Nidhivan

Nidhivan is one of the holiest spots in Vrindavan, a grove devoted to the pastimes of Radha, Krishna and the gopis. Devotees believe that Radha and Krishna still perform the rasa lila here every night, so the grove is closed off after dark to protect its sanctity, and many hold that the trees themselves become gopis to join the dance.

The grove is thick with short tulsi trees, growing in pairs with tangled trunks that bend towards the ground; though their bark is hollow and the soil dry, they stay green all year. Monkeys and peacocks live among them. Inside are the Rang Mahal, where the divine couple are believed to rest after dancing, the Bansichori Radharani temple, a shrine to Swami Haridas, who brought forth the Banke Bihari image, the Raslila Sthali, and Lalita Kund, a pond Krishna is said to have created when the gopis grew thirsty.