Kamyavana

Kamyavan is fourth among the twelve forests of Vraja-mandala. The word kamya means “extremely beautiful”, “well adorned” or “highly attractive”. This forest within Vraja-mandala is a most charming pastime place of Shri Krishna. Many pleasant lakes, wells, ponds, trees, creepers, flowers, fruits and species of birds contribute to its extraordinary beauty. Hence, it is called Kamyavan. This is the place where Krishna performed many of His childhood pastimes. According to the Vishnu Purana, there are eighty-four sacred ponds, eighty-four temples and eighty-four pillars in Kamyavan. It is said that a famous king named Shri Kamasena established them all. Kamyavan has countless small and large kundas (small reservoir of water), as well as a Parikrama of fourteen miles. Some of the prominent kundas are Vimala Kunda, Dharma Kunda and Kama Kunda.       

It is said that there are four “Devas”, four “Devis” and five “Mahadevas” in Vraja Mandala. Out of the five Mahadevas, Kameshwar Mahadev resides here in Kamyavan. This deity of Kameshwar Mahadev was personally installed at this place by Vajranabh, Krishna’s great-grandson. Of the four Devis, Vrinda devi resides here in this beautiful forest of Kamyavan. Vrinda devi is an expansion of Shrimati Radharani and She is orchestrating the whole land of Vrindavan to make pleasing arrangements for the pastimes of Radha and Krishna and Their devotees. Vrinda devi is the presiding deity of the land of Vrindavan. In fact the most famous temple of Kamyavan is the Radha Govinda Temple where Shrimati Vrinda devi resides. This is the most ancient, prominent deity of Vrinda devi in the entire world. Previously, Srila Rupa Goswami (Prominent amongst the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan who excavated many pastime places of Vrindavan) had installed this deity of Vrinda devi in his Radha Govinda Temple in the forest of Vrindavan. But later on by Her sweet will, Vrinda devi moved to this Radha Govinda Temple in the forest of Kamyavan.
       In the Puranas it is said that the forest of “Kamyavan” fulfills the innermost desires of the soul. At this place we should pray to fulfill the desire for pure devotional service and for the selfless desire to please the Lord and satisfy His devotees because the fulfillment of any other desire will eventually bring only frustration in our life. 
       “In this Kamyavana, Krishna performed enchanting pastimes. Here you will be able to take darshana of many Kundas and other Lila Sthalies. I cannot even describe in writing all the sacred tirthas found at Kamyavana.”  (Bhakti-ratnakara, Fifth Wave)
       When the three original Deities of Vrindavana, Radha Madana-Mohana, Radha Govinda and Radha Gopinatha were taken from Vrindavana to Jaipur to avoid being destroyed by Yavans, they stayed in Kamyavana for three nights. Since these Deities stayed here, three temples have been established here dedicated to Radha Govinda, Radha Madana-Mohana and Radha Gopinatha. Radha Gopinatha is worshiped in a house of a grihasta, north of the mound on which Chaurasi Khambha is on.