VRAJ (ALSO CALLED AS BRAJ) MANDAL PARIKRAMA
Parikrama word literally means “circling around”. It is considered auspicious to do parikrama of Deities, your parents, Guru etc. as per Indian tradition. Vraj Mandal has an area of approximately 2500 Sq. kms. surrounding Vrindavana and Mathura where Lord Krishna performed his sweet pastimes with Vraj residents. Vraj, the land where Lord Krishna was born and spent his youth, has today little towns and hamlets that are still alive with the krishna legend. Places in Vraj are the most auspicious places of pilgrimage on earth and are host to millions of pilgrims who visit different towns, woods, ponds (called kund), lakes, hillocks, small villages, temples, rivers, river banks (ghats), forts, trees, gardens, wells and other locales in Vraj, which include Govardhan, Vrindavan, Mathura, Gokul, Barsana, Nand Gaon and many other places and woods. Pilgrims visit as many of these places on foot and perform parikrama of Vraj Mandal. The area of Vraj Mandal extends from Agra in the south to Banchari in the north. It is about 150 km (84 miles) across. Vraj is the area 75 km (42 miles) in each direction, with Mathura in the center. This Vraj area, even though appearing to be part of India, is not destroyed when the universe is destroyed. In the Adi Varaha Purana it is said that there are over 600 million holy places on this earth. The benefit of going to all these and more is attained by going to the holy places in Vraj. Aadi Varah Purana also says that by circumambulating Vraj you attain a hundred times the same results as circumambulating all the holy places, temples in the world, and the benefits of giving all charity and doing all rituals for the well-being of the world. It also says that even those who just see a person who has just returned from Vraj parikrama get cleansed of their sins.
The parikrama covers most of the major pastime places and the 12 main forests and 9 sub forests in Vraj. The parikrama normally starts in Mathura by bathing at Visrama Ghata or Keshi Ghat in Vrindavan. The parikrama then goes around Vraj Mandal. It goes north visiting the seven main forests on the western side of the Yamuna. The parikrama also covers remaining 5 forests on the other side of river Yamuna. These forests are Taal Van, Bhandir van, Bihad van, Maha Van, Man, Bel Van, Vrindavan, Kumud Van, Bhadra Van, Math, Lauh Van, Madhu Van, Bahula Van and Kamya Van. There are so many eminent holy places that in a small space such as this, it is not possible even to list them. However, some of the most prominent locations are: Mathura and Vrindavan towns with some of its important temples and near by holy locations, Govardhan hill with many locations near by, Kamya vana near Kama town. Barsana, Nand gaon and nearby many esteemed locations in around them, Kosi town and pastime places near it, Gokul and nearby locations etc. It is impossible to cover all the locations within one month. However, during Vraj Mandal Parikrama, pilgrims make an attempt to cover as many locations as possible and offer their obeisance. Generally parikrama is done by organized groups of devotees, which make arrangements for pilgrims’ food, stay (many times in tents), medicare, communications, security etc. Groups also make arrangements to highlight importance of each place by talks or literature during parikrama. Noramally duration of Vraj mandal Paarikrama is for one month.