- As per the flok tale the village was name Gantholi after the word Ganth i.e the knot. Once Shri Radha – Krishna sat close to each other while playing Holi, the sakhis tied their upper garments in a knot (stoles) like it’s done for the bride and bridegroom in a marriage ceremony, and prayed / wished that they always be together.
2023.03.05 (Vrindavan Today News): Nowhere in India is the celebration of Holi as vibrant as it is in Braj. Going beyond the revelry, the festival in Braj becomes a metaphor for transcendental lilas of Shri Krishna and Radha expressed through the myriad Holi plays.
Gantholi village, located just 4 km away from Govardhan, holds a significant place in Vaishnava faith as the site of a Divine Holi pastime of Shri Radha Krishna. According to legend, the Divine Couple played a fierce game of Holi with gulal in Gantholi, and the pool where they washed off the colors from their faces and head after the Holi play was named Gulal Kund. The village is also known to be the abode of sage Gargacharya.
Religious texts describe how Shri Radha and her friends played Holi with Krishna in Gantholi in the month of Phalgun, and their Divine Pastime was witnessed by the three worlds. It is said that the color of the water in the kund turns pink during the month of Phalgun, providing a testament to the Divine Holi play of Radha Krishna.
As per the folk tale the village was name Gantholi after the word Ganth i.e. the knot. Once Shri Radha – Krishna sat close to each other while playing Holi, the sakhis tied their upper garments in a knot (stoles) like it’s done for the bride and bridegroom in a marriage ceremony, and prayed / wished that they always be together.
The beauty of the kund is enhanced by the presence of dense trees surrounding it. The State Government has constructed the ghats at the kund. To make the visuals memorable for the visitors, the government has installed bright and colorful lights that illuminates in the night.
Krishnamurari Sharma, the priest at Mahaprabhuji’s baithak, informed that in ancient times, a kitchen and paan ghar were built in the village for bhog preparation for Priya-Priyatam.
Gantholi village serves as a resting point for pilgrims participating in the 84 Kos Parikrama of Braj. The Yatra of the pilgrims also visit the village to play Holi and reminisce about the sport of the Divine Couple with the colors.
Even after 5000 years, the Divine Pastimes of Shri Radha Krishna continue to shine through the significance and glory of Gantholi village. Devotees come from far and wide to enjoy the Holi festivities in the village and experience the beauty of the Gulal Kund, which has been associated with the Divine Holi pastimes of Shri Radha Krishna.
