Radha-Raman Temple
Vrndavan, Braj Mandal, Uttar Pradesh (UP) India

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Gopala Bhatta Gosvami established this temple. The Deity of Sri Radha-Raman was manifested from one of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s shalagram-shilas (Damodara), on the full moon day (Purnima), 15th day of the month of Vaishaka (April-May) in 1542. It is the day after the appearance day of Lord Narasimha. This event is celebrated every year (April-May) by bathing the Deity of Radha-Raman with over 300 litres of milk and other auspicious items. Radha-Raman is bathed in panchamrita, which are milk, yogurt, ghee, honey and sugar. The remnants of this abhiseka (bathing) are like nectar. Sri Radha

Raman’s Appearance Place is in the Radha-Raman Temple, next to the samadhi of Gopala Bhatta. It is said that there are markings of discs on the Deity’s back and feet. The Deity of Radha-Raman is around 30cm (1 foot) tall. Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s other shalagram-shilas are also worshiped on the altar here.

Radha-Ramanji is one of the few original Deities of the Gosvamis still in Vrindavana. The standard of worship in this temple is very high. There is no Deity of Radha in this temple. The name of Radharani is worshiped in this temple, because according to scriptures the name and the person are considered non-different. There is a golden plate next to Krishna, which has the name of Radharani engraved into it. A Deity of Radharani is not worshiped in this temple because the Deity of Radha-Raman is self-manifested and there was no Deity of Radharani self-manifested.

The present temple was built in 1826 at the cost of 80 thousand rupees by Shah Behari Lallji from Lucknow, the grandfather of Shah Kundan Lall and Shah Fundan Lall, who built the Shahji Temple.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s kaupina (cloth) and asana (seat), which Gopala Bhatta Gosvami brought from Jagannath Puri, are also in this temple. The asana is black wood and is about 31cm (12") by 25cm (10"). They are brought out to be seen by the public for six days a year. They can be seen on Gaura Purnima, the appearance day of Radha Raman, the actual day and day after the disappearance of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Janmasthami and Nandotsava (the day after Janmasthami). There is a daily abhiseka of the asana with Yamuna water. There is no decay of the asana or any cracks, even after 450 years.

For the raja bhoga offering, Radha Raman’s pujaris first offer all of the bhoga (food) to Radha-Raman and the shalagrama shilas, then they make a second offering to Srimati Radharani, and then a third offering for Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. There are not three different plates, but the same plate is offered in the order above.

The fires for cooking in the temple kitchen have been burning continuously for over 440 years, since the Deity was installed. This is so no foreign elements, such as matches, are used for ignition purposes. Before the present temple was built, there was another temple at the same place that is now the kitchen and prasadam area for the present temple.

Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s Samadhi is to the left, after you enter the first gate from the street into the temple compound. After entering the temple compound you turn left and walk fifty metres (150 ft). He passed away at the age of 85, in 1596, exactly 100 years after the appearance of Lord Caitanya. His disappearance day is celebrated in the month of Sravana (July-Aug) on the Shukla Panchami (5th) day. There are also smaller samadhis here of the previous sevaits (priests) of Radha-Raman. There is regular worship at this samadhi. Daily bhajans and kirtanas are chanted and the Srimad Bhagavatam is recited. Twice a day a full plate of Radha-Raman’s maha-prasada is offered. They also offer him fresh drinking water.

In a separate kitchen, five bhoga (food) offerings are prepared and offered to Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. After the offerings, five aratis are performed. After the last arati of the day, Radha Raman’s pujari give Radha-Raman’s maha flower garlands to Gopala Bhatta Gosvami.

In the area of the present Radha-Raman Temple, there used to be a lake connected to the Yamuna River. The Yamuna River used to be close to the Radha-Raman temple, but has moved away over the years. Until about 400 years ago Radha-Raman was worshiped in a tree. At night the Deity would be put on a boat, anchored in the middle of the lake. Devotees would stand guard with bows and arrows. The arrows were dipped in a homemade poison, so that even if the arrows nicked you, you would go down. At the Radha Raman Temple they still have these arrows.
You can get good photos of the Deity of Radha-Raman at Pravin Photo House. This photography shop is to the right of the entrance of the Radha-Raman temple complex.

Getting Around When you enter the door to the courtyard, you go straight for about 35m (100 feet). You then make a left and the temple is directly in front of you, after about 35m (100 ft). When you enter the courtyard of the temple from the street, if you immediately turn left, the appearance place of Radha-Raman is about 10m (33 ft) away on your right. Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s samadhi is another 3m (10 ft) away.

How To Get Here This temple is close to Loi Bazaar. You go to the bottom end of Loi Bazaar and make a left at the T intersection. You follow the road straight to the Shahji Temple (where the road ends). You then take a right and go about 50m (150 ft) and then the road turns left. After about 35m (100 ft) you make a right and follow the road along the high wall around Nidhivana. After a few minutes (200m) the road goes slightly to the right. There is also a road that goes to the left. The door to the courtyard of the Radha-Raman temple is on your left, in front of you. The gate to this temple is fairly big and has domes over it.

Temple Timings Darshan is usually, Winter: 8 am to 12.30 pm and 5.30 to 8 pm and Summer: 9 am to 1 pm and 6.30 to 9 pm. Mangala Arati is 4 am in the summer, 5 am in the winter and 4.30 during Kartika. According to the season, times may change. During the festival times there are no fixed times.

Appearance of Radha-Raman
One night Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to Gopala Bhatta in a dream and told him to go to the Gandaki River in Nepal and obtain some Shaligram-shilas to worship. Gopala Bhatta Gosvami then went personally to the source of the Gandaki River in Nepal and collected twelve Shaligram-shilas. One of the shalagram was distinctly a Damodara Shalagram. Gopala Bhatta took the shalagrams and placed them in a basket, which he hung on the branch of a tree that was located at the place of the rasa-lila. He worshiped them daily reverentially. Gopala Bhatta would worship these shalagrama-shilas in his place near Nidhivana.

Eventually a rich man came and donated dresses and ornaments for the Deities in the temples in Vrindavana. He also donated some dresses and ornaments for the shalagrama-shilas. Gopala Bhatta went to this man and said, “how can I dress my shalagrams with these dresses and ornaments.” He then thought, that he had been very unlucky not to be able to have the darshan and perform further service to Sri Caitanya. He then prayed to Lord Caitanya that you fulfill the desires of your devotees, please give me your bodily darshan, so I can worship you in this form. This happened on the appearance day of Lord Narasimhadeva.

The next morning he saw that a beautiful Deity of Krishna had manifested from the Damodara-shila. His face was like Govindaji, His chest was like Gopinath, and His legs and feet were similar to Madana-Mohan. Gopala Bhatta gave this attractive Deity the name Radha-Raman.

The Gosvamis of Radha-Raman Temple
Gopala Bhatta went to the Gandaki River in Nepal. During this time he went to a village near Haridwar named Devaban. He was invited into the house of a brahmana. The son of this brahmana, named Gopinatha, later came to Vrindavana. He was initiated by Gopala Bhatta and he was placed in charge of the Deity worship of Radha-Raman. He did not marry and remained a life-long celibate. Gopala Bhatta asked Gopinatha to get married, so his family could continue the worship of Radha-Raman. Gopinatha requested that he not get married and that his younger brother, named Sri Damodar Das, would continue the Deity worship. This family line from Sri Damodar Das has continued to worship the Deity of Radha-Raman in an unbroken chain, up to this day.

There are about 40 Gosvami families connected to the Radha-Raman temple.

One of the Gosvamis in this temple is Padmanabha Gosvami. He is a strong supporter and friend of ISKCON. His grandfather Sarvabhaum Madhusudan Gosvami, who was known as a distinguished preacher and a Vaishnava scholar, met both Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Gosvami. He met Bhaktivinoda Thakur in 1906 and 1912, and Bhaktisiddhanta in 1911. He wrote in his diary on September 6, 1911: “Sri Vimala Prasad Siddhanta Saraswati (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja) today came at night, 9 pm. Ramananda Babaji was also present. Very intimate thoughts were viewed and discussed.” On September 7 he wrote: “At night we heard the voluminous writings by Sri Vimal Prasad, the writings very much appealed to us.” On the 22th of December in 1914 he sent the maha-prasada of Radha-Raman to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Gosvami, who at that time was doing the installation of Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s samadhi.

Padmanabha Gosvami’s grandfather met both Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja and A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Padmanabha Gosvami’s father, Biswambhar Gosvami, was considered one of the main scholars of Vrindavana. He was a good friend of Srila Prabhupada. When Srila Prabhupada came to Vrindavana in 1971, with a group of his disciples, the Vrindavana municipality honored Srila Prabhupada and his Western disciples with a formal reception at the town hall. Biswambhar Gosvami gave the opening talk at this time in glorification of Srila Prabhupada.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides