Questions
What people actually ask us
These are the questions that come up on the phone every week, answered the way we would answer them on the phone. If yours is not here, call — we would rather talk.
Planning a trip
- How many days do we actually need?
- Two days covers Mathura, Vrindavan and Gokul without rushing. Three adds Govardhan and Barsana, and it is the trip most people say afterwards they wish they had taken. One day is possible from Delhi and it is a long day — out before six, back after ten. The 84 Kos Yatra is seven or eight.
- When is the best time to come?
- October to March. Kartik — late October into November — is the richest time devotionally and the weather is kind. December and January are cold in the mornings and pleasantly thin of crowds. Holi in March is extraordinary and is the busiest week of the year. April to June is very hot, and the monsoon makes the parikrama marg hard going.
- How do we reach Braj?
- From Delhi it is about 160 km, roughly three to three and a half hours on the Yamuna Expressway. Mathura Junction is on the main Delhi–Mumbai line and most trains stop there. The nearest airports are Delhi, about three hours, and Agra, about an hour and a quarter. Tell us how you are arriving and we will meet you at the right place.
- Can you pick us up from the airport or the station?
- Yes. Delhi airport, Mathura Junction, Agra, Jaipur and most places in between. You get the driver's name and number the day before you travel.
- What does a trip cost?
- It depends on how many of you there are, how long you stay and which vehicle you want, so we would rather give you a real number than a misleading one. Tell us the dates and the group on WhatsApp and you will have a figure back in under fifteen minutes.
At the temples
- Are phones allowed inside Banke Bihari?
- No, and the rule is enforced. The same goes for Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi, where nothing at all is allowed in — no phone, no bag, no belt, no leather. There are paid lockers outside Banke Bihari, and if you are travelling with us we will simply keep your things in the car.
- Is there a VIP pass for Banke Bihari?
- There is no official VIP pass scheme at Banke Bihari. Anyone selling you one outside the temple is selling you nothing. What we can do is get you there at an hour when the darshan is calm, which is worth more than any pass.
- How do we avoid the crowds?
- Go early. Banke Bihari before nine on a weekday is a different temple from Banke Bihari at six on a Saturday in Kartik. Nidhivan is near-empty at seven in the morning. Avoid Ekadashi, Purnima and festival days if crowds worry you, and take Nandgaon over Barsana at Holi.
- Is there a dress code?
- Nothing is formally enforced at most temples, but shoulders and knees covered is expected everywhere and you will be more comfortable for it. Salwar kameez or a saree for women, kurta or full-length trousers for men. Avoid leather belts and bags at Janmabhoomi — they are not permitted.
- Can elderly parents manage the parikrama and the steps?
- Govardhan parikrama can be done by car in about two hours with darshan stops, and plenty of devotees do it that way. Barsana has around two hundred steps, and palanquins are available — we will arrange one in advance rather than let you negotiate at the bottom. Tell us who is travelling and we will build the days around them.
Booking with us
- How do we book?
- Call or WhatsApp. Tell us roughly when you want to travel and who is coming, and we will send a plan and a price. Nothing is confirmed until you say so. You can also use the planner on this site and we will pick it up from there.
- Do we pay in advance?
- We take a part payment to hold the booking and the balance during the trip. UPI, net banking, card or cash. You will get the full amount and what it covers in writing before you pay anything.
- What if we need to cancel?
- Tell us as early as you can and we will do what we can. Our cancellation terms are on the cancellation page, and hotel bookings during Holi and Janmashtami are the one case where we genuinely cannot be flexible, because the hotels are not flexible with us.
- Are meals included, and can you do Jain food?
- Meals are as listed in each yatra. Everything we arrange is pure vegetarian. Jain, no onion and garlic, or a regional preference are all fine — tell us in advance so we can tell the kitchen rather than hoping.
- Who do we call if something goes wrong at ten at night?
- The same number you have been talking to all along. We live in Gokul, not in a call centre in another city. If a hotel room disappoints you, someone can be there.
Puja and seva
- Can you arrange a puja if we cannot come ourselves?
- Yes, for several of them. The sankalp is taken in your family's name here, and we send you the photographs and the prasad afterwards. Families abroad ask us to do this on a birthday or a shraddh date. Tell us what you want done and the names and gotra.
- How much notice does a seva need?
- Three to five days for the simpler ones like the Yamuna aarti and deepdan or gau-puja. Two to three weeks for a mundan, a kalsarp dosh puja or a chhappan bhog. A month for a Bhagwat saptah. Pitru Paksha fills up early every year.
- The pandas at the ghat quoted us a price afterwards. Is that normal?
- It happens, and it is why we would rather arrange any seva for you in advance with a purohit we know. You will be told what it costs before anything starts, not after.
Still not answered?
Call us. We answer between 8 am and 9 pm, and during your trip at any hour.