Our History

Replica of Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir, Vrindavan

Prabhupada’s Jaipur visit

HDG Srila Prabhupada visited the Pink City, Jaipur in the Year 1972 with his American disciples. He invited his multiple followers from Delhi and other Indian centers to accompany him during this visit. All the Jaipur citizens welcomed Srila Prabhupada with great honor and his foreign disciples were treated as sadhus more than mere foreigners.

The queen of the city at that time, Rajmata Gayatri Devi (1919-2009) fully supported Srila Prabhupada’s stay in the City Palace and by the devoted effort of Kaushalya Devi Dasi, a former American disciple of Srila Prabhupada who was staying in Jaipur at that time, Srila Prabhupada stayed with the Pujari of the Temple and his disciples moved in nearby rooms. Kaushalya Devi almost single handedly arranged for Srila Prabhupada’s stay and a week-long Pandal Programs with the help of several prominent residents of Jaipur.

Srila Prabhupada would chant the prayers from Sri Brahma Samhita and would deliver a lecture in Hindi language. The tent festivals were generating excitement and were attended by a large crowd both in the morning and evening. Rajmata also very keenly met with Srila Prabhupada and taken by his purity, presence and profound words she offered Srila Prabhupada an elegant and stately residence on the grounds of the City Palace.

Srila Prabhupada would visit the city during the day and was respected and welcomed everywhere, even the policemen were saluting him and were halting the traffic for letting him pass. People invited him at their homes and treated him like a king. At this time Srila Prabhupada marked the potency of the city and he remarked that, “The whole city is made of devotees of Radha-Govindaji.”

Letter to Sri Jaipuriaji

Later in the year 1975, Srila Prabhupada wrote a letter to Sri Mahavir Prasad Jaipuria for building a Temple in the holy land of Pink City, Jaipur.

My Dear Mahavir Prasad Jaipuriaji:

Please accept my blessings. Last time we opened our Vrindaban temple under the leadership of the Governor of U.P. Dr. Channa Reddi. I expected your presence also. Perhaps you could not attend due to prior engagement.

So this Vrindaban temple is being visited by many devotees to the extent of 500-1000 per day, and we have got a very nice guest house. I request you to come there at your convenience and see how it is nicely done especially for the retired gentlemen, vanaprastha.

You are Jaipuria, so you can help me in completing such an institution in Jaipur also. Jaipur is visited by many Vaisnavas as a holy place of pilgrimage. Especially Gaudiya Vaisnavas go there to see the duplicate Vrindaban Deities such as Govindaji, Radha Damodaraji, etc. So I want to open a duplicate Krishna Balarama temple in Jaipur. I am sending separately copies of pictures of our Krishna Balarama temple in Vrindaban. Of course there is also Radha Krishna and Gaura Nitai. I wish that you have some land in Jaipur and to help us in constructing a duplicate temple like Vrindaban.

When I was a guest in your house I saw you a great devotee of the Lord, and I hope you will try to fulfill my request as abovementioned.

I hope this meets you in good health. (*optionally we can attach the original picture of the letter too)

History of Gupt Vrindavan

What is Gupt Vrindavan

The name Gupt Vrindavan literally means “The Hidden Vrindavan” and refers to the Pink City, Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Sridham Vrindavan, a divine and historical city situated in the Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh is known for its being a storehouse of Krishna Temples numbering nearly 5,500. The prominent and especially significant one’s for the Gaudiya Vaishnavas are Sri Radha Madan Mohan, Sri Radha Damodara, Sri Radha Shyam Sundar, Sri Radha Govinda, Sri Radha Gokulananda, Sri Radha Gopinath and Sri Radha Raman. These are also known by the name “Goswami Temples” being established by the Six Goswamis of Sridham Vrindavan.

During 1670s the Deities of Sri Radha Govinda, Sri Radha Gopinath, Sri Radha Madan Mohan and several other were moved to Jaipur for saving and hiding them from the attacks of Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb. Being the residing place of these Deities of Sridham Vrindavan, Jaipur is also known by the sacred name, “Gupt Vrindavan.”

Excavation of Sridham Vrindavan

In the year 1515 Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited Vrindavan while He was returning from His South India Tour, all the divine and historical places where Lord Sri Krishna performed His Transcendental pastimes were majorly unknown to the devotees.  Caitanya Mahaprabhu began revealing these sacred places and later in 1516 He directed His disciples the Six-Goswamis especially Srila Sanantana and Srila Rupa Goswami to go to Vrindavan, excavate the Holy Places of the pastimes of Lord Krishna, build monumental Temples and write books about the Bhakti Cult to benefit the future generations.

The Goswamis earnestly took the orders of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and due to their fame of sever austerities and devotional practices Emperor Akbar visited them in the year 1570 and granted the permission to build grand Temples dedicated to Lord Krishna.

Saving the Deities

When the Temples of Lord Krishna were build, they were magnificent and there was no cessation of the pleasure of devotees. But the Emperor Aurangzeb became envious of the fame of Lord Krishna, specifically when he saw that the Temple of Lord Sri Radha Govinda (build by Maharaja Mansingh of Jaipur, a disciple of Srila Raghunath Bhatta Goswami during King Akbar’s Rule) is taller than the Muslim buildings. In year 1670 the soldiers of Aurangzeb, the fanatic Muslim leader attacked thousands of Temples including those of Sridham Vrindavan and Mathura too and especially the Govinda Temple was broken from the top, leaving only three stories at present which were originally seven-storied.

The Deities of Sri Radha Govinda, Sri Radha Gopinath, Sri Radha Madan Mohan, Sri Radha Damodara, Sri Radha Vrindavan Chandra, Sri Radha Madhava were moved to Jaipur by the devotees with the support of Maharaja Jai Singh 2, who constructed monumental Temples for Their worship too. At a place by the name “Kanak Vrindavan” the Deities were initially moved and then They were later shifted to various places for Their opulent worship. Currently the Deities of Sri Radha Govinda, Sri Radha Gopinath and Sri Radha Madhava are worshiped in Gupt Vrindavan, Jaipur and The Deities of Sri Radha Madan Mohan (shifted by King Gopal Sing) are sacredly worshiped in Karauli, Rajasthan.

Gupt Vrindavan Dham

The initial Preaching Centre

Sri Sir Krishna Balaram Temple was started with the corner stone laying ceremony in the year 2010. After the quick completion of the project in the year 2012, the Deities of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram were installed, of which the Pran Pratistha ceremony was performed by Mahant Sri Padam Nabh Goswami of Sri Radha Raman Temple, Vrindavan and Mahant Sri Anjan Kumar Goswami of Govinda Dev Ji Temple, Jaipur, and Mahant Shri Albeli Madhuri Sharan of Saras Nikunj, Jaipur were warmly welcomed as the respected Chief Guests.

The Temple started spreading the Message of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita among the citizens of Jaipur city through its diverse preaching programs separately organized for all sections of the society. Through the other initiatives of spiritual literature distribution, multi-cuisine restaurant, food distribution, cow care & protection and so on the center is broadcasting the devotional and cultural education in the whole society.

Biggest Cultural complex in Rajasthan

Hare Krishna Movement Jaipur is building the largest Temple cum cultural center of Rajasthan with the branding name “Gupt Vrindavan Dham” in connection with Jaipur, which is also known by the name “Gupt Vrindavan.”

The corner stone laying ceremony of the monumental Temple was organized in the year 2009 in the august presence of the honorable Chief minister of Rajasthan, Sri Ashok Gehlot and the chairperson of the worldwide Hare Krishna Movement, Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa. The complex is a 17-stroied building with a spectacular combination of Rajasthani and modern architectural designs. It is desired to be completed in the upcoming year 2027, with the ceremony of 300th Foundation Day of Pink City, Jaipur.