Radha Kund

Following the sacred writing "Sri Upadeshamrita" (The Nectar of Instruction) by early 16th-century saint Sri Rupa Goswami of Vrindavan, a close associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vaishnava Hindus consider Radha-Kund to be the supreme of all holy places.[1]

Legend has it that when Lord Krishna slayed a mighty asura (demon) in the form of a bull, his consort Radha tersely told Krishna to wash off his sins by taking dips in various holy rivers. Krishna laughed it off and struck the ground with his foot whereupon the mighty rivers emerged, welled up and formed a kunda (little water body). Subsequently the Lord bathed in the water to please Radha. The kunda came to be called "Shyam-Kund".

Indignant that Krishna used his powers for this, Radha and her girl attendants dug out another kunda nearby with their bangles. However, as the water did not raise up in the Kund, it had to be filled with water from "Manasi-Ganga", another holy kunda at Govardhan which was little far off. Taking a piety on Radha and other Gopis, with their permission, and Shri Krishna's divine grace, sacred waters from Shyam Kund broke its banks close to mid-night on the eighth day of the waning moon in karttik (Damodar, October-November) and started filling the Radhakund. [2] Shri Krishna then took bath in Radhakund and announced that to whoever takes bath in Radhakund on this day of the year or any day in future, the seed of intense love (Prema-Bhakti) which Shrimati Radharani has for Him would be given. Similarly, Shrimati Radharani took bath in Syamakund and announced that to anyone who takes bath in Syamakund, She would also give the seed of love that Shri Krishna has for Her. To this day, millions of pilgrims desiring love for Shri Shri Radha-Krishna come to this holy spot on the occasion of Ardha-Ratri-Snan (Midnight bath) to take bath in a reverential mood, bathing first in Shri Radhakund, then in Shri Syamakund, and then again in Shri Radhakund. This is the only place of pilgrimage where an auspicious bath is taken at midnight.[3]

As of 2001 India census,[4] Radha-Kund had a population of 5889. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Radha-Kund has an average literacy rate of 65%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 53%. In Radha-Kund, 16% of the population is under 6 years of age.