Talk:Vrindavan

Ganeshbot

I have merged the information in the article today. Ys, GourangaUK 11:31, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

Widows

I dont see how this is relevant to the Vrindavan article. If someone wants, and if it is found notable, they can start a separate article on this. Anyway, the CNN article itself is so full of generalizations, factual inaccuracies, and thinly-veiled racism that we will need a more scholarly source for this to be notable.199.43.32.86 16:28, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

How can it not be notable? It's the only thing Vrindavan is known for outside India (largely thanks to historian William Dalrymple's The Age of Kali), and "city widows vrindavan" gets 27,000 Google hits. If you're disputing specific assertions in the paragraph, please provide contrary sources. Jpatokal 04:18, 7 July 2007 (UTC)

Article moved

From Vrindavan to Vrindavana according to academic spelling and Google test. Wikidās ॐ 12:30, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

I have no idea how you're doing your Google test, but I get 470k hits for Vrindavan vs 73k for Vrindavana. The (self-proclaimed, but there's nothing better) "official" website also uses the spelling Vrindavana. I've thus reverted your move. Jpatokal (talk) 18:37, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Tourist Scams in Mathura-Vrindavan

This warning is for everyone visiting or wanting to visit Mathura-Vrindavan and all the holy sites around.Basically it works like this….. Once you hire a tourist taxi randomly,the driver will take you to the temple where his accomplices in the form of guides,priests etc are waiting to scam you of all your money and more.Vrindavan and mathura is filled with numerous temples at any one site.If you don’t have a plan to visit any particular temple,the taxi drivers will drive you to the temple of their choice where an accomplice is waiting to act as your guide.Once you take him on as a guide,he will take you around the legitimate temple (in our case it was the govind temple at Vrindavan) and explain the various aspects,asking you to clap your hands and laugh in praise of Lord Krishna.He will then concoct a story of how a diamond embedded in the ceiling was taken by Aurangzeb when he attacked the temple,and how his mother gave it back to an adjacent temple to repent when Aurangzeb went blind.Once he leads you out of the temple to see that diamond in its new place,you are on your way to getting cheated of all your money.In the narrow alleyways and bylanes around the main temple are various ashrams,temples etc.where you will be shown beggars and widows who are fed by donations of visitors.Finally you will be led to the temple where the scam starts.You will be shown various statues etc and finally be told to switch off your mobile.You will then be seated in front of 3 statues where the priest then takes over.He will conduct a sham ceremony and ask you to utter a few mantras.After that he will ask you for a donation in 1000,3000 and 4000 denomination.In return he promises you that your name will be engraved on a marble stone and fixed on the wall of the temple.He will also show you a few famous names engraved on the slabs.eg.amitabh bacchan,karishma kapoor etc.After that he will whip out a fake receipt book and start by asking you your name,your fathers name etc. and then ask you for the money in 1000,3000 or 4000 denomination.If you try to talk to each other,he will scare you with curses and bad luck.If you try to discuss it with your friends who are seated around you,he will stop you and ask you to mind your own business.While all this name taking is going on,his cohorts in the temple will be seated behind you and pronounce their donations out loud.Making you believe that it’s a genuine donation.If you part with your money,you will become the newest victim.In our case 3 people lost 1000 rupees.I used my presense of mind and asked them for a credit card donation,since I knew it would lead me out of the temple and give me time to think.Trust me,once you are seated and the ceremony is complete you will need all the fortitude to get out of that situation with menacing faces surrounding you.Once we were led to the so called ‘temple trust office’ it was all clear that it was a sham since it was one of the dingy shops around the corner and not a temple trust office.I faked that I needed a temple trust receipt from the machine and not some screwed up shop’s name. So all those of you who visit India or are planning to visit India beware of these scams.They are everywhere.Guides who will lead you to shops where they get the maximum commission and you get ripped off.Get your head out of the sand and plan it carefully. Any comments or questions….mail me at:mayur72@sify.com I will be glad to send you a photo of the scamsters taken inadvertently while clicking inside the main temple.They wont allow you to take pictures while you are in the temple citing the monkeys around. Take care…and best of luck. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.184.182.75 (talk) 08:41, 27 November 2008 (UTC)

"Scam"? We had that pulled on us as well, and we just refused to give them any money. They scowled for a while, but then we took off and the guided tour continued. End of story. Jpatokal (talk) 03:51, 28 November 2008 (UTC)

File:Vrindavan Hare Krishn.jpeg Nominated for speedy Deletion

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Presidential visit to Vrindavan (March 2026)

Hello @Fylindfotberserk: I've opened this discussion and would welcome your input.

I recently added a brief mention of President Draupadi Murmu's March 2026 visit to Vrindavan, which was reverted with the note WP:NOTNEWS. I'd like to discuss this constructively.

I understand the concern that a very recent event can appear news-like. However, I believe a brief mention — framed around Vrindavan's continuing significance as a destination for senior Indian officials rather than as a news report — could be appropriate for the article.

The proposed content is sourced from reliable outlets including DD News (the Indian government broadcaster) and India TV News. The visit included prayers at ISKCON Temple and Prem Mandir and the Govardhan Parikrama — all directly relevant to Vrindavan's religious character.

I am happy to rework the wording to be more encyclopedic in tone. For example, placing it within a "Notable visits" or "Religious significance" subsection, with Vrindavan as the subject rather than the visit itself. I welcome any suggestions from experienced editors.

Thank you. ~~~~ Eshwardas (talk) 15:12, 22 March 2026 (UTC)

@Eshwardas: Spiritual tour, "offered prayers", visited a few centres, that's very much a routine affair, hence WP:NOTNEWS. Excerpt from the policy states- "While news coverage can be useful source material for encyclopedic topics, most newsworthy events do not qualify for inclusion", and also see WP:ROUTINE (note that reliability of the sources do not change the notability of the events from a Wikpedia perspective). Unless we have something impactful, for example inauguration, foundation stone laying, etc of significant notability - Narendra Modi's ceremonial stone laying at Ayodhya for example, I'm not comfortable with such additions. And a section titled "Notable visits" would be a never-ending list pf all such visits over the years and the future, not to mention other users might demand the same for their preferred city articles as well. - Fylindfotberserk (talk) 17:03, 22 March 2026 (UTC)

@Fylindfotberserk Thank you for the detailed explanation — this is genuinely helpful. I understand the WP:ROUTINE concern and the precedent issue with a "Notable visits" section. I'll accept the revert. I may revisit if there are future developments from this visit that meet the notability threshold. ~~~~ Eshwardas (talk) 12:59, 23 March 2026 (UTC)

@Eshwardas: Thanks . Feel free to ping me whenever necessary. - Fylindfotberserk (talk) 13:20, 23 March 2026 (UTC)

Suggested updates – April 2026

Several issues identified during review:

• Noida Airport (critical): Article states airport "expected to open May 2025" — it was actually inaugurated on 28 March 2026 with commercial flights expected mid-April 2026. Updated accordingly.
• Vallabhacharya: "In contemporary times" is incorrect for a 15th-century saint; name incorrectly split as "Vallabha Charya"; run-on sentence fixed.
• Radha Vallabh Temple: "one of the ancient temple" corrected to "temples".
• ISKCON samadhi sentence: Double verb construction fixed.
• Delhi distance inconsistency: Lede says 125 km, Transportation section says 129 km. Needs verification before changing — flagging here.
• Demographics: 2011 Census data should be tagged as needing update.
• Semi-arid: Hyphenation corrected.

Eshwardas (talk) 13:56, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

Proposed addition: Festivals section (Holi)

Summary

The article currently has no Festivals section. Holi appears only once,in a footnote (cite ref 22, The Indian Express, 2023) about widows participating in temple celebrations. Given Vrindavan's central role in Braj Holi traditions, this is a significant content gap.

I am adding a new == Festivals == section with a single === Holi === subsection. The proposed text is below.

Proposed text

Holi is among the most prominent festivals observed in Vrindavan. As part of the Braj region, Vrindavan holds a central place in the festival's mythology and traditions owing to its association with Krishna and Radha. Unlike much of India, where Holi is observed as a single-day celebration, the festivities in the Braj region are extended, spanning a week or more, beginning from Rangbhari Ekadashi on the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of Phalguna. A distinctive tradition observed in Vrindavan is Phoolon ki Holi (Holi of flowers), held at the Banke Bihari Temple, in which priests shower devotees with fresh flower petals in place of coloured powder, accompanied by devotional singing. The nearby towns of Barsana and Nandgaon are known for Lathmar Holi, in which women playfully beat men with bamboo sticks in a traditional reenactment of Krishna's visits to Radha's village. Vrindavan's widows have also historically participated in Holi celebrations at local temples, a practice that has received wide attention.

Sources used

• Encyclopædia Britannica — general Holi and Krishna/Braj connection
• The Quint (11 March 2017) — evergreen overview confirming Braj Holi lasts a week or more and covers Lathmar Holi at Barsana and Nandgaon
• Hindustan Times — Phoolon ki Holi at Banke Bihari Temple, Vrindavan
• The Indian Express (9 March 2023) — widows' Holi at Vrindavan temples; this source is already cited in the article as ref 22 and is reused here

What was intentionally excluded

• No annual event listings or specific dates — content describes the tradition only, per WP:NOTNEWS
• No tourism blogs or operator websites used as citations
• The proposed Novotel Vrindavan hotel development (Accor, announced January 2026, opening 2029) was considered but excluded under WP:CRYSTAL as a future event not yet realised; it can be revisited upon opening

Invitation for comment

Welcoming feedback from watchlist editors, particularly on whether a broader Festivals section covering other celebrations such as Janmashtami or Radhashtami would be preferable to a standalone Holi subsection.

Placement

The new Festivals section is proposed to follow the existing Temples section, as the festival traditions described are directly centred on Vrindavan's temples. This follows the structure used in comparable Wikipedia articles on Indian pilgrimage cities such as Mathura and Tirupati.

Update: Edit completed

The Festivals section has been added to the article as described above. City of Widows and Culinary tradition retained at == level with no content changes. Welcoming any feedback or further expansion.Eshwardas (talk) 15:56, 8 April 2026 (UTC)