Raval is the birthplace of Srimati Radharani. It is not a frequently visited place, which preserves it, and inspires a unique mood of separation in the hearts of Her devotees.

Once King Vrisabhanu went to the Yamuna Raiver to take bath. He saw a golden lotus flower that shone like a million suns in the middle of the river...

...In the middle of the lotus flower was the baby, Srimati Radharani...

....Lord Brahma appeared before King Vrisabhanu and told him that in his previous life he and his wife, Kirtida, had performed great austerities to get the consort of Lord Vishnu as their daughter...

....King Vrisabhanu took the child home, but found her to be blind...

...Narada Muni appeared before the king and told him that despite the child's blindness ,he should go ahead and perform all the auspicious birth ceremonies...

...Nanda Maharaja brought baby Krishna along for the ceremonies held by king Vrisabhanu for his daughter...

...When baby Krishna crawled before Srimati Radharani, She could smell the wonderful aroma of His body, and at that moment She opened Her eyes. The first person She saw was Her eternal consort, Sri Krishna.

There is a small temple here called
Lairy-Lal.

Small, but very sweet Deities of Radha and Krisna are said to be installed by Vajranabha, Krisna's great grandson.

After circumambulating the altar and offering prayers to Radharani...

....one can climb to the roof and see the dried Yamuna bed.

Following this former direction of the Yamuna ...

...5000 years ago , the Yamuna river used to flow and brought Srimati Radharani to Kirtida and Vrisabhanu.

The temple itself is very simple and those with ordinary vision do not find much to see here...

...But true devotees find this place to be simply unique.

On the opposite side of the temple is Radharani's garden.

"O goddess worshiped by the kings of sages, O goddess who remove the sufferings of the three worlds, O goddess whose face is a blossoming lotus, O goddess who enjoys pastimes in the forest, O daughter of Vrisabhanu, O companion of Vraja's prince, when will you cast Your merciful sidelong glace upon me?"

makhesvari! kriyesvari!
svadhesvari! suresvari!
triveda-bharatisvari!
pramana-sasanesvari!
ramesvari! ksamesvari!
pramoda-kananesvari!
vrajesvari! vrajadhipe!
sri-radhike namo 'stu te!

O queen of Vedic sacrifices, O queen of pious activities, O queen of the material world, O queen of the demigods, O queen of Vedic scholarship, O queen of knowledge, O queen of the goddesses of fortune, O queen of patience, O queen of Vrindavan, the forest of happiness, O queen of Vraja, O empress of Vraja, O Sri Radhika, obeisances to You!

Sri Radha-Kripa-Kataksa-Stava-Raja
(Spoken by Lord Siva in the
Urdhvamnaya-tantra)

24 kilometers from Mathura there is a village called Baldeo or Dauji. Originally it was called Ridha. It is the home of a Lord Balaram Deity.

Dauji means the "older brother" and it is the name of Lord Balaram.

The Deity of Dauji is about 2 meters high and it is the largest Deity in Vraja-mandala. This Balaram Deity was installed by Vajranabha 4900 years ago.

Extremely attractive sri-vigraha of Balaram is syama-complexioned (blackish), with huge eyes, and His right hand is raised. In His left hand is a cup of Varuni beverage.

Revati, the wife of Balaram, is also installed in this temple. She is to the left of the front altar door with Her back to the wall facing Balaram. She cannot be seen from the front door of the altar, bur She can be viewed from the right side door...

...The confidential reason why she is somewhat concealed is that Sri Dauji's marriage took place while He was residing in Dvaraka and not while He was living in Vraja. Revati is Balaram's consort in Dvaraka not in Vraja.

Dauji is one of the four presiding Deities of Vraja. All the famous Deities left Vraja, but Dauji did not leave even after He revealed Himself to the Muslims.

Ksira-sagar-kund (Sankarsan-kund)
This kund (lake) is said to have been constructed by the residents of Vraja, when they filled it with the milk from 100 000 cows as an offering to Lord Balaram.

"Ksira" means "milk" and "Ksira-saga-kund" means "Sea of milk".

Ksira-sagar is just behind the temple. The yellow flag is above the main altar of Dauji Mandir.

It is said that the Deity was found lying down in Ksira-sagar-kund. Devoted people took Sri Dauji from the kund and built this temple, in which they duly seated and worshipped Him.

The pujaris may have put the Deity in the lake out of fear of an attack by the bigot Aurangzeb.

Dauji's birth from the womb of mother Rohini, eight days before the birth of Sri Krishna, took place in Gokul-Mahavan. His nama-karana (name giving ceremony), cuda-karana and other samskaras were performed with those of baby Krisna. Dauji and Krishna also played together.

Ridha or Dauji Gaon is the pasturing ground for Sri Baladauji's cows, being the forest area at the time of His prakata-lila. This place is within Vidrumavana.

Inside the temple building.

Once every springtime during the Holi festival, Dauji temple gets really crowded. Many people from the villages come to commemorate the Lord's divine pastimes.

During the Holi festival the pastimes of Radha and Krisna are remembered by throwing colored dyes and splashes of saffron water.

If one happens to be in the midst of the Holi festival today, one may think it to be just wild folk tradition, but originally it is rooted in the pastimes of Radha and Krisna.

Balaram once wanted to dance with the gopies as Krishna did. They have danced for Him, but afterwards...

...ripped of His clothes and beat Him. Similarly, today the cowherd women or gopis beat men on this special day when all the social conventions are put aside.

In the Lalita-madhava it is stated that Lord Baladeva, intoxicated from drinking excessive quantities of honey, once began to address the ants, "O you kings of the ants! Why are you hiding yourselves in these holes?" At the same time He also addressed the King of heaven, "O King Indra! You plaything of Saci! Why are you laughing? I am now prepared to smash the whole universe, and I know that Krishna will not be angry with Me..."

...Then He addressed Krishna, "My dear Krishna, tell Me immediately why the whole world is trembling and why the moon has become elongated! O you members of the Yadu dynasty, why are you laughing at Me? Please give Me back My liquors made of honey from the kadamba flower!" Srila Rupa Goswami prays that Lord Balaram will be pleased with all of us while He is thus talking just like an intoxicated person...

The Nectar of Devotion