As soon as the winter holidays began, I was overjoyed. No school for two whole weeks, no homework! I thought that this time, Dad would take us to see snowfall in the mountains. But when he told us that we were going to Prem Mandir in Vrindavan, my excitement dropped a little. I thought temples were only for prayers and rituals what would I do there? When I told Mom, she just smiled and said, "Just come along once, and then you'll see!"

We left for Vrindavan in the morning in our car. Dad was driving, Mom and my sister were sitting in the back seat, and I sat in the front beside Dad. As I looked out of the window, I kept wondering what this trip would be like. On the way, Dad told us that Prem Mandir was built by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj and that it was dedicated to Shri Radha-Krishna and Shri Sita-Ram. I just nodded, but deep down, I was still wishing we were headed to a destination with snowfall instead.

First Glimpse of Prem Mandir

When we reached Vrindavan, the atmosphere felt completely different. Everywhere, there were flags with "Radhe-Radhe" written on them, people singing bhajans, and the sound of aarti coming from the temples. We checked into a hotel, had lunch, and rested for a while.

At around 5 PM, we left for . The moment I saw it for the first time, I was stunned. Made entirely of white marble, it looked like a grand palace. The temple was much bigger than I had imagined! Maybe this trip wasn't going to be as uneventful as I had thought.

Inside the Temple – A Fairytale Experience!

As I walked further inside Prem Mandir, the beauty kept growing. There were vast gardens, colorful flowers, and mesmerizing depictions of Shri Krishna's life. At one spot, I saw Krishna lifting the entire Govardhan mountain on his little finger while water flowed down from the mountain. It felt like I had stepped into a living story!

When we reached the main temple, there were breathtaking idols of Shri Radha-Krishna and Shri Sita-Ram. They were so beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes off them. Soft, melodious bhajans were playing all around, creating a peaceful and divine atmosphere. I kept thinking can a temple really be this magical?

Fountain Show – The Most Fun Part!

When night fell and the temple was lit up, it looked like something out of a dream. The white marble shone under the colourful lights, making the entire place look surreal.

Now, it was time for the light and music show a part of the trip I had actually been looking forward to. The moment the music started, the fountains began dancing in the air. The water changed colours as the lights fell on it, making it seem like even the fountains were playing a game with Shri Krishna. Then, I saw a visual of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj singing a kirtan among the fountains. I had thought temples were only for prayers, but Prem Mandir had so much more to offer!

Parikrama and Shopping

As we walked around the temple, Dad told me that Prem Mandir's walls depicted the divine pastimes of Shri Radha-Krishna from the Bhagavatam. Then, Mom explained the lessons hidden in these stories, which I found even more interesting than my comic books! The place I had once thought would be boring had now become my favourite!

After the darshan, we went to the temple's canteen for dinner. I loved the dosa so much that I ended up eating two full plates all by myself! Before leaving, we bought the famous Mathura-Vrindavan peda as prasad for our relatives and neighbours.

Visit Prem Mandir – Then You'll Know!

As we drove back home, I kept thinking about how wrong I had been. I had assumed that temples were all about long queues and rituals, but Prem Mandir changed my perspective. I had fun, found peace, and learned so many new things. I turned to Mom and said, "Next time, we are definitely coming here again!" She smiled and replied, "See? I told you just come once, and then you'll know!"

Now, whenever someone says that temples are uneventful, I just laugh and say, "Oh, just visit Prem Mandir once, then you'll know!"