Nandgaon, located in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, is renowned as a place of religious importance, as it is associated with the childhood of Lord Krishna and is regarded as the home town of Nand Maharaj, foster father of Lord Krishna. Nandgaon is mainly a small town, near Barsana, Uttar Pradesh and a Nagar Panchayat in the district of Mathura. .
Legends and history of Nandgaon
According to myths, Lord Krishna resided in Nandgaon during his childhood. His foster father, Nand Maharaj, made their house on top of the hill in order to protect little Krishna from the various demons sent by emperor Kansa, to kill Krishna. It is also believed that Krishna and his brother Balarama, used to take their cows for grazing, to the nearby areas.
Geography of Nandgaon
The geographical coordinates of Nandgaon are 27.72 degree north, 77.38 degree east. Nandgaon is around 48 km away from Vrindavan and 8 km towards the north from Barsana. Nandgaon, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, is situated at an average elevation of 603 feet (184 m).
Demography of Nandgaon
According to the 2001 Census, the population of Nandgaon is 9956, of which, 54% are males and 46% of the population are females. The average literacy rate is lower than the average national rate of 59.5%. The literacy rate of Nandgaon is only 45%; literacy rate in males is 59%, where as female literacy rate is merely 29%. 19% of the entire population in Nandgaon consists of young children below 6 years.
Culture of Nandgaon
Nandgaon is a very religious town as it is related to the childhood period of Lord Krishna. Hindi, Brij and English are the languages spoken in the small town. There are a number of temples are located in the region. Various festivals are also celebrated in this region, but most popular is the festival of Holi, as the region is related to Krishna. A unique version of Holi is celebrated here, the Lathmar Holi, where the women of the household, beat the men with sticks in a playing manner. The men in turn provoke the women by taunts and remarks. This tradition has become immensely popular in this part of the country. The next day, Holi is celebrated in then traditional form by splashing colours.
Tourism of Nandgaon
Nandgaon is a popular religious destination. There a range of renowned temples in the town. Most popular temple is the Temple of Nand Rai which is located on the top of a small hill. The Nand Rai Temple was built in the 18th century by Jat king Roop Singh. The other temples are devoted to various deities like Narsimha, Girdhari, Nritya Gopal and Yashoda, which located on the hill.
Pan Sarovar is also a popular lake, situated near the Nand Rai Temple. The lake is adequately large with masonry ghats on the sides. It is widely believed that Krishna used to take his cows to the lake. There is also a kadamb trees in the vicinity.
Nandgaon is a religious and sacred place, as it is believed that Lord Krishna stayed here during his childhood, and evidence is still found from remnants that were stated in the Granthas.
