Nidhivan, the forest where Krishna visits today

Some places in India are intriguing as well as impressive. The mythological stories that revolve around them make them even more fascinating. One such place is the Nidhivan, which is quite mysterious. Locals believe that every night, Lord Krishna himself descends on earth to perform Rasleela with the gopis in the Nidhivan forest.

The mysterious Nidhivan in Mathura, Image source- Braj Ras

Lord Krishna's love tale with Radha and his gopis is known to all. The gopis appear captivating as they dance to his flute music in the Vrindavan jungle. This dense forest was proof of the never-ending love story of Krishna in those times. But it is believed that the Nidhivan is still witnessing this enchanting scene today.

Amidst the dry brown trees that are tangled between each other is a temple called Nidhivan Temple. The entire forest is lifeless with hollow branches of trees, but even after everything looks so dry, the leaves of the trees are evergreen and fill the arid forest with some greenery. So strange, isn't it?

During the day, the place looks as normal as the other places. Devotees come to the forest to visit the Nidhivan temple, where all the rituals are performed. But, when the sun sets, everything comes to a stop. As the evening aarti is over, everyone leaves the place.

The priest closes the temple door and ensures that no one is left behind in the place. Locals say that not even a single animal stays here after the night, and the forest becomes lonely and calm.

There is a palace in the forest called Rang Mahal. Here, every night, before leaving the place, the priest ensures that the sandalwood bed is arranged for Lord Krishna, and the sringaras are kept for Radha Rani to adore herself. Other things like Neem Datun and paan are also kept in the palace.

It is believed that Krishna comes to the place and performs his rasleela. The twisted tulsi trees are another mysterious factor. According to belief, these trees change their shape and turn into gopis who dance to the tunes of Krishna's flute. They also appear in pairs, symbolising the love between them and Krishna.

In the temple, there are idols of Lord Krishna and Radha adorned with embellishments. According to legend, a saint named Swami Haridas lived here and was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna. He was so engrossed in Krishna Bhakti that the lord had no option but to visit him every day in this place.

Inside the forest, there is a temple dedicated to Saint Haridas. There is another legend that reveals that Haridas lived in the place centuries ago. He used to play his flute to impress Krishna and thought he would visit him one day. One night, Krishna came into his dream and blessed him. Since then, the place was named Prakatya Sathal, meaning "the appearance of Lord Krishna”.

There is another structure constructed for Radha. It is said that Radha, with her sakhis Vishakha and Lalita, stole Krishna's flute. Thus, the structure is named Bansichor Radha.

When the news broke, some scientists were shocked by the narrated events and opted to perform their studies at the site. But, they had to go empty-handed without any concrete proof.

Local people firmly believe that Krishna visits the place every night, and whoever tries to witness Rasleela will either die or suffer severe mental and physical ailments. People whose windows face Nidhivan have intentionally closed them with bricks so that they do not get lured to look there.

Well, what is the real enigma that goes on in the mysterious Nidhivan, we don't know. But these stories definitely create fascination in our minds. If you ever visit Vrindavan, do visit the Nidhivan, but only during the day.