Janmashtami 2023: Top 5 Ancient Lord Krishna Temples In India With Historical Significance

Janmashtami 2023: The auspicious festival of Janmashtami is near. This year, Shri Krishna Janmashtami will be celebrated on the 6th and 7th of September. On the Ashtami Tithi of Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada, Janmashtami is celebrated every year. According to the sacred Hindu Texts, Lord Krishna was born on this day in the Rohini Nakshatra. 

Lord Krishna is one of the most significant deities in Hinduism who has performed numerous transcendental pastimes for the welfare of humankind. The personification of love is Krishna. He is a sat-chit-ananda vigraha, the embodiment of the eternal knowledge and happiness that we are all searching for. There are various temples dedicated to the merciful lord that are the physical manifestation of his divine pursuits throughout India and the rest of the world. Following are the 5 ancient Lord Krishna temples in India that hold great historical significance. 

Janmashtami 2023: Top 5 Ancient Lord Krishna Temples In India 

1. Banke Bihari Temple, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh 

Banke Bihari Temple is located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district in the town of Vrindavan. The Banke Bihari deity present in the temple is said to be the combined form of Goddess Radha and Lord Krishna.  The idol was manifested by the saint and musician Swami Haridas of Vrindavan, who was thought to be the physical embodiment of Lalita Gopi, a close friend of Radha Krishna in their heavenly home of Goloka. 

The representation of Radha Krishna's combined form is positioned in the Tribhanga posture in the Banke Bihari temple. Originally known as Kunj Bihari or the one who delights in the groves or Kunj of Vrindavan, Swami Haridas worshipped this sacred viagraha. 

2. Dwarkadhish Temple, Gujarat

The Dwarkadhish Temple (Jagat Mandir), Dwarka's biggest tourist attraction, is thought to have been built more than 2500 years ago by Vajranabh, Lord Krishna's great-grandson. The historic temple has undergone numerous renovations, particularly those from the 16th and 19th centuries. The temple's elaborately sculptured walls enclose the sanctum, which holds the primary Krishna deity and is perched atop a tiny hill that may be reached by more than 50 steps. Other minor shrines are scattered across the complex. It is believed that Lord Krishna came here from Braj to establish the city of Dwarka. In this temple, Lord Krishna is worshipped in the form of “Dwarkadhish” which simply means the king of Dwarka. 

3. Jagannath Puri Temple, Odisha 

A significant Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna's Jagannath form is the Jagannath Temple located in Puri, Odisha. The main Jagannath temple in Puri was built by King Indradyumna of Avanti. Anantavarman Chodaganga, the first ruler of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, started construction on the present-day temple in the eleventh century. The annual Ratha Yatra, or chariot festival at the Puri temple is well-known for featuring the three main deities - Jagannath, Baldev (Lord Balram) and Subhadra (Lord Krishna and Balaram's sister)  being carried by enormous, ornately decorated temple cars. 

4. Udupi Sri Krishna Matha Temple, Karnataka

The Sri Krishna Matha temple glorifies Lord Krishna and is situated in the city of Udupi in Karnataka.  The first of the seven pilgrimage sites is Udupi. Every day of the year, thousands of religious worshippers visit the Krishna temple to have a glimpse of the beautiful deity Lord Krishna. The Lord is exclusively offered devotion at the Shree Krishna temple in Udupi through a window with nine holes known as the Navagraha Kitiki. The window is beautifully silver-plated and sculpted. It has long been customary in this temple to solely offer prayers to the Lord through this window. Several temples, including the over a thousand-year-old Udupi Anantheshwara Temple, surround the Sri Krishna Matha.

Also Read: 10 Must-Visit Lord Krishna Temples In Vrindavan

5. Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu 

Sri Vidhya Rajagopalaswamy Temple is located in the Indian town of Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu. A manifestation of Lord Krishna named Rajagopalaswamy is the presiding deity. The temple is a significant Vaishnava shrine in India and spans a surface area of 23 acres (93,000 m2). Hindus also refer to the temple as Guruvayor and Dakshina Dvaraka (Southern Dvaraka). Among the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of Vaishnavite tradition, it is regarded as the first.

The original founders of this historic temple were Kulothunga Chola I in the tenth century, followed by Rajaraja Chola III and Rajendra Chola III, and later Thanjavur Nayaks in the sixteenth century.