Prem Mandir Mathura

Imbued with elegance and grandeur, the Prem Mandir is a massive temple that was shaped by Jagadguru Shri Kripaluji Maharaj in the year 2001. Known as the "Temple of God's love", this grand religious place is dedicated to Radha Krishna as well as Sita Ram. Located in Vrindavan, the holy city in the district of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, the temple is enveloped with piousness and serenity. This newly constructed temple is the most beautiful in the entire Brij area and is crowded with devotees during the time of the Aarti.

Made out of white marble and adorned with very intricate carvings, this temple is also famous for its architectural beauty. Statues of Shri Krishna and his admirers, portraying essential occasions surrounding the Lord's life, cover the main temple. Various scenes from Krishna's life, like raising the Govardhan Mountain, have been depicted on the periphery of the Prem Mandir. The lighting of the temple further glorifies its spectacular look, especially during the night. The colored water twists and twirls to the tunes of the kirtans of Radha Krishna being played nearby and are an audio-visual delight.

History of Prem Mandir

The foundation stone of the Prem Mandir was laid by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj on 14 January 2001 in the presence of thousands of devotees. The Prem Mandir was dedicated to Shri Vrindavan Dham and was built under the sponsorship of Jagadguru Kripalu Prishat (JKP), which is an international, non-profit, spiritual, educational, social, and charitable organization. The organization was founded by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj himself. It took about 11 to 12 years to complete the temple, and after the inauguration ceremony from 15 February to 17 February 2012, the temple was finally opened to the public on 17 February of the same year.

Architecture of Prem Mandir

A Thousand artisans worked day and night to complete the structure of this magnificent temple, and the makers shelled out a whopping INR 150 crores. The architecture of the Prem Mandir is then bound to be breathtaking and mesmerizing, to do justice to the enormous amounts of money and time spent on the site.

Built-in the Rajasthani Somnath Gujarati architectural style, the Prem Mandir is situated on a 54-acre site on the outskirts of Vrindavan. The entire structure has been constructed using Italian marble of the highest quality and represents 'a renaissance in ancient Indian art and architecture'. The entire structure is 125 feet tall, 122 feet long, and 115 feet wide.
The doors and windows of the temple are beautifully carved, and the walls and floor are adorned with colorful semi-precious stones that depict floral vines blooming with buds and flowers. The engravings on the main sanctum and the ceiling are also exquisite and manage to enthrall the onlooker. The pillars are intricately engraved with beautiful statues that depict the Kinkari Sakhis and Manjari Sakhis serving Shri Radha Krishna in a variety of ways.

The entire temple is beautifully lit up with the soft light of the beautiful chandeliers and is indeed a sight to behold. The lighting of Prem Mandir changes color every five minutes and is very strategically used. The temple also houses a circumambulation route, which consists of 48 panels in all that depict the pastimes of Shri Radha Krishna. 84 panels have also been set up on the exterior of the temple and display the loving pastimes of Shri Krishna. Other than this, numerous portraits of Krishna Leela, or the miracles of Lord Krishna, can also be found inside the temple. The first floor of the temple has spectacular idols of Lord Krishna and Radha, while the second floor is dedicated to Lord Rama and Sita.

Musical Fountain at Prem Mandir

A striking feature at the temple is the musical fountain show which takes place every evening from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Devotees love to enjoy the spectacular sights of the water streaming out of the jet and then twisting and dancing to the kirtans that are sung in praise of the Almighty.