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Malyahari Kunda

It is said that the gopis, after picking flowers at Kusuma Sarovara, would come here and make them into garlands. Malyahari Kunda is a small kunda. There is a sweet water well next to this kunda called Malyahari well.

At this place Krishna and the gopis had a pastime here which involved pearls. This pastime is described by Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami in his Sri Mukta Charita. Krishna told this story to one of His wives in Dwarka, Satyabhama.

Krishna came to Malyahari Kunda and saw the gopis stringing pearl necklaces. He asked Radharani and the gopis to give Him some pearls to decorate His favorite cows, who were named Harini and Hasini, which they refused to do. Lalita Devi told Him that she did not have even one pearl suitable for decorating His cows.

Krishna then went home and asked Mother Yasoda for some pearls to plant a garden. She laughed and told Him that everyone knows that pearls come from oysters. She eventually gave Krishna some pearls and He planted them in a field. Then Krishna sent Madhumangala to beg for some milk from the gopis to water His pearl garden. The gopis laughed at this request. Mother Yasoda then gave Him some milk to water his garden. After a few days, some small shoots grew. When Krishna told the gopis about this they just laughed and said they were thorn bushes. But after just a few days they began to produce some big beautiful pearls.

The gopis wanted some of these pearls, but Krishna did not give them even one of them. The gopis then tried to grow their own pearl garden. They collected all the pearls they had, not even keeping one, and planted them in a field. They water the pearl garden three times a day with milk and ghee. But not even one pearl tree grew, just thorn trees grew. Krishna then went with His cowherd friends and laughed at the gopis. To tease them He decorated the cows, monkeys, buffaloes and sheep with the pearls. He did not give the gopis even one pearl.

Fearing that their elders would punish them the gopis came to Krishna and asked Him for some of His pearls. Krishna told them that they would all have to come see Him individually. At first the gopis could not reach an agreement with Krishna to give them some pearls.

Krishna then strung all the pearls into beautiful necklaces and put them in golden boxes. He gave the first box to Radharani and then sent a box with a pearl necklace to each of the gopis. In return, Radharani sent Krishna some scented garlands, betel nut, and some delicious food that She personally cooked.

How To Get Here If you are doing Govardhana parikrama, you reach here by making a left onto the path just before Siva Khor Kunda. You walk to the end of the road and make another left. A short distance down the road, on the left, is Malyahari Kunda.

To get here from Radha Kunda you first go to the Radha Kunja Bihari Temple. From the Radha Kunja Bihari Temple you walk 40m (120 ft) backwards on the Govardhana parikrama path. You turn right onto the cobblestone road, which is just after a big tree surrounded by a low stone wall, on the right hand side of the road. When the road bends to the right after 250m, on the left side is Malyahari Kunda.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides