Many ghatas were built along the Yamuna. Over a period of many years the Yamuna has changed course, and many ghatas that originally used to be on the bank of the Yamuna are situated a good distance from the Yamuna now. This is true of Kaliya Ghata, Imli Tala, Akrura Ghata, etc. During the 17th and 18th centuries the Rajput kings built many ghatas along the Yamuna River out of red sandstone. The first ghata was built in the 16th century.
Yamuna Bathing
One of the best places to bathe is by the Madana-Mohan Temple. To get to this area, you can take a rickshaw to the Madana-Mohan temple and from there it is about a five minutes walk to the Yamuna. It is a fairly secluded, peaceful location. Just before Keshi Ghata the municipal sewage is emptied into the Yamuna.
You should be a little careful when you bathe in the Yamuna. You should not leave any valuables unguarded. I have heard of several people that have been robbed. I personally would not let anyone get within 50m (150 feet) of my things. If you take a boat across the river to go bathing you should be especially careful about being robbed. If possible, it is best to bring nothing of value with you, when you go bathing.
Keshi Ghata
Lord Krishna killed the Keshi demon here. Keshi Ghata is on the bank of the Yamuna. One who bathes here gets the benediction of bathing in all of the holy places. There is an arati performed here every day at sunset. This is the only ghata in Vrindavana that is still on the bank of the Yamuna. The Adi-varaha Purana says that Keshi Ghata is a 100 times more sacred than the Ganges and that by offering pinda (sraddha) to the forefathers at Keshi Ghata, one gets the same result of offering pinda in Gaya.
On the ghata are some small temples dedicated to Rama, Hanuman and Yamuna. There is the Mancinteswara Mahadeva Temple dedicated to Lord Siva here. Next to it is the Yamuna Temple, which has a picture of Krishna thrusting His hand into the mouth of the Keshi demon.
About 100 metres upstream from this ghata the rare sewage from the town of Vrindavana enters the Yamuna.
“After being instructed by Kamsa, the demon Keshi assumed the form of a terrible horse. He entered the area of Vrindavana, his great mane flying and his hooves digging up the earth. He began to whinny and terrify the whole world. Krishna saw that the demon was terrifying all the residents of Vrindavana with his whinnying and his tail wheeling in the sky like a big cloud. Krishna could understand that the horse was challenging Him to fight. The Lord accepted his challenge and stood before the Keshi demon. As He called him to fight, the horse began to proceed toward Krishna, making a horrible sound like a roaring lion. Keshi rushed toward the Lord with great speed and tried to trample Him with his legs, which were strong, forceful, and as hard as stone. Krishna, however, immediately caught hold of his legs and thus baffled him. Being somewhat angry, Krishna began to move around the horse dexterously. After a few rounds, He threw him a hundred yards away, just as Garuda throws a big snake. Thrown by Krishna, the horse immediately passed out, but after a little while he regained consciousness and with great anger and force rushed toward Krishna again, this time with his mouth open. As soon as Keshi reached Him, Krishna pushed His left hand within the horse’s mouth. The horse felt great pain because the hand of Krishna felt to him like a hot iron rod.
Immediately his teeth fell out. Krishna’s hand within the mouth of the horse at once began to inflate, and Keshi’s throat choked up. As the great horse began to suffocate, perspiration appeared on his body, and he began to throw his legs hither and thither. As his last breath came, his eyeballs bulged in their sockets, and he passed stool and urine simultaneously. Thus the vital force of his life expired. When the horse was dead, his mouth became loose and Krishna could extract His hand without difficulty. He did not feel any surprise that the Keshi demon was killed so easily, but the demigods were amazed, and out of their great appreciation they offered Krishna greetings by showering flowers.” (Krishna Book, Chap. 36)
“My dear friend, if you still have any desire to enjoy the company of your friends within this material world then don’t look upon the form of Krishna, who is standing on the bank of Keshi Ghata. He is known as Govinda, and His eyes are very enchanting. He is playing upon His flute, and on His head there is a peacock feather. And His whole body is illuminated by the moonlight in the sky.” (Nectar of Devotion)
WARNING! Several people have been robbed at knifepoint at Keshi Ghat while doing Vrindavan Parikrama. It is not a good idea to bathe here if you have any valuables with you. You should be especially cautious if you are alone or it is getting dark.
Varaha Ghata
Krishna is said to have shown His form of Varaha at this place, to please the gopis. There is a small Varaha temple here. In this temple there are Deities of Radha Krishna and a Deity of Varaha on the right side of the altar. The Yamuna used to flow by this ghata. The priest here was very friendly.
Lord Varaha, the third incarnation of Lord Vishnu, appeared as a giant boar to save the earth and to kill the demon Hiranyaksa, who had been terrifying the universe. Varaha dove to the bottom of the ocean to save the earth after Hiranyaksa put it there. Hiranyaksa was Hiranyakasipu’s brother, the demon who was killed by Lord Narasimha. Hiranyaksa was so proud, that he wanted to fight with Lord Vishnu in the form of a boar. Lord Varaha then got into a vicious club fight with Hiranyaksa. Hiranyaksa struck Varaha with his hard fist, but Varaha slapped Hiranyaksa indifferently at the root of his ear and killed him instantly.
In the material world a boar or pig is considered most abominable, but Adi-sukara (the original boar), the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was not treated as an ordinary boar. Even Lord Brahma and the other demigods worshiped the Lord’s form as a boar.
Temple Timings The temple here is open from 8.30 am to 12 noon and 4 to 9 pm.
How To Get Here Near here is the ashram of Gautam Rishi. To get to the Varaha temple you come out of the door of the ashram of Gautam Rishi and go straight for about 20m (60 ft) into what seems to be someone’s yard and house. You then turn right around the building and you are at the Varaha temple. Even standing right in front of it you may not know it is a temple. This temple is about 50m (150 feet) from where the parikrama path turns to the right, and about a 10-minute walk from the Krishna Balarama Temple. From the road you would have no idea there is a temple here.
Mohana Ter Ghata
At this place, while Krishna was dancing with the gopis, Cupid tried to fire his arrows of lust at Krishna. After seeing Krishna, he was so overcome by lust that he fainted. Therefore, Krishna is known as Madana-Mohan or the attractor of Cupid (Madana).
Go Ghata (Ram Gol Ghata)
It is said that at this place Nanda Maharaja gave cows away in charity to the brahmanas.
How To Get Here This place is close to the ISKCON goshala (cow barn). There is a very small (2m by 2m) Hanuman temple here, just before the ISKCON goshala that is said to mark where Go Ghata used to be located. The beautiful garden that you pass on the right is a small section of the land that the ISKCON goshala is on. After this garden you will pass a herd of cows that are under the protection of ISKCON.
Kaliya-hrada (Kaliya Ghata)
At Kaliya-hrada, there is a kadamba tree that Krishna jumped from to chastise the Kaliya snake. It is known as Keli Kadamba. The kadamba tree that is here is said to be the exact same tree that Krishna jumped from, 5,000 years ago. It is said in the Bhakti-ratnakara, Fifth Wave, that by taking bath in Kaliya-hrada one can be freed of all sinful activities and also they can be successful in business.
In the middle ghata tower (of the three) is the small Kaliya-Krishna Temple, which has a beautiful Deity of Krishna dancing on the Kaliya snake in it. You have to walk up several steps to get to this temple.
How To Get Here Most likely to get to this ghata you will be walking on the Vrindavana parikrama path. After you first see the Madana-Mohan temple on your right (which is an ancient large red temple about a half a km away), Kaliya Ghata is on the right after about a two-minute walk. There are three ghata towers (8m or 25 feet high) on the right. If you are walking on the parikrama path and you see a large open field to your left, you have walked past Kaliya Ghata.
Surya Ghata
Surya (the sun god) did austerities at this place to get the darshan of Krishna. This ghata is at the bottom of Dvadasaditya Tila, the hill on which the Madana-Mohan Temple is located. This place is also known as Praskandana-sarovara.
Dvadasaditya-tila (Hill) and Praskandana-sarovara
This is the same hill that the Madana-Mohan temple is located on and where Sanatana Gosvami would perform his bhajana.
After subduing the Kaliya snake, Krishna felt a bit cold, after being in the water so long, so He came to the top of this nearby hill. The twelve sons of Aditi (Indra, Soma, Vivasvan, etc.) came in the form of twelve suns here to offer prayers and to warm the Lord. Because of the intense heat the Lord started to perspire. His perspiration then formed a lake at the bottom of the hill called Praskandana-sarovara. Praskanda means “perspiration.”
The hill is called Dvadasaditya-tila. Aditya Tila is a name for the Sun. It is said that there was originally a Sun Temple on this hill, but eventually the temple was destroyed. This place is also known as Jabatabi or the garden of Jaba flowers. Dvadasaditya Tila hill is about 20m (60 ft) high.
Sringara Vata Ghata (Nityananda Vata)
Vata means “tree” and sringara means “ornaments.” It is said that at this place Krishna would decorate (sringara) Radharani with fine cloth and valuable jewels. It is also said that the cowherd boys would decorate Krishna here with jewels and flowers. The original tree in which Radha and Krishna are said to have sat under has almost disappeared. But it is said the large stump located here is what is left of the tree. A branch from the original tree was planted here and is now a large banyan (vata) tree. When you enter the courtyard, the tree is about 15m (40 ft) in front of you, a little to the right.
When visiting Vrindavana, Nityananda Prabhu stayed here for several days. He came to Vrindavana before His first meeting with Lord Caitanya. In the Bhakti-ratnakara it is said that Nityananda would always stay here and enjoy in the mood of Lord Balarama.
There is a temple here dedicated to Krishna decorating Radha near this tree. It is said that the actual place where Krishna decorated Srimati Radharani is just behind this temple. There are Deities of Gaura Nitai, Radha Krishna and Lord Jagannatha in this temple. The pujari in this temple is friendly. The Gosvamis of this temple base their lineages to be descending from Nityananda Prabhu.
How To Get Here From the Radha Damodara temple, you make a left and go 50m (150 feet), and there is a large archway on the left. You make a left under the archway and walk 50m (150 feet) until you reach a doorway directly in front of you. You go through the doorway and you follow the road to the left. The road curves a bit and the doorway of the temple is 30 m (100 ft) away, directly in front of you (slightly to the right). From the outside it is difficult to tell that this is a temple.
On the parikrama path, it is about 150m to go from Imli Tala to Sringara Vata. If you are walking on the path from Imli Tala you pass a large round concrete block on your right, about 1m (4 ft) high. Just before the parikrama path bears left, you turn right and go up the small flight of stairs to a small open area. On your right about 20m (60 ft) away is a doorway that leads to Sringara Vata. From the parikrama path you cannot see this place.
Temple Timings Summer: Mangala arati - 4.30 am; Darshan 8 am to 12.30 pm and 4.30 to 8.30 pm.
Winter: Mangala arati - 5.30 am; Darshan 8 am to 12.30 pm and 4.30 to 8 pm.
Govinda Ghata
It is said that Krishna would meet the gopis here.
Chira Ghata
Krishna rested here after killing the Keshi demon; therefore this place is also called Cehan Ghata. Lord Caitanya also rested here.
Some people say that the gopis’ clothes were stolen here by Krishna and other say that this pastime happened 14km up the river, at another ghata. It is said that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bathed at this ghata when he came to Vrindavana. There is a kadamba tree at this place called Chira Kadamba.
Bhramar Ghata
It is said that when Radha and Krishna sat here, the sweet fragrance that came from them attracted a swarm of black bees (bhramar). This ghata is near Keshi Ghata, where it is said that Bilvamangala Thakura did his bhajana. It is not in good condition now.
Pani Ghata
The gopis are said to have crossed the Yamuna at this place, to get the benediction of Durvasa Muni, that they would always have the association of Krishna. The gopis cooked a sumptuous feast for Durvasa Muni. He was so pleased that he blessed them all, especially Radharani, that whatever they cooked would be like nectar and that whoever ate their cooking would have a long life, without disease. This ghata is a good distance from the Yamuna at the present time.
Adi Badri Ghata
It is said that Vyasadeva wrote the Tenth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam at this place.
Raja Ghata
It is said that Krishna disguised himself as a boatman at this place and took the gopis across the Yamuna.
Visrama GhatThis is a bathing ghata on the bank of the Yamuna, where Krishna and Balarama rested after killing King Kamsa and his eight brothers. Visrama means "to rest." Before pilgrims begin Braja Mandala parikrama they take bath in Visrama Ghata. Lord Caitanya bathed here and in 24 other ghatas near here.
It is said that Lord Varaha, Vishnu in His boar incarnation, also rested here after killing Hiranyaksa. While resting here, Lord Varaha spoke the Adi Varaha Purana to Mother Earth and it was recorded by Vyasadeva.
Every evening there is a sunset arati offered to the Yamuna River. Many people come for this arati. You can get a good view of this arati on a sunset boat ride. This ghata was reconstructed in 1814.
Next to this ghata is the small Yamuna-Yamaraja temple, where there are old deities of Yamuna devi and her brother Yamaraja. These Deities are said to have been installed by Vajranabha, 4900 years ago. This temple is located about 30m (100 ft) from the Yamuna, on the path that leads to the road that goes to the Dwarkadish temple. The sign on the wall of this temple says Sree Yamunaji Dharamraj Temple. Dharmaraj is another name for Yamaraja.
This place is located in the middle (north-south) of Mathura, on the bank of the Yamuna.
This is said to be the place where Dhruva was instructed by Narada Muni, at the age of five, what he had to do to occupy a position more exalted than any yet achieved within the three worlds, even greater than his father's, who was the king of the earth.
Dhruva GhatThere is a temple here, up some steps, in a good sized building, right next to Dhruva Ghata. There are Deities of Radharani and Krishna on the right altar and a deity of Dhruva on the center altar. As this is in a secluded place, not many people come here.
When Dhruva approached Narada Muni to find out how to achieve his goal, Narada instructed him. "My dear boy, I wish all good fortune for you. You should go to the bank of the Yamuna, where there is a forest named Madhuvana, and there you will be purified. Just by going there, one draws nearer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who always lives there. My dear boy, in the waters of the Yamuna River, which is known as Kalindi, you should take three baths daily because the water is very auspicious, sacred and clear. After bathing, you should perform the necessary regulative principles for astanga-yoga and then sit down on your asana (sitting place) in a calm and quiet position" (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.8.42-43). Narada also instructed Dhruva to chant the twelve-syllable mantra for worshiping Lord Krishna. "Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya."
This ghata is situated at about 3/4 km south of Visrama Ghata, on the bank of the Yamuna River. It is located by itself, between the railway bridge and the road bridge that goes over the Yamuna.
Other Ghats1. Avimukta
2. Adhirudha
3. Guhya-tirtha
4. Prayaga-tirtha
5. Kanakhala
6. Tinduka-tirtha
7. Vatasvami
8. Rishi-tirtha
9. Moksa-tirtha
10. Budha-tirtha
11. Gokarna
12. Krishna Ganga
13. Vaikuntha
14. Asi Kunda
15. Catuh-samudrika-kura
16. Akrura Ghata
17. Yajnika-vipra-sthana
18. Kubjakupa
19. Ranga-sthala
20. Mancha-sthala
21. Mallayuddha-sthana
Also
http://sriradhalbelisharan.blogspot.com/2011/01/important-ghats-of-vrindavan.html
https://www.google.com/search?q=Ghat+Vrindavan
