Radha Damodar Temple Vrindavan: Timings, History, the Giriraj Shila and Prabhupada’s Rooms

Radha Damodar is one of the smallest temples in Vrindavan and one of the most significant and most pilgrims walk right past it. Inside its quiet courtyard sits a sacred stone that Krishna himself is said to have given, whose four rounds equal a full Govardhan parikrama, along with the samadhis of the great saints of Braj and the very rooms where Srila Prabhupada began the mission that carried Krishna consciousness across the world. Here, from a guide born in Braj, is the verified Radha Damodar Temple timing, history, the Giriraj shila and all that this small temple holds. Plan your visit with our Mathura Vrindavan tour package.

Key takeaways

• Radha Damodar is one of Vrindavan’s seven Goswami temples, founded in 1542 by Jiva Goswami.
• It holds the Giriraj Govardhan shila bearing the mark of Krishna’s foot.
• Four rounds of the shila are held to equal one full Govardhan parikrama, a gift for those who cannot walk the 21 km hill.
• The samadhis of Rupa Goswami, Jiva Goswami and Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami are in the premises.
• The bhajan kutir where Srila Prabhupada lived before founding ISKCON is here.
• Entry and darshan are completely free.
• It is small, quiet and easy to miss, sitting near Radha Raman in old Vrindavan.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018, more than 50,000 of them. Radha Damodar is the temple I most want elderly pilgrims to know about, for one reason you will read below, so let me give you its timing and its remarkable story.

Radha Damodar Temple timings and entry

The temple keeps a morning and an evening darshan block.

Timings are indicative and shift by season and on festival days, so confirm before you travel. Entry and darshan are free and the parikrama of the Giriraj shila is done within darshan hours. Our Mathura temple timings guide keeps the wider list.

The history of Radha Damodar Temple

Radha Damodar Temple was established in 1542 by Srila Jiva Goswami, one of the six Goswamis of Vrindavan and the great codifier of Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy. The deities of Sri Sri Radha Damodar were given to him by his guru and uncle, Srila Rupa Goswami, who installed them and entrusted their service to Jiva Goswami, at Seva Kunj. It became a gathering place for the Goswamis themselves, Rupa, Sanatana, Jiva, Gopala Bhatta and Raghunath Das, who met here for discussion and discourse and Jiva Goswami built a library here to hold their original manuscripts, some of which survive today in the Vrindavan Research Institute. During Aurangzeb’s invasion the deities were taken to Jaipur for safety, but the temple has remained a living centre of Goswami worship ever since, one of the seven Goswami temples of Vrindavan.

The Giriraj Shila: four rounds equal a Govardhan parikrama

This is the treasure that makes Radha Damodar unlike any other temple. In his old age, the great saint Sanatana Goswami grieved that he could no longer walk the Govardhan parikrama. To console him, Lord Krishna himself gave him a Govardhan shila, a sacred stone from the hill, that bore the imprint of his own foot, his flute, his stick and the footprints of his cows. Krishna instructed him to circle the shila four times, once for each sacred mark and told him that this would grant the complete benefit of a full Govardhan parikrama. That shila has been worshipped at Radha Damodar ever since and to this day pilgrims come to circle it.

Why devotees circle the shila

The meaning of this is deeply practical as well as sacred. The Govardhan parikrama is about 21 km on foot, beyond many elderly and unwell pilgrims. Here, in one quiet courtyard, four rounds of the Giriraj shila are held equal to that entire parikrama. For anyone who longs to complete the Govardhan parikrama but cannot walk it, this is where they can and it is the single most important thing I tell older pilgrims about this temple. For the story of the hill itself, see our history of Govardhan Parvat guide.

The samadhis of the Goswamis

Radha Damodar is also one of the holiest resting places in Braj. Within its premises lie the samadhis of Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami, Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami, the author of the Chaitanya Charitamrita and Srila Bhugarbha Goswami, along with the bhajan kutir of Rupa Goswami, where he worshipped and wrote. To sit quietly here, among the samadhis of the saints who shaped the whole spiritual life of Vrindavan, is an experience the grand temples cannot offer. It is one of the best temples in the town simply for sitting still.

Srila Prabhupada and Radha Damodar

For the millions who follow ISKCON, Radha Damodar is a place of the highest importance. The bhajan kutir where Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada lived is here, in the very quarters of Rupa Goswami and it was from this small temple, before he sailed for America, that he did much of his early writing and worship and prepared the mission that would carry Krishna consciousness across the world. His rooms are preserved and devotees from every country come to see the place where it all began. Whatever your tradition, standing here you feel the weight of what started in so humble a room.

The deities of Radha Damodar

The temple holds several sets of deities, each once worshipped by a great saint: Sri Radha Damodar, served by Jiva Goswami; Sri Radha Vrindavan Chandra, served by Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami; Sri Radha Madhava, served by Jayadeva Goswami; and Sri Radha Chailchikan, served by Bhugarbha Goswami. The central courtyard has finely carved pillars and a painted ceiling, small in scale but rich in devotion.

Radha Damodar Temple location and how to reach

The temple sits in the old lanes of Vrindavan, in the Seva Kunj area near Radha Raman.

• Location: Sri Radha Damodar Temple, Seva Kunj, Vrindavan, Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh 281121
• Founded: 1542, by Srila Jiva Goswami
• Nearby: Radha Raman, Nidhivan and Banke Bihari, all in the old-town cluster

How to reach

Radha Damodar is in the old lanes, so private cars cannot reach the gate; you walk the last stretch or take an e-rickshaw and it pairs naturally with Banke Bihari, Radha Raman and Nidhivan nearby. From Mathura Junction it is about 12 to 14 km; our Mathura to Vrindavan distance and route guide covers the approach and the places to see in Vrindavan and Mathura guide shows how it fits a full day.

Best time to visit

A weekday morning is calmest and best for the Giriraj shila parikrama and for quiet time by the samadhis. The temple is most special during Kartik, the month of Damodar, when devotees sing the Damodarashtaka and offer lamps and on the appearance days of the Goswamis. Across the year, October to March is the pleasant season for the old-town walk.

The honest bit

Honest words from one born in Braj. Radha Damodar is easy to miss and easy to underrate, a small temple in a narrow lane and that is exactly why so many pilgrims never learn what it holds. Do not make that mistake. If you are elderly or travelling with elders who cannot walk Govardhan, this is the one place in Braj where they can complete the parikrama, four gentle rounds of the shila and it means the world to those who thought they had missed it. And even setting the shila aside, to sit among the samadhis of the Goswamis and in the room where Srila Prabhupada began his work is one of the quietest, deepest experiences in all of Vrindavan. Come slowly and give it time.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul in the Mathura district and Radha Damodar is a temple I make sure elderly pilgrims never miss. Guiding since 2018, more than 50,000 pilgrims, 4.5 stars on Google, WhatsApp first, 8 AM to 9 PM daily. We bring pilgrims to the Giriraj shila so those who cannot walk Govardhan can still complete the parikrama, tell the story of the Goswamis and Srila Prabhupada on the spot and pair it with the old-town temples in one calm walk. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.

Tip from Gurudutt: if you have elderly parents who long to do the Govardhan parikrama but cannot walk 21 km, bring them here. Four slow rounds of the Giriraj shila at Radha Damodar are held equal to the full parikrama and I have watched more than one elder complete it here with tears in their eyes. Do it in the quiet of the morning, then sit a while by the samadhis before you go.

• Same-day Vrindavan tour
• 2 day Mathura Vrindavan tour package
• History of Govardhan Parvat

Plan your Vrindavan visit

Tell me your dates and how you are arriving and I will build Radha Damodar into a calm old-town morning, with the Giriraj shila parikrama for those who need it, for one clear price from ₹1,999 per person. A few good places to start:

Frequently asked questions

What is Radha Damodar Temple Vrindavan?

Radha Damodar is one of the seven Goswami temples of Vrindavan, founded in 1542 by Srila Jiva Goswami at Seva Kunj. It holds the Giriraj Govardhan shila, the samadhis of the great Goswamis and the rooms where Srila Prabhupada lived before founding ISKCON.

What are the Radha Damodar Temple timings?

The temple is generally open for darshan around 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 4:30 PM to 8:00 PM, with the exact times shifting by season and on festivals. Entry and darshan are free, so confirm the day’s timing before you visit.

Who founded Radha Damodar Temple?

Srila Jiva Goswami established it in 1542. The deities of Radha Damodar were gifted to him by his guru and uncle Srila Rupa Goswami, who installed them and entrusted their service to Jiva Goswami. It is one of Vrindavan’s seven Goswami temples.

What is the Giriraj shila at Radha Damodar Temple?

It is a Govardhan shila that Krishna gave to Sanatana Goswami, bearing the mark of his foot, flute, stick and cows’ footprints. Krishna instructed that four rounds of it, one for each mark, grant the full benefit of a Govardhan parikrama, so devotees circle it here every day.

Can I do the Govardhan parikrama at Radha Damodar Temple?

By tradition, yes. Four circumambulations of the Giriraj shila at Radha Damodar are held equal to one full 21 km Govardhan parikrama. This makes it especially precious for elderly and unwell pilgrims who cannot walk the hill itself.

What is the connection between Srila Prabhupada and Radha Damodar?

Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, lived in the bhajan kutir here, in Rupa Goswami’s quarters and did much of his early writing and worship at this temple before sailing for America. His rooms are preserved and ISKCON devotees from around the world visit them.

Whose samadhis are at Radha Damodar Temple?

The samadhis of Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami, Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami, the author of the Chaitanya Charitamrita and Srila Bhugarbha Goswami are in the premises, along with Rupa Goswami’s bhajan kutir. It is one of the holiest resting places in Vrindavan.

How do I reach Radha Damodar Temple?

It is in the old lanes of Vrindavan, in the Seva Kunj area near Radha Raman, about 12 to 14 km from Mathura Junction. Private cars cannot reach the gate, so you walk or take an e-rickshaw. It pairs naturally with Banke Bihari, Radha Raman and Nidhivan.

Can you arrange a Radha Damodar Temple visit?

Yes. Tell us your dates and we will build Radha Damodar into a calm old-town morning, with the Giriraj shila parikrama for those who cannot walk Govardhan, from ₹1,999 per person. WhatsApp +91 7302265809, daily 8 AM to 9 PM.