Vrindavan—Avoid this Trip, Plan elsewhere

We started writing these blogs to share with you some good and bad experiences that we have personally gone through. So after sharing some of the best places to visit in the last few blogs, here is something you should avoid. AVOID VRINDAVAN on your Agra tour. Be it a guided bus tour or a private taxi, this place must be avoided by every tourist as there is nothing but organized loot at almost every place in Vrindavan. On your happening tour from Taj to Mathura, Vrindavan will be a major turn-off.

Day light dacoity are being carried out in the name of Lord Krishna. If at all he takes a avatar the first city that Lord Krishna would destroy would be Vrindavan. Like I am serious.

After a peaceful darshan at Krishna Janmabhoomi at Mathura, you come to Vrindavan with high hopes of peaceful surroundings. As soon as you get out of your car/bus you are soon in the hands of a GUIDE who will take you to a temple full of monkeys where u are requested to take care of your things particularly spectacles or else monkeys will snatch it away. I cannot see anything without glasses so what is the point entering the temple like a blind man.

Vrindavan is absolutely infested with monkeys, who are adept at stealing cameras, glasses, food and anything you're not keeping a close eye on. Wear contacts or go without if you can.

By the time you come out you are scared to death because of the monkeys who are ready to pounce on you anytime. One gets the feeling that the temple authorities purposely allow these monkeys into the main temple to instill a sense of fear in the tourists mind.

You are then shown the widows of Vrindavan doing Bhajans and the service that Vrindavan provides to these widows. A sense of pity slowly forms in your mind ( A psychological trick). You are then taken to a temple called Bake Bihari Temple

You have to purchase Garlands compulsorily for the Lord. Then a big drama ensues. Husband and Wife and children are asked to join hands and do a round of the temple and then enter main sanctorum of the temple.  After showing Krishna Radha and telling us how the temple provides for upkeep of widows he demands a donation of Rs 1000/- from each couple. Donations of Rs. 500,100 etc are rejected. One has to pay Rs. 1000/- min compulsorily. O Lord Krishna are u listening.

Then at each point of coming out of temple you are asked to pay Rs. 100/-. There are five such donation boxes kept inside the temple in the name of Lord Krishna.

If you take a guided tour of Vrindavan, you can expect to be led to a temple where the priest will treat you to a simple ceremony and then start demanding donations of thousands of rupees to carve your name on a marble plaque that will supposedly go up on the wall. A few tens of rupees for dabs of kumkum on your forehead etc are reasonable, but there is absolutely no reason to pay more: simply walk out if you feel uncomfortable. The easiest way to avoid getting into this situation in the first place is to insist on going to temples of your choice, not the guide's. Please avoid Vrindavan at all cost I repeat with change of words. This is the real time experience of a devotee and I have heard stories of devotees being robbed of their wallets, chains, earrings etc by so called priests.

Being religious and Being Foolish are from different industries. you can visit temples or the ghats if you wish but say not to hefty donations. It will never go to the right place. Even if you pay donation for the marble plaque, you will not find the thing ever done even if you go and check after a year. So dear friends, AVOID VRINDAVAN – India is beautiful, lets explore the beauty of the country Smartly.  Hare Krishna!.