नंदगांव
Nandgaon
Nanda Baba's village, where Krishna grew up after Gokul, on a hill facing Barsana across the fields.
After Gokul, Nanda Maharaj moved the family here, and this is where Krishna spent his boyhood. The Nandbaba temple sits on top of the hill, and from it you can see Barsana across the fields — the two villages face each other, which is the whole geography of the Radha–Krishna story in one view.
It is quieter than Barsana and most tours skip it, which is their loss. At Holi, Nandgaon takes its turn the day after Barsana, and for many people it is the better of the two days: the same festival, a fraction of the crush.
What we would tell you beforehand
- There is a climb here too, though shorter than Barsana's.
- If you only have one Holi day and crowds worry you, take Nandgaon over Barsana.
- Barsana and Nandgaon are about 8 km apart and both are an hour from Vrindavan. They belong in the same day.