In Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple honours Lord Krishna (Keshavdeva); the complex is built around the Garbha Griha believed to be his birthplace. It is also known as Shri Krishna Janmasthan Temple, Krishna Janmasthan, Keshavdeva Temple.
One of the most venerated Krishna shrines and a symbol of the triumph of divine will over tyranny. The preserved prison-cell (Garbha Griha) draws millions of devotees, especially at Janmashtami, and remains open for darshan continuously through the day, unlike the surrounding temple which closes at midday. Tradition holds that the temple stands over the prison cell where Krishna was born to Mata Devaki and Vasudeva, who were imprisoned by King Kansa over 5,000 years ago.
Uttar Pradesh carries a distinct temple identity of its own: The spiritual heartland of India, home to Kashi, the birthplaces of Rama and Krishna, and revered Shakti and Vaishnava shrines along the Ganga and Yamuna.
Darshan hours and daily worship
| Session | Timing (as published) |
|---|---|
| Morning | Summer (11 Apr - 28 Nov): 5:00 AM - 12:00 Noon; Winter (29 Nov - 10 Apr): 5:30 AM - 12:00 Noon (Keshavdev, Bhagwat Bhavan, Yogmaya and Giriraj Ji temples) |
| Evening | Summer: 4:00 PM - 9:30 PM; Winter: 3:00 PM - 8:30 PM (Keshavdev, Bhagwat Bhavan, Yogmaya and Giriraj Ji temples) |
Confirmed directly from the temple's own official website (shrikrishnajanmasthan.com, run by Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan). Important distinction the site itself makes: the Garbh Grih (the actual birthplace cell) has its own, simpler schedule and stays open continuously from 5:00 AM to 9:30 PM with no midday closure, while the surrounding Keshavdev/Bhagwat Bhavan/Yogmaya/Giriraj Ji temples close from about 12:00 Noon to 3:00 or 4:00 PM depending on season, per the seasonal table above. The site's own season-date labels (e.g. '11 Apr 2024 to 28 Nov 2024') appear to be a year out of date, but the clock times themselves follow the same annual summer/winter pattern and were used as given. A full named daily aarti/bhog schedule is published separately and is captured in ritualSchedule below. Entry-restriction details (no mobile phones, cameras or bags inside; strict security screening; cloak/deposit facilities near the entrance) are not documented on the official site itself; they are corroborated across multiple independent visitor guides and are included here for their genuine practical value given this temple's known heightened security, but are not official-site-sourced and should be treated as secondary.
Poojas and daily rituals
Mangala, Shringar, Bhog/Rajbhog, Sandhya and Shayan aartis; special midnight aarti on Janmashtami
Daily aarti and pooja schedule
| Ritual | Time |
|---|---|
| Mangla Aarti | 6:30 AM |
| Bal Bhog Sewa | 9:00 AM |
| Rajbhog Sewa | 11:00 AM |
| Rajbhog Aarti (Shri Keshavdev and Shri Radha Krishna Ji) | 11:10 AM |
| Sayan (afternoon rest) | 1:00 PM |
| Uthapan (deities rise, summer) | 4:00 PM |
| Mewa/Fal Bhog (summer) | 5:00 PM |
| Evening Aarti (summer) | 8:00 PM |
| Sayan Bhog Sewa (summer) | 8:10 PM |
| Sayan Aarti Sewa (summer) | 8:55 PM |
| Sayan (night rest, summer) | 9:25 PM |
Festivals and special-day timings
Regular darshan hours are usually extended, or set aside entirely, on these dates.
| Festival | Period | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Janmashtami | August-September | The biggest celebration, with re-enactments of Krishna's birth and a midnight aarti drawing lakhs of devotees |
| Holi | March | Celebrated with flowers, colours and devotional songs |
| Radhashtami | August-September | Grand decorations and processions |
| Diwali | October-November | Festive illumination and worship |
| Kartik Purnima | November | Special lamps and kirtans light up the complex |
History and architecture
Architecture
A complex comprising the Garbha Griha (the sacred prison-cell birthplace), the Keshavdeva Temple and the Bhagavata Bhavan, with intricate architecture
History
Tradition holds that the temple stands over the prison cell where Krishna was born to Mata Devaki and Vasudeva, who were imprisoned by King Kansa over 5,000 years ago. The site's history is layered with destruction and restoration; the original temple was rebuilt many times, and the present complex was reconstructed in the 20th century.
Planning your visit
How to reach
Mathura Junction railway station is about 2 km away; nearest airports are Delhi (IGI) and Agra. Address: Mathura-Deeg Marg, near Deeg Gate Chauraha, Janmabhoomi, Mathura 281001.
Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple in photographs
5 freely-licensed photographs of this temple, from Wikimedia Commons. Each is credited to its photographer.
Where this information comes from
Confidence: High. Darshan hours and the full named aarti/bhog ritual schedule are now confirmed directly from the temple's own official website (shrikrishnajanmasthan.com, self-identified in its own header as the official site of Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan), including the previously-uncaptured detail that the Garbh Grih birthplace shrine itself stays open continuously without the midday closure that applies to the rest of the complex. The prior entry's claim that this temple is counted among the 108 Divya Desams has been removed as a confirmed error: on inspection, the cited Wikipedia Divya Desam article does not support the claim, and the actual Divya Desam temple associated with Krishna and Satyabhama in the Mathura area is a different temple entirely, the Navamohana Krishna Temple (Tiruvaaippadi) in nearby Gokul, which already has its own separate entry in this dataset. Entry-restriction and security details remain secondary-sourced (multiple independent visitor guides agree, but the official site does not itself publish them) and are labeled as such rather than presented as official.
- shrikrishnajanmasthan.com
- shrikrishnajanmasthan.com
- shrikrishnajanmasthan.com
- vrindavanmathuraguide.com
- mathuratour.com