Radha Krishna Vivah Sthali, Bhandirvan

This Hindu temple site, Radha Krishna Vivah Sthali, lies in the Bhandirvan forest, in the Mant area of Mathura district. According to the Brahma Vaivarta Purana and the Garga Samhita, Radha and Krishna were married here, with Brahma himself acting as priest. The wedding is celebrated each year at Phulera Dooj, which usually falls in February or March. Bhandirvan is counted among the sacred forests of Braj, and tradition also links it to Krishna sharing meals with his cowherd friends under the great Bhandirvata banyan, and to Balarama killing the demon Pralamba.

Within the grounds is the Radha Bhandir Bihari temple, whose image shows Krishna placing sindoor on Radha's head, a key Hindu wedding rite. Nearby are Venu Kup, a sacred well believed to have been made by Krishna with his flute, a pair of huge banyan trees under which the wedding is said to have taken place, and a temple to Balarama.