Vrindavan

Located 67 km from Agra, the city of Vrindavan is a great weekend getaway from Agra and a must visit if you are planning to travel to Agra. Vrindavan is situated in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and is primarily a place of temples with nearly 4,000 in number, which include several private shrines and sattras (houses for the distribution of alms).

While you travel to Agra, drop in to Vrindavan, which is just 10 km off Mathura. Temples abound here. One of the most important and vibrant temples is the Bankey Bihari Temple, where one can expect to see devotees engaged in simple acts of worship such as ecstatically clashing small cymbals together as they move in time to ancient rhythms. The Pagal Baba Temple has eleven stories in all and is one of the more modern pieces of architecture.

The Govind Dev Temple was built in 1590 by Raja Man Singh and now lies empty, its upper layers having been torn down during the time of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The Rangaji Temple dates from 1851 and is a mixture of architectural styles, including a Rajput entrance gate, a soaring south Indian gopuram (gateway tower), and an Italianate colonnade.

One of the most impressive temples is the ISKCON Temple, which was built with funds from devotees overseas. Here, the marble buildings almost glow with a light of their own and there is evidence of intricate carving.

And the best time to travel to Agra and visit Vrindavan is during the months of July/August when Janmashtami (birthday of Lord Krishna) is celebrated in full gaiety. But, almost everyday there is a festival in Vrindavan, but the major ones include Govardhan Puja, Guru Poornima, Holi, Govardhan Puja, Jhulan Yatra (swing festival), Radhashtami and Basant Panchami.