Varaha Ghat and Kaliya Ghat in Vrindavan

VARAHA GHAT

      The Varaha Ghat is located quite close to Gautama Rishi Ashram, near ISKCON Sri Krishna Balarama Temple. Years ago, the Yamuna used to flow close by so there was a ghat here. However, the Yamuna has now drifted away a few kilometres and so there is no ghat here. I was unaware of this and so spent considerable time looking for the ghat. I had instructed my driver to drive close to the Yamuna, hoping to find this ghat. There seemed to be no trace of it. I had heard that it was quite close to ISKCON and near the starting point' of the Vrindavan Parikrama path. So after a futile search, I instructed my driver to turn back and head towards the 'starting point' of Vrindavan Parikrama. The locals also didn't know the location of this place, in spite of its wonderful divine history. I noticed my guide Mathuresh pronouncing the place as Baraha instead of Varaha. It occurred to me that maybe I should ask the locals for Baraha Ghat' instead of Varaha Ghat! The ploy worked well and very soon we reached Varaha Ghat! I saw a few signboards in Hindi proclaiming that the area was Baraha Ghat.

Varaha Ghat

      When I managed to locate Varaha Ghat after a long search, I was thrilled since I felt that the major task of the hunt was over and locating the Varaha Temple would be just a matter of minutes. However, it was not so. It was a pity that in spite of spending considerable time I was unable to locate this temple. Incidentally, this was the only temple in the entire Brij Bhoomi that I had been unable to locate inspite of my best efforts.

      Varaha was the third avatara of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu took the form of a ferocious boar Varaha to kill the demon Hiranyaksha and rescue the world. This ghat is known as Varaha Ghat because Lord Krishna showed His Varaha Form to the gopis at this place.

      It is quite ironical that the innocent gopis preferred to see their Kanha as a cowherd rather than see Him in His divine Form that millions would have died to see! There is a Varaha Temple here to commemorate this incident. Though I could not locate this temple, I have read that this temple has idols of Radha, Krishna, and Varaha.

KALIYA GHAT

      I was on the Parikrama Path. As I passed Varaha Ghat and walked ahead a few metres, I came across Kaliya Ghat on the right side. As in the case of Varaha Ghat, here too, the Yamuna does not flow close by any longer. Thousands of years ago, at Kaliya Ghat, the river used to flow next to the Kadamba tree that enabled Lord Krishna to jump into the river. However, the river has drifted away. Thankfully, I did not have much trouble locating this place.

Kaliya Ghat

      This is the very spot where Lord Krishna jumped from the Kadamba tree into River Yamuna and fought with the serpent Kaliya.