ABOUT US
Our History
Brajbhoomi is one of India's most historical and iconic cultural grounds. The ancient history of Braj, centred around Krishna, has been celebrated in art, music, song, literature, poetry, dance and drama. Vrindavan Heritage Tower will play an important part in realising the heritage and cultural tourism potential of Braj.
Five thousand years ago, Lord Krishna spent His childhood days in Vrindavan with His cowherd friends, gopis and His dear cows. He was always surrounded by peacocks, parrots, swans, monkeys, deer and many other animals. The sweet melody of His flute made even the plants and trees dance. The cows fed on the tender, juicy grass of the pastures and provided the sweetest milk. The residents of Vrindavan depended on Govardhan Hill and their cows for sustenance. River Yamuna also played a prominent role in Krishna’s pastimes by offering her cool waters. Braj consisted of twelve beautiful and sacred forests: Bhadravan, Bilvavan (Belvan), Lohavan (Lauhavan), Bhandiravan, Mahavan, Madhuvan, Talavan, Kumudavan, Bahulavan, Kamyavan, Khadiravan, and Vrindavan.
When Lord Krishna returned to Goloka, these sites where Krishna performed miraculous feats, childhood mischief, and many other wonderful pastimes were forgotten. His great-grandson, Vajranabh, was asked by the devotees to go to Vrindavan and restore the lila sthalis (places of Lord Krishna’s lilas). Vajranabh gladly agreed and identified every forest, grove, garden, lake, pond, hill, and village connected to Krishna’s pastimes with the help of scriptures like Adi-Varaha Purana. Vajranabh established temples and installed deities in these lila sthalis. Today, Vrindavan attracts pilgrims from every corner of the world as it is considered to be one of the most important holy sites.
Vrindavan has an incredibly rich cultural heritage, mainly due to its sanctity and spiritual practices. It is the heart of Braj and is considered to be the topmost holy site. The forests that provided fresh and juicy grasses for the cows and calves also offered varieties of sweet juicy fruits for rejuvenating Krishna and His cowherd friends. These forests and groves witnessed Krishna’s divine pastimes with the gopis.
Srimad Bhagavatam describes the glories of Braj Bhoomi as follows, “In Braj Bhoomi, the sweet splendour of spring, the king of all seasons, is ever present, and a green velvety carpet covers the surface of the earth. Lotuses of many colours bloom in the ponds and rivers, and the branches of the trees are well adorned with fully-bloomed campa, cameli, beli, juhi and other delightfully fragrant flowers, whose nectar is relished by intoxicated bees. The entire atmosphere is pervaded with both transcendental bliss and the intoxication of youth. These combine to create a kingdom of ever-increasing joy that captivates the body and mind.”
Vrindavan is an important place of pilgrimage with more than 5000 Krishna temples. These ancient temples have traditional, hand-sculpted architecture, and Vrindavan Heritage Tower is an amalgamation of Indian traditional architecture and modern architecture reflecting the spirit of the sacred land. There will be a grand temple for Lord Krishna surrounded by a Biodiversity Park with lush green vegetation and varieties of flora and fauna. The complex will also consist of a cultural education centre, school, library, annadaan hall, youth hostel, convention hall and other facilities for the benefit of visitors, pilgrims, tourists and local residents.
This magnificent monument for Lord Krishna will stand tall to portray the rich history and culture of Vrindavan for years to come.
Vrindavan, an integral part of the Braj region, stands high, upholding the cultural legacy and spiritual richness of the timeless Vedic heritage. Five thousand years ago, when Sri Krishna descended into this material world, He spent His childhood and youth here, surrounded by His cowherd friends, the gopis, cows and His other beloved associates of Vrindavan. The land of Vrindavan still reflects Sri Krishna’s extraordinary pastimes. The relationship Sri Krishna shares with the land of Vrindavan makes it unique.
When Sri Krishna returned to Goloka (The Spiritual World), the notable sites of Braj, or lila-sthalis, were eventually forgotten. Raja Vajranabh, the great-grandson of Sri Krishna, on the request of devotees, identified and restored many of the significant sites associated with Lord Krishna’s pastimes and installed the predominating Deities of Vrindavan like Sri Madanmohan Ji, Sri Govind Ji and Sri Gopinath Ji.
About 500 years ago, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu - the golden avatar of Lord Krishna, descended into this material world to teach people in general about the path of devotion. He traveled extensively across the country and set His lotus feet in Vrindavan around 1515 AD. He journeyed across the Brajbhoomi-Vrindavan to discover the lost places associated with Sri Krishna’s glory and pastimes.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, with his close associates, the six Goswamis, rediscovered the exact locations of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. The six Goswamis, namely Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Sanatana Goswami, Srila Raghunath Das Goswami, Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami, and Srila Raghunath Bhatta Goswami, were prominent scholars and disciples of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. As per His instructions, the Goswamis revealed the lilasthalis of Vrindavan and established temples on the respective sites. This established Vrindavan as a significant pilgrimage site dedicated to the welfare of aspiring devotees and to benefit the future generations.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Acharya of the Global Hare Krishna Movement, unveiled the glory of Vrindavan to the whole world. During 1959-1965, he resided in the historic Radha-Damodar Mandir of Vrindavan and translated books like Srimad-Bhagavatam in English before he travelled to the west.
In 1966, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda began his journey to the heritage, and cultural significance of Lord Krishna's holy land. He traveled as the greatest ambassador of India’s Vedic heritage to reveal the glories of Vrindavan to the whole world. He became the medium to preach the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to the western world. During this time, He established 108 Hare Krishna centres across the globe, including one in Vrindavan in the year 1975. He introduced the Indian spiritual culture and glories of Vrindavan to the entire world. This captured the interest and attention of millions across the globe.
Vrindavan Heritage Tower is located in the Chhatikara location of Vrindavan. 'Chhatikara' evolved from the original name 'Shakatakara', which is the name derived from the words 'shakat' meaning cart or bullock cart and 'akara' meaning half-a-circle, like the shape of a crescent moon. This place was then the home of the Brajavasis, who used bullock carts set in a crescent moon structure for their protection from any direct threat.
The idea of Vrindavan Heritage Tower was conceived long before its inauguration in 2006. With its upstanding aim, the Vrindavan Heritage Tower is designed to be the tallest cultural heritage monument in the world. It will stand at magnificent height of 700 feet (210 meters), equivalent to 70 floors. It has an expansive built-up area of approximately 540,000 sq. ft. (~ 50,000 sq. m.).
This world-class iconic monument has a grand temple hall with the Deities of Sri Radha Vrindavanchandra installed in the main temple hall. The expansive space of Vrindavan Heritage Tower will also have a museum and expo dedicated to Srila Prabhupada. The premises will also be home to various socio-religious initiatives like Cow Protection, Annadan Seva for Sadhus, Swach Vrindavan and other facilities like Culture Education Centre, bookstore, and a serene biodiversity park.
