All Gaudiya Vaishnavas who reside in Vrindavana traditionally start Vraja Mandala Parikrama from Vrindavana itself, in order to show proper respect to this most important amongst the twelve sacred forests of Vraja. Resident devotees of Vrindavana start their Vraja Mandala Parikrama by first performing the parikrama of Vrindavana while also taking darshana of the ‘Seven Goswami Temples’. There is also a tradition amongst Vaishnavas that before starting the Vraja Mandala Parikrama, they should first take a vow (sankalpa), promising Lord Krishna that they will complete the full Vraja Mandala Parikrama once they have started it.
Although this sankalpa is traditionally taken at Vishrama Ghata, where those (other than the residents of Vrindavana) start their Vraja Mandala Parikrama, however, the Vrindavana devotees make their sankalpa at the Madana-mohana Mandira on the occasion of niyama-seva, the day after the Saradiya Purnima, which is also the first day of Kartika. They then take a holy bath in the Yamuna River at Keshi Ghata, after which the parikrama of Vraja Mandala begins. After completing the parikrama by visiting Mahavana and than Ravala, the devotees from Vrindavana end their parikrama by bathing in the Yamuna at Vishrama Ghata in Mathura.
There is another tradition mentioned in the Vraja-bhakti-vilasa where the Vraja Mandala Parikrama starts on the Dvadashi day after Janmasthami from the Madana-mohana Mandira in Vrindavana and then proceeds to the Bhuteshwara Mahadeva Mandira in Mathura where sankalpa is offered. This particular Vraja Mandala Parikrama starting after Janmashtami is presently followed by the kathiya-baba lineage of the Nimbarka sampradaya and it takes forty two days to complete ending on Durga-puja. It is also acceptable that Vraja Mandala Parikrama can start from any point on the parikrama route and also at any time of the year according to practical convenience, but it is said that the parikrama must finish at the same place from where it was started in order for it to be considered as a complete parikrama.
On the other hand, simply visiting any place within the sacred land of Vraja Mandala is also a form of parikrama and destroys an unlimited number of sins and helps one traverse the route back to Godhead. In the Garga Samhita it says, “Walking in the holy land of Vrindavana is equal to the merit of going to a different holy tirtha with every step”. In the Skanda Purana it says, “The result one obtains by performing pious acts in any part of India for thirty-three thousand years is obtained simply by remembering Mathura Vrindavana.”
Deepen your Bhakti-yoga practice, harmonize relationships, and receive guided coaching — all at Vedavarsity.com
