Vrindavan is the most prominent of the towns in the district of Mathura but the name Vrindavan has become synonymous with the entire Braj mandala area in which Lord Krishna performed His pastimes. The entire Braj region attracts huge number of touriststhroughoutthe year. The number of tourists who visited the Braj area as per the records of Uttar Pradesh tourism (2015) ministry is

	Domestic	Foreign	Total
Mathura	66,26,000	25,000	66,51,000
Vrindavan	1,26,00,000	47,890	1,26,47,890
Govardhan	1,20,50,000	8,500	1,20,58,500

Which means that the area attracts over 31.35 milliontourists every year!

The huge number of tourists who visit is a direct proof of the fact that Lord Krishna is revered by millions of devotees around not only in India but around the globe. It is direct testimony that Lord Krishna, who is revered for His sublime counsel in the Bhagavadgita has made a place the hearts of millions around the globe. So, it is only befitting that the place of His pastimes be presented to the world at large with utmost dignity and in clean and green surroundings.

The Braja Mandala area has been referred in many revealed scriptures and is said to consist of twelve forests each of which bear testimony to sweet pastimes of Lord Krishna. Many of these places have been consecrated with temples and places of worship, to which pilgrims’ throng in millions. It is said that there about 84 kundas or holy ponds in the 40 smaller forests (which are part of the 12 major forests) with hundreds of important places in an expanse of over 252 kms(84kos) is what constitutes the Braja Mandala. This is spread across three states of India.

The number of tourists, pilgrims is on the rise but the city or town or village around the places of Braja have not yet caught up with the most needed infrastructure or civic amenities. Neither has there been an attempt to keep the surroundings of these places green and clean befitting the place and its significance. The shortcomings in showcasing a befitting tribute to Lord Krishna are largely due to apathy from the concerned authorities and lack of education. The bigger cause is of course legacy of unorganized growth of the commercial establishments and houses around these places of pilgrimage.

Hare Krishna movement Vrindavan aims to support various initiatives which will ensure that areas around the existing places are cleaned and lost places are resurrected and showcased in clean and green surroundings befitting Lord Krishna and His sublime persona. HKM V will also be part of various initiatives to educate all classes of people about the importance of the places of importance associated with Lord Krishna.

The places which require attention in the form of improving the civic amenities and cleanliness are Vrindavan, Radha Kund and Govardhan. There are umpteen number of other places which need renovation and restoration. We shall be showcasing each of these as separate projects and aim to take them up systematically in the coming days.