Krishna stayed in Braj for eleven years and six months. In this period he spent most of the time residing in Nandgaon. The Nand Baba Temple is situated on the sacred Nandishwar Hill, which is believed to be the hill of Lord Shiva. It is said that Parjanya, the father of Nand Baba, performed intense penance on this hill. After Parjanya, Nand Baba, one of his four sons, was born. Recognizing the safety of this hill for Lord Krishna, Nand Baba, the foster father of Krishna, established the village of Nandgaon, named after himself. According to the Goswamis of Nandgaon, Devamidha had two wives. One was a Kshatriya woman who gave birth to Shurasena, the father of Vasudev Ji. The other was a Vaishya woman who bore Parjanya, who later became the father of Nand Baba.
2024.08.31 (Vrindavan Today News): Recently Braj celebrated the birth anniversary of Shri Krishna on Janmashtami followed by Nandotsava. It would be interesting to know where Krishna spent his childhood and from where He performed His various lilas.
Following Narad Muni’s advice, Parjanya performed penance on Nandishwar Hill. Later, due to the fear of a demon named Keshi, Parjanya moved to the ancient Gokul Mahavan. Here, along with his wife, Devi Variyasi, he had several sons, including Nand Baba.
According to Shri Krishna Murari Goswami, a servitor at the Nand Baba Temple, Nand Baba was worried about Krishna’s safety due to the threats from King Kamsa. Following the counsel of his family guru Gargacharya and Radha Rani’s father, Vrishabhanu Ji, Nand Baba decided to leave Mahavan (ancient Gokul) and settled on Nandishwar Hill. The hill was considered a secure place because it was believed that any demon of Kamsa entering its boundaries would turn to stone. Feeling safe in this belief, Nand Baba, along with his family, moved to this location.
The folklore suggests that Lord Krishna, along with his elder brother Balaram, stayed here for 9 years and 49 days. It is believed that from this place, Lord Krishna performed various divine activities (lilas) such as the Gocharan Lila (herding cows), lifting the Govardhan Mountain, and celebrating Holi, among others. It is also believed that the site of the Nand Baba Temple once had dense clusters of Heens bushes. A cow is said to have spontaneously milked itself at this spot.
The discovery of this sacred site is credited to Devkaran Ji, an ancestor of Anandghan Baba, the founder of the Goswami lineage. Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita also mentions that Shriman Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited this temple during his visit to Braj.
This historical and spiritual heritage makes the Nand Baba Temple a revered place in the Braj region, closely associated with the childhood of Lord Krishna and his divine activities.
