Lord Krishna is one of the most revered of all Hindu Gods in India. Krishna's mischief, wisdom, strength and love are well known to all his devotees and thus they eagerly wait to celebrate the day he was born, which is popularly known as Krishna Janmashtami.
Every year on the pious occasion of Janmashtami, lakhs of devotees visit famous shrines in the country to pay obeisance to Lord Krishna. Here are some of the most famous Krishna temples which devotees must visit at least once in their lifetime.
First is the Dwarkadhish Temple in Dwarka in Gujarat. It is one of the four sacred Chardham pilgrimage sites and is very famous because of its association with the ancient kingdom of Dwarka that was once ruled by Krishna.
Then comes the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple located in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. The temple also known as the 'Kesava Deo Temple' or 'Krishna Janmasthan temple' is built in the place where Lord Krishna was born, thereby making it very special for all devotees.
Next is Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. Krishna is said to have spent his childhood days here. However, the Banke Bihari temple’s claim to fame is its idol and the stories around it. The temple’s main idol shows Krishna in a Tribhanga stance.
The lotus feet of the idol are only shown on Akshaya Tritiya while the idol is behind curtains most of the time. This is because it is said you may lose consciousness if you stare at it for too long. The list of famous shrines also features Govind Devji Temple in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and Radha, whose idols are said to be brought from Vrindavan. Moving on to south, we have Udupi Sri Krishna Matha temple in Karnataka’s Udupi. The temple is home to one of the most beautiful idols of Lord Krishna.