12 Famous Krishna Temples in India and How to Reach Them by Road

There are thousands of Krishna temples in India. Most north Indian towns have a Krishna mandir near the bazaar, and Kerala has a Sree Krishna Swamy temple in village after village.

Devotees know him by many names. He’s Banke Bihari in Vrindavan, Jagannath in Puri and Guruvayurappan in Kerala, and each sri krishna temple keeps its own darshan hours, dress rules and festival calendar.

Those details shape your visit, so each of the 12 lord krishna temples in India on our list comes with timings, dress codes and road distances. If you’d rather leave the driving to someone who knows these roads, Chiku Cab provides one-way and round-trip cabs, plus 9 to 26 seater tempo travellers, to any of them.

Planning a Krishna Temple Road Trip?

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Forms of Lord Krishna Worshipped Across India

Krishna isn’t worshipped in one fixed form. Braj prays to the cowherd boy beside Radha, while other regions see him as a king, a child or a charioteer.

Several of these are Vaishnava temples in India counted among the 108 Divya Desams praised by the Alvar poet-saints.

Famous Krishna Temples in North India

Krishna’s childhood belongs to Braj. Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul and Govardhan are within 30 km of each other, so two days by cab is enough for all four.

Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple, Mathura

Tradition marks this spot as Krishna’s birthplace, the prison cell of King Kansa. A marble pavilion covers the Garbha Griha, and the Keshav Dev temple and Bhagavata Bhavan share the complex. Planning a temple visit from Delhi? Book a Delhi to Mathura taxi for a comfortable road journey.

• Phones, bags, belts and cameras go into the paid cloakroom near the gate.
• On Janmashtami, lakhs of devotees wait for the midnight abhishek.

Banke Bihari Temple and Prem Mandir, Vrindavan

Banke Bihari is the most crowded radhe krishna temple in Vrindavan. Priests pull a curtain across the idol every few minutes so his gaze never rests on one devotee.

• Prem Mandir, built by Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj, covers 55 acres in Italian marble. It opens 8.30 AM to 12 PM and 4.30 PM to 8.30 PM.
• Stay past sunset for its coloured lights and musical fountain.
• Locals say Krishna still dances the raas in Nidhivan at night, so the grove is locked after the evening aarti.
• Visiting multiple temples in Vrindavan? Explore the city comfortably with our Vrindavan sightseeing taxi service.

Shrinathji Temple, Nathdwara

Shrinathji is Krishna at seven, holding up Govardhan Hill with his left hand. Priests brought the black stone idol here from Braj in 1672, and Nathdwara became the seat of the Pushtimarg tradition. Darshan happens in eight short jhankis, with Mangla at dawn and Shayan at 7.30 PM.

ISKCON Temple, East of Kailash, Delhi

For a Krishna temple in Delhi, most visitors head to ISKCON’s Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir on Hare Krishna Hills. Mridanga beats and kartals fill the hall at evening kirtan.

• Mangala aarti starts at 4.30 AM, and the hall closes at 9 PM.
• Nehru Place on the Violet Line is the nearest metro station, and IGI Airport is 20 km away.

Krishna Temples in West and East India

Dwarkadhish Temple and Bet Dwarka, Gujarat

Dwarkadhish is one of the Char Dham. Its five-storey Jagat Mandir rises 78 metres above the Gomti ghats, and priests replace the triangular flag on its spire several times a day.

• Bet Dwarka, the island linked to Krishna’s palace, no longer needs a ferry. Sudarshan Setu, a 2.32 km bridge, has connected it to Okha since February 2024.
• Divers have found stone ruins offshore, which many link to the Dwarka lost to the sea.
• Planning a pilgrimage to Dwarka? Book an Ahmedabad to Dwarka taxi for a comfortable road journey to Dwarkadhish Temple and Bet Dwarka.

Vitthal Rukmini Temple, Pandharpur

Vitthal waits on a brick with his hands on his hips for his devotee Pundalik. The Bhima river curves like a crescent here, which is why locals call it the Chandrabhaga.

• Warkaris walk here in lakhs for Ashadhi Ekadashi in June or July.
• Kartiki Ekadashi falls on 20 and 21 November 2026.
• Pune to Pandharpur is 210 km by road.

Jagannath Temple, Puri

Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are carved in neem wood. The 65-metre main tower went up in the 12th century under King Anantavarman Chodaganga.

• All four gates have been open to devotees since June 2024.
• Non-Hindus can’t enter, and phones, leather items and cameras stay outside.
• Mahaprasad cooked in clay pots is sold at Ananda Bazaar inside the complex.

ISKCON Mayapur, West Bengal

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in Mayapur, and ISKCON’s world headquarters is here. Its Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, due to open in November 2027, is set to become the biggest Krishna temple in India.

Famous Krishna Temples in South India

Krishna temples in South India follow strict Agama and Tantric rites, and Kerala adds firm dress rules. Udupi and Chennai carry traditions tied to Madhvacharya and the Alvars.

Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple, Thrissur, Kerala

Guruvayur is the most famous Krishna temple in Kerala. Legend credits Guru Brihaspati and Vayu with installing the idol, and conch shells open the day at 3 AM for Nirmalyam darshan.

• Only Hindus can enter the inner temple.
• Punnathur Kotta, the temple’s elephant camp, is 3 km away, and Thrissur is 25 km.

Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple, Kerala

A 15th-century Chembakasserry king built this temple, 14 km south of Alappuzha town. Legend says Krishna, as a sage, beat the king at chess for rice doubled on every square. The unpaid debt is why the temple serves free Palpayasam daily.

Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, Karnataka

Madhvacharya founded this matha in the 13th century. Devotees see the idol through the Navagraha Kindi, a silver window with nine holes. Next to it is the Kanakana Kindi, linked to the poet-saint Kanakadasa, for whom the idol is said to have turned west.

• Free lunch prasadam is served at noon.
• Eight mathas take turns running the temple, two years each, with the Paryaya handover in January of even years.
• A dress code came into force in January 2026, so check before you go.

Among other famous Krishna temples in Karnataka, ISKCON Bengaluru and the 1513 Krishna Temple in Hampi are worth adding.

Parthasarathy Temple, Triplicane, Chennai

This 8th-century Pallava temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams. Krishna here wears a moustache, and marks on the idol are linked to Bhishma’s arrows in the Mahabharata war.

For another lord Krishna temple in Tamil Nadu, Pandava Thoothar Perumal in Kanchipuram shows Krishna as the Pandavas’ messenger. It’s 75 km from Chennai.

Biggest, Oldest and Most Powerful Krishna Temples in India

No single site can claim to be the first Krishna temple in India, but the Greek envoy Heliodorus’s pillar at Vidisha is among the earliest records of Krishna worship. Ask devotees for the most powerful temple of Lord Krishna and you’ll hear Guruvayur, Jagannath Puri and Banke Bihari, all packed year-round.

Krishna Temple Road Trips in India

Most places related to Lord Krishna come in clusters, so we’d suggest picking one cluster per trip.

We provide cabs and tempo travellers on all these routes. Our drivers pick you up at the airport or station, wait through darshan and help elderly passengers in crowded temple lanes.

ChikuCab provides comfortable outstation taxi services for Krishna temple road trips across India. Choose a sedan or SUV for family travel, or book a Tempo Traveller for group travel for larger pilgrimage groups. Pickup and drop-off options are available based on your route and travel requirements.

Krishna Temple Timings, Dress Code and Festival Dates

Krishna temple timings change on festival days.

• Janmashtami brings the biggest crowds to Mathura and Vrindavan in August or September.
• Puri’s Rath Yatra falls in June or July.
• Guruvayur celebrates Ekadashi on 21 November 2026.

Photography isn’t allowed inside the sanctum at most of these temples, so leave your phone in the cab or the cloakroom. If you’re travelling this November, try to reach Guruvayur or Pandharpur a day before Ekadashi, as rooms near both temples fill up early.

FAQs About Krishna Temples in India

Which are the 10 most popular Lord Krishna temples in India?

The ten most visited Krishna temples in India are Guruvayur in Kerala, Banke Bihari and Prem Mandir in Vrindavan, Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura, Dwarkadhish in Gujarat, Jagannath in Puri, Shrinathji in Nathdwara, Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, Vitthal Rukmini in Pandharpur and Parthasarathy in Chennai. Three of them are in Braj, a short drive apart.

Which is the most famous Lord Krishna temple in India?

There’s no official ranking, but most devotees in the south name Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple in Kerala. In the north, Banke Bihari in Vrindavan holds that spot. Dwarkadhish in Gujarat and Jagannath in Puri follow closely, as both are Char Dham shrines that Hindus hope to visit once in their lives.

Which is the oldest Lord Krishna temple in India?

No standing temple can be proven the oldest. The earliest proof of Krishna worship is the Heliodorus Pillar at Vidisha, raised for Vasudeva by a Greek envoy in 113 BCE. Among large Krishna temples in daily worship today, Parthasarathy Temple in Chennai goes back to Pallava rule in the 8th century.

Why is Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan so important to devotees?

Banke Bihari is Krishna in his Braj form, bent at three points and holding a flute, worshipped beside Radha. It’s the busiest radhe krishna temple in Vrindavan. Every few minutes, priests close a curtain in front of the deity, as tradition holds that a long, direct gaze from Bihari ji can overwhelm a devotee.

Why is Dwarkadhish Temple in Gujarat an important pilgrimage site for Krishna devotees?

Dwarkadhish is one of the four Char Dham, and Krishna is worshipped here as the ruler of Dwarka. Pilgrims bathe in the Gomti, climb the 56 steps to the temple and watch the flag change on its 78-metre spire. Many then cross Sudarshan Setu to Bet Dwarka, the island where his palace is believed to have stood.

Why is Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple in Kerala important to devotees?

Guruvayur is known as Bhooloka Vaikuntha, Vishnu’s home on earth. Devotees worship the child Krishna as Guruvayurappan, a four-armed idol in Patala Anjanam stone that legend says Guru Brihaspati and Vayu installed. Darshan begins with Nirmalyam at 3 AM, and only Hindus in traditional Kerala clothing can enter.

Why is Udupi Sri Krishna Matha famous among Krishna devotees?

Madhvacharya founded the Udupi Krishna Matha in the 13th century, and it remains the home of the Dvaita tradition. Krishna is seen only through a nine-holed silver window. Devotees also know it for the Kanakana Kindi, a window named after the poet-saint Kanakadasa, and for the free meal served to everyone at noon.

Which Lord Krishna temples in India are linked to his birthplace and childhood?

Krishna’s birth and childhood temples are all in Braj, Uttar Pradesh. Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura marks the prison cell where he was born. Gokul is where Yashoda raised him, Vrindavan has Banke Bihari and Nidhivan, and Govardhan is the hill he lifted. All four towns are less than 30 km apart.

What are the darshan timings of famous Krishna temples in India?

Darshan hours differ at each Krishna temple in India. Guruvayur opens at 3 AM, Mathura’s Janmabhoomi at 5.30 AM and Dwarkadhish at 6 AM. Most temples close in the afternoon, reopen between 4 PM and 5.30 PM, and shut between 8.30 PM and 9.30 PM. Festival days bring changes, so confirm a day earlier.

What are the dress code and entry rules at major Krishna temples in India?

Kerala’s Krishna temples are the strictest. At Guruvayur, men enter bare-chested in a white mundu, women wear a saree or churidar, and only Hindus may go in. Jagannath Puri also bars non-Hindus. Mathura’s Janmabhoomi complex expects covered shoulders and knees and keeps phones outside, while Udupi brought in its own dress code in 2026.

Abhishek Singh

I’m a wanderer who loves venturing on to unknown and unseen places. I explore freely to various fun and adventurous places, whether it be spiritual temple tours, captivating landscapes, and more. I wonder around in search of hidden gems and tourist attractions, temples, and other places.