Radha Vallabh Mandir

The history of the Radha Vallabh Temple is full of devotion, legends, and stories of dedication. It all began with the unique idol of Radhavallabh, which was not crafted by any artist but was said to be a divine gift from Lord Shiva to a devoted follower named Atmadev. Because of Atmadev’s sincere prayers and deep devotion, Lord Shiva gave him this sacred deity.

Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu, a prominent saint, lived in a place called Devavan for 31 years before moving to Vrindavan in the 32nd year of his life. While traveling to Vrindavan, Goddess Radha appeared to him and instructed him to marry Atmadev’s daughters and take the idol of Radhavallabh with him. Following these divine orders, Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu married Atmadev’s daughters, and as part of the marriage, Atmadev gifted the sacred idol to them.

The old Radha Vallabh Temple, known today as Hith Mandir, was built in 1585 A.D. by Sundardas Bhatnagar, who was a follower of Shri Vanachandra, the son of Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu. Sundardas, who lived in Deoband, was working for Abdul Rahim Khankhana, a high-ranking official in Emperor Akbar’s court. With Khankhana’s help, Sundardas received the royal approval to use red sandstone for the temple’s construction—a material usually reserved for grand palaces and forts. Not only that, but he also secured financial support from Emperor Akbar for building the temple. There is a legend that King Maan Singh initially wanted to build the temple but backed out after hearing that anyone who constructed it would die within a year. Sadly, the legend came true, as Sundardas Bhatnagar passed away within a year of completing the temple.

In the 16th century, when the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb attacked Vrindavan, the idol of Radhavallabh was moved to Kaman in Bharatpur district for safekeeping. It remained there for 123 years before being returned to Vrindavan. In 1842, a new temple was built next to the old damaged one to house the deity once again.