime places. Çré Raghupati Upädhyäya glorifies Nanda Bäbä and this compound in very sweet words:
çrutim apare småtim itare bhäratam anye bhajantu bhava-bhétäù
aham iha nandaà vande yasyälinde paraà brahma
Padyävalé (126)
“Those who are afraid of the perplexities of worldly life
worship the Çrutis and Småtis, and others may worship the
Mahäbhärata. Let them do so. I myself will always worship
Nanda Bäbä, in whose courtyard the Supreme Absolute Truth
is crawling here and there on His knees.”
Nanda-bhavana (Nanda’s residence)
To the south, adjacent to Nandéçvara Hill, are a few ruins
of the staircase of Nanda-bhavana. Nanda’s residence here was
extensive, with separate bedrooms for everyone including Nanda
Bäbä, Mother Yaçodä, Mother Rohiëé, Kåñëa and Baladeva. Ita kitchen, store-room and dining hall, as well as resting-rooms and
other rooms for Rädhikä and Kåñëa. Here, Kåñëa and Baladeva
performed many of Their childhood, boyhood and youth pastimes.
Daily, at forenoon, Çrématé Rädhikä used to come here from Jävaöa
with Her sakhés on the zealous and loving requests of Mother
Yaçodä, and with great delight, She would prepare many tasty
foodstuffs for Kåñëa together with Mother Rohiëé. Kåñëa used to
eat with His sakhäs in the adjacent large dining-hall and then rest
in the bedroom situated one hundred steps from the dining-hall.

Rädhikä’s resting place
This is Çrématé Rädhikä’s resting place. After completing Her
cooking, Çrématé Rädhikä would, on the request of Mother Yaçodä,
take prasäda mixed with the remnants of Kåñëa that Dhaniñöhä
Sakhé would bring. Mother Yaçodä then invited Her to take rest
in this garden. At that time, the sakhés used to arrange for Her
secret meeting with Kåñëa. This place is called Rädhä-bäga, Rädhä’s
garden.
The path to the forest
Every day, Mother Yaçodä used to decorate Räma and Kåñëa
in different ways, thus preparing Them to go to the forest to graze
the cows. She would send Them and the sakhäs off from here with
a heavy heart.
The path to go cow grazing
Räma and Kåñëa, the best of dancers, traversed this path along
with Their friends to go cow grazing.
The place where Rädhikä was bidden farewell
Here, Mother Yaçodä used to put Çrématé Rädhikä on her lap
before seeing Her off to Jävaöa with tearful eyes.
The place where yoghurt was churned
Every day in the early morning, Mother Yaçodä used to churn
yoghurt at this place. To this day, one can see an enormous yoghurt
pot here.
Pürëamäsé’s arrival path
Yogamäyä Pürëamäsé used to arrive at Nanda-bhavana along
this path to have darçana of baby Kåñëa.
Other Pastime Places in Nandagaon
Nanda-kuëòa
Nanda-kuëòa lies a short distance to the south of Nandabhavana.
Daily, early in the morning, Mahäräja Nanda used to
bathe here, chant his regular mantras and perform his other
morning duties. Sometimes, he would bring Kåñëa and Balaräma
here on his shoulders and bathe Them too. In the temple on the
bank of this pond are attractive deities of Nanda Bäbä with his
children, Kåñëa and Däüjé, sitting in his lap.
Nanda-baiöhaka
Vrajeçvara Mahäräja Nanda would regularly sit here with his
elder and younger brothers, as well as with the elderly gopas, priests
and so on, to discuss Kåñëa’s well-being. It is called a baiöhaka
because they would sit here together for discussions. Baiöhnä means
“to sit”. Nanda Mahäräja has several baiöhakas in the eighty-four
kosas of Vraja-maëòala. Wherever Nanda Bäbä used to reside with
his cows, gopas, gopés and others is called Nanda-Gokula and there
used to be periodic meetings like this in those places. Thus, other
such baiöhakas include Choöé-baiöhana and Baòé-baiöhana. The
following pastime refers to this kind of baiöhaka, or assembly.
Seven-year-old Kåñëa held Giriräja-Govardhana for seven
days on His little finger and thus smashed the pride of Indra. The
astonished elderly gopas called an assembly. Upänanda, the eldest
brother of Nanda Mahäräja, was the chairman of this meeting
to which Nanda Bäbä had also been called. The elderly gopas
expressed their opinion that Çré Kåñëa was not an ordinary boy.
“Soon after taking birth, He killed the terrible räkñasé Pütanä,
as if He were simply playing,” they said. “Afterwards, He killed
Çakaöäsura, Tåëävarta, Aghäsura and many other demons. He
subdued the terrible snake Käléya and sent him out of Kälé-daha.
Just a few days ago, He held the huge mountain Giriräja on His little
finger for seven days and saved Vraja from the heavy downpour of
rain and raging storms. These are not the activities of an ordinary
boy. It seems to us that He must be a perfected, liberated soul, a
demigod or Näräyaëa Himself. It is not proper for us to consider
Him to be the son of Nanda and Yaçodä, to chastise or threaten
Him, or to address Him with words such as ‘thief’, ‘wilful’ and
‘impertinent’. Nanda, Yaçodä and the other gopas and gopés should
always deal with Him lovingly and respectfully.” All the gopas
present heard this statement with much gravity and together they
cautioned Nanda Bäbä.
Nanda Bäbä laughingly dismissed their words. “Respected
gentlemen,” he said. “I have heard your statements, but I do not see
even the slightest demigod-like symptom in Him nor any symptom
of supreme godliness. I have known Him from His very birth. Does
Bhagavän feel hunger or thirst? This boy cries fifty times a day
for bread and butter. Does Bhagavän steal and tell lies? This boy
goes to the homes of the gopés and steals their butter, speaks lies
and makes so much mischief. The neighbouring gopés play games
with Him and make Him dance for a hand-full of buttermilk and a
laòòü. Whoever He is, He has taken birth in our home as our son;
therefore, it is our duty to raise Him to become an ideal man of
excellent conduct who possesses all good qualities. That said, there
is one thing we should remember. At the time of Kåñëa’s namegiving
ceremony, Maharñi Gargäcärya predicted that this child of
ours would have qualities like those of Bhagavän Näräyaëa. This
explains everything.”
Assemblies were held to discuss Kåñëa’s well-being, His betrothal
and other such matters
Yaçodä-kuëòa
This pond is situated south of Nanda-bhavana. Mother Yaçodä
used to daily bathe here. Sometimes, she would bring Kåñëa and
Balaräma along and joyfully watch Their childhood games. After
bathing, Mother Yaçodä would pray for Kåñëa’s well-being to
Nåsiàhadeva in the temple on the bank of the pond. An ancient
cave where many great saints have performed sädhana and attained
the Supreme Lord lies at a secluded place near Yaçodä-kuëòa.
To this day, this place, where perfected, great personalities have
performed their bhajana, attracts sädhakas, who are completely
unattached to material life, to come here to perform bhajana.
Käroharo-kuëòa lies near Yaçodä-kuëòa.
Häü-biläü
On the western bank of Yaçodä-kuëòa is a place where Kåñëa
performed childhood pastimes with His friends. Here, the brothers
Kåñëa and Baladeva became so absorbed in Their childhood
games that They even forgot to come home to eat. Yaçodä-maiyä
first sent Rohiëé to get Them, but as Rohiëé approached, Kåñëa
and Baladeva ran away, frustrating her attempts to catch Them.
Yaçodä then went herself. She would employ various tricks and,
with great difficulty, bring Them home where she bathed and fed
Them. Sometimes she told Them about a häüa, or hobgoblin, and
filled Them with fear. She would then catch Kåñëa in her arms
and bring Him home. Once, Kåñëa insisted on seeing the häüa,
“Maiyä, I want to see the häüa.” The following Brajabhäñä poem
tells this delightful pastime:
dür khelan mat jäu läl yahäì häü äye haiì
haàskar pücht känh maiyä yah kinai paöhäye haiì
“ ‘Do not go far away, my child, the häüa has come.’ Kåñëa
smiled and asked Maiyä who had sent him.”
Even today, the stone figures of the häüa here are a reminder
of this sweet childhood pastime.
Madhusüdana-kuëòa
This pond is situated south of Nandéçvara, near Yaçodä-kuëòa,
and lies within a grove of trees and creepers that are laden with
many kinds of flowers. Here, intoxicated bumblebees always buzz
around, drinking nectar from the flowers. Kåñëa plays with the
sakhäs in this forest and imitates the buzzing of the bees. One of the
names for bumblebee is madhusüdana, and one of Kåñëa’s names
is also Madhusüdana. This is where the two Madhusüdanas buzz,
and this pond is therefore known as Madhusüdana-kuëòa.
Caraëa-pahäòé
This place is situated west of Nandagaon. During cow herding,
Kåñëa played His flute on this hill (pahäòé) to assemble His
hundreds of thousands of cows. By the tender and sweet sound of
His flute, this hill melted and became marked with the impressions
of Kåñëa’s footprints (caraëa-cihna). Hence, this hill is called
Caraëa-pahäòé.
On Kaàsa’s order, the great devotee Akrüra came to Nandagaon
to bring Kåñëa and Balaräma to Mathurä. When he saw Kåñëa’s
footprints on this hill and everywhere in the sand nearby, he
became filled with ecstatic emotions, and began crying and rolling
around on them. To this day, devotees become ecstatic upon seeing
Çré Kåñëa’s footprints here.
Posts for binding the cows
Near Caraëa-pahäòé are Rohiëé-kuëòa, Mohiné-kuëòa and a
number of posts in a field for binding cows. This is the site of Nanda
Bäbä’s cowshed. One can still see stone posts here. Vrajaväsé ladies
worship these posts on special occasions.