Festival in Mathura Vrindavan
Mathura and Vrindavan come alive with colors, lights, and devotion during festivals. From Holi and Janmashtami to Diwali, every celebration here is a divine experience.
Famous Festivals Celebrated in Mathura Vrindavan
Imagine the aroma of sweets being fried in ghee, the traditional flavours embracing the festive mood and the bhajans in your ears, the cities Mathura and Vrindavan come alive through their festivals. Located on the banks of Yamuna, these towns are not only the birthplace of Lord Krishna’s leelas but also a repository of cultural and devotional heritage. The festivals in Mathura Vrindavan are spiritual, colourful and full of devotion. Let us see the top festivals and fairs of Mathura and Vrindavan, which are unique and special in its own way.
Holi Festival in Mathura – Colors, Devotion and Eternal Joy
In Mathura, Holi is more than a festival of colors; it is a celebration of devotion and joy that swell in auspiciousness like the waves of the Yamuna. Gals are alive with gulal, temples are tuned to Krishna bhajans, and Krishna’s playful spirit dances in every courtyard. Sri Krishna Janmabhumi is alive with singing and dance, while Dwarkadhish Temple shows petals like rain, transforms worship into a garden of love. In Barsana, the famous Lathmar Holi recalls the divine game of Radha, and in Vrindavan, even widows are now included with colors and songs, which fills the wind with hope.
When It Is Celebrated: On Phalguna Purnima (February–March), the day after Holika Dahan.
Highlights: Gulal in Mathura, Flower Holi in Dwardish Temple, Lathmar Holi in Barsana, and colorful meetings in Vrindavan.
Tips: Reach early, protect cameras and clothes, join temple events with respect, and do not remember by tasting the famous Mathura pedas.
Festival of Janmashtami – The Night When God Was Born
Janmashtami in Mathura is not a festival to be observed from a distance; it is a night to be felt in the heart. As midnight approaches, the lanes grow alive with bhajans, the sound of conch shells rises with the bells, and thousands gather at Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi to witness the cradle of the divine child sway gently. In Vrindavan, there are temples like Banke Bihari Temple and ISKCON that shine with flowers and lights, while devotees sing and dance the night away. Children dressed as Krishna and Radha flow through the crowd like living symbols of innocence, and every street fills with the fragrance of devotion.
When It Is Celebrated—On the eighth day of Krishna Paksha in Bhadrapada (August–September), with the main celebration at midnight.
Highlights—Midnight Aarti, Russelila, Temple Decoration, Procession, and Mathura Pedas.
Tips—Reach early, stop overnight, book the hotel in advance, and keep the spirit of devotion alive.
Radhashtami in Mathura – The Birth of Divine Love
Radhashtami in Mathura is not just a festival; it is the day when the lanes of Braj glow with Radha’s name, when every temple echoes with kirtan, and when Barsana, her birthplace, becomes a sea of devotion. The idol of Radha Rani is bathed in milk, curd, and honey, flowers rain upon the altar, and the sound of bhajans fills the sky. In Mathura and Vrindavan too, temples like Radha Vallabh, Banke Bihari, and ISKCON shine with light and fragrance, while Raslila and kirtans carry the heart closer to divine love.
When It Is Celebrated – Radhashtami falls on the eighth day (Ashtami) of Shukla Paksha in Bhadrapada (August–September).
Highlights – Abhishek rituals in Barsana, temple decorations, Rialila plays, kirtans, and children dressed as Radha and Krishna.
Tips – Barsana arrive early, take prasad, book in advance, join mantras with minor dress, and belief.
Govardhan Puja in Mathura – Faith in a Sacred Hill
Govardhan Puja is not only a ritual in Mathura, but is also remembered when Shri Krishna picked up the Govardhan hill to protect the people of Braj. On this holy day, the roads of Mathura and Vrindavan shine with devotion, and Govardhan themselves become the heart of celebration. Prayers, Radha Kund, Kusum Sarovar, and Mansi pray in the Ganges 21 km away, while the house and temple prepare Annakut, who makes a grand offer of the food placed in front of the Lord. The wind is filled with the fragrance of the bhajan, lamps, and freshly ripe prasad.
When It Is Celebrated—Govardhan Puja is observed the day after Diwali, on Kartik Shukla Pratipada (October–November).
Highlights—Govardhan Parikrama, Annakut feast, temple decorations, and vibrant kirtans.
Tips—Start Parikram quickly, take water and offerings, respect local customs, and taste Annakut Prasad with devotion.
Book Your Vrindavan Travel Package Now
Get special discount of Mathura Vrindavan Tour Packages, Book now and get Free Banke Bihari Ji VIP Darshan.
Jhulan Yatra in Mathura – Swings of Devotion
Jhulan Yatra in Mathura is never just a festival for the eyes, it is an experience that the heart carries silently, a season when the monsoon air feels like Radha and Krishna moving together on a soft swing. Divine idols are placed on swings decorated with fresh flowers, shining lamps, and soft silk fabrics, while devotees stand with folded hands, gently pulling the ropes as if joining in that eternal game of love. In the temples of Mathura and Vrindavan, whether at the Banke Bihari Temple or ISKCON, the courtyards glow with garlands, the air fills with fragrance, and hymns rise like a flowing river of devotion. To stand there in that moment, watching the Lord’s smile from a flower-decked swing, is to feel joy, surrender, and endless love.
When It Is Celebrated – Shravan (July–August), five days long, with the peak on Shravan Purnima.
Highlights – Flower swings, temple songs, festive crowds.
Tips – Visit early evening, carry offerings, and join the kirtan with faith.
Yamuna Chhath in Mathura – Offering Faith to the River of Life
Yamuna Chhath in Mathura is never only a festival of customs, it is a living embrace between the river and her devotees, a moment when the waters seem to breathe with faith. From the early hours of dawn, the ghats wake up by thousands of footsteps, each carrying urns, sugarcane, flowers and earthen lamps. As soon as the first rays of the sun touch the Yamuna, the hands grow, the arghya is offered, and the river shines with devotion as if the sun has bowed to him. When the evening comes, and countless lamps are set on a soft current, the Yamuna becomes a moving galaxy of light, each lamp takes a prayer, a longing, a silent song of surrender. The chants of “Yamuna Maiya ki Jai” mingle with the fragrance of incense and the cool breeze from the river, and in that moment one feels that faith itself has taken form in flowing water.
When It Is Celebrated – Kartik Shukla Shashthi (October–November).
Highlights—Sunrise and sunset arghya, diyas floating on ghats, sugarcane offerings.
Tips—Arrive early, bring offerings, and stand at Vishram Ghat during evening aarti
Shri Jagannath Rath Yatra in Mathura—The Journey of the Lord on Wheels
Sri Jagannath Rath Yatra in Mathura is not just a procession of chariots, it is the day when the Lord himself comes down on the streets, when the city forgets itself and becomes a temple without walls. The grand rats of Shri Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are adorned with fresh flowers, silkain canopies, and fluttering flags, and as soon as they walk slowly, the sound of the shells, the sound of the shells, the beating of drums, and the chanting of “Jai Jagannath” grows like a star. Thousands of hands spreads out to catch the ropes, each takes the prayer, light with the longing of each step and light with pleasure. The dust shines in the sunlight, sunshine with the wind, and the Lord’s smiling face on the chariot feels that grace is visible. To walk in this Yatra is to lose oneself in the river of faith, to feel that the Lord’s journey is also the journey of the soul.
When It Is Celebrated– Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya (June–July).
Highlights – Grand chariots, temple music, endless chants, festive crowds.
Tips – Arrive early, carry water, pull the ropes with faith, and move gently with the flow of the Yatra.
Akshaya Tritiya in Mathura—A Day of Eternal Blessings
The Akshay Tritia in Mathura is not just another date on the calendar, this is the day when faith makes itself feel renewed, when every prayer promises to be endless. On this holy day, temple in Mathura and Vrindavan is full of devotees who offer prayers, chant mantras, and seek the blessings of Shri Krishna and Radha Rani. It is believed that on this day anything has started, brings eternal success, and hence the wind feels charged with hope and devotion. In the ghats, people take holy dips in the Yamuna, offer flowers and lamps, while the sound of bells and hymns flows slowly with the wind. The city shines in calm reverence, as if reminds the soul that blessings are timeless.
When It Is Celebrated—Vaishakh Shukla Tritiya (April–May).
Highlights – Temple rituals, Yamuna snan, special offerings of grains and sweets.
Tips – Visit temples early, carry offerings, take part in Yamuna aarti, and begin new work with faith.
How to Celebrate Festivals in Mathura Vrindavan – A Journey of Devotion and Joy
Mathura and Vrindavan are not towns to be seen with hurried eyes, they are the living soul of Braj, where every stone seems to whisper Krishna’s name and every lane carries the fragrance of devotion. To ask how to celebrate festivals in Mathura Vrindavan is to ask how to breathe in air filled with bhajans, how to walk in streets that glow with colors, and how to lose yourself in celebrations that feel eternal. Here, festivals are not only rituals, they are experiences that live in the heart—and with Vrindavan Travel Packages, you do not just visit these places, you become part of their story.
Holi—When Devotion Turns Into Color
Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan is not merely a festival of gulal; it is Krishna’s leela alive once more. Narrow streets shine in colors, Dwarkadhish temple devotees receive a rain of petals, and bhajan arises like tides of happiness. In Barsana, the famous Lathmar Holi echoes Radha’s fickle love, while in Vrindavan, the widow also becomes silent once in sorrow, now laughing with colors in her hands. With Vrindavan Travel Packages, Holi becomes more than a festival—it becomes a devotion that touches the soul.
Janmashtami—The Night When God Was Born
On Janamashtami, Mathura itself becomes a temple without walls. At midnight, when the cradle of the divine child swings on the Shri Krishna Janambhoomi, the mantras of “Jai Shri Krishna” flow like a river through the night. In Vrindavan, Banke Bihari and ISKCON shine with lamps, Rasalila is unforgettable like poetry, and the bhajanas echoed to dawn. With Vrindavan Travel Packages, this night is not only remembered, it is lived, as if you are standing in the very moment of Krishna’s birth.
Govardhan Puja and Yamuna Chhath—Nature in Worship
Braj reminds us that nature too is divine. On Govardhan Puja, pilgrims walk around the sacred hill, offering Annakut — mountains of food — in gratitude to Krishna. On the Yamuna Chhath, the Vishwam Ghat shines with thousands of lamps floating on the river, each flame is a prayer, each blessing. With Vrindavan Travel Packages, you stand on the banks of the river, see the trust.
Celebrating the Festivals of Braj
So, how to celebrate festivals in Mathura Vrindavan? Come with folded hands, to offer with flowers and sweets, and open a heart for devotion. Join Kirtan, taste Prasadam, go on a parikrama, and immerse the mantras of Rush in your soul. In Braj, festivals are not day on a calendar, they are eternal songs of faith – and with the Vrindavan Travel Packages, you just don’t see them, you live them, and enjoy them for a long time after the journey ends.
Our Popular Vrindavan Tour Packages
★★★★★ (5/5)
Places Covered - Mathura - Vrindavan- Gokul
Duration - 1 Day
★★★★★ (5/5)
Places Covered - Mathura - Vrindavan- Gokul - Nandgaon - Govardhan Barsana
Duration - 1 Night 2 days
★★★★★ (5/5)
Places Covered - Nidhivan - Raman Reti - Chintaharan Mahadev - 84 Khamba - Nandgaon
Duration - 2 Nights/3 Days
F.A.Q.
The most popular festivals include Janmashtami, Holi, Radha Ashtami, Govardhan Puja, Diwali, Jhulan Yatra, and Basant Panchami. Each festival is celebrated with devotion and unmatched enthusiasm.
Janmashtami marks the birth of Lord Krishna. Mathura, being his birthplace, and Vrindavan, his leela-bhoomi, witness grand celebrations with midnight prayers, jhankis, bhajans, and temple decorations.
Holi here is world-famous. Devotees celebrate with colors, flowers, and lathmar style in Barsana and Nandgaon. Vrindavan’s Banke Bihari Temple hosts Phoolon Wali Holi with flower showers.
February–March is ideal for Holi celebrations, while August–September is best for Janmashtami. Each season has its charm, and Vrindavan Travel Packages helps plan accordingly.
Yes, advance booking is highly recommended. During Holi and Janmashtami, hotels and cabs fill up quickly, so booking early with Vrindavan Travel Packages ensures a hassle-free trip.
Yes. Most celebrations are safe and joyous. Families with kids and elders can enjoy from designated areas, though Holi in Barsana and Nandgaon may be a bit energetic.
Radha Ashtami celebrates the birth of Goddess Radha. Temples like Shri Radha Rani Temple in Barsana host special aartis, bhajans, and processions, making it a deeply spiritual experience.
Govardhan Puja follows Diwali and includes parikrama of Govardhan Hill. Devotees prepare food offerings called Annakut, recreating Krishna’s divine act of lifting Govardhan to protect villagers.
Carry white cotton clothes, eco-friendly colors, a scarf or cap for protection, and footwear suitable for walking. Keep your phone and valuables safe in waterproof covers.
You can easily book through our official website or by contacting our team. We provide customized festival tour packages, including accommodation, temple visits, and guided experiences.