Lohavan (Lohvan) — Lohasura Forest

Lohavan, spelt Lohvan and sometimes Lohjanghvan, is one of the twelve sacred forests (dvadash-van) of Braj, lying on the east bank of the Yamuna about 2 km from Gokul and some 9 km south-east of Mathura.

• In tradition it is a govardhan-lila landscape: a place where the boy Krishna pastured Nanda Maharaj's cows through shady groves.
• Its name carries a demon legend — devotees say Krishna, out grazing the herd, killed the iron-limbed asura Lohasura (also called Lohjangha) here, and so the forest became Loha-van, the 'iron forest'.
• A low underground cave a short distance from the central pond is pointed out by locals as the demon's former lair.
• At the heart of the van lies Krishna Kund, a modest walled pond ringed by peepal shade.
• On its bank stands a small Radha-Gopinath temple, unassuming rather than grand and profiled on its own page, while this forest page keeps its focus on the van itself.
• Honest expectation matters here: this is a legend-marked lila-sthali and a rural van, not a monumental complex.
• What you find is a quiet village edge, tree-lined tracks of peepal and other shade trees, birdsong, cows, and a couple of small shrines — the kind of understated Braj tirtha that rewards a contemplative pilgrim more than a sightseer.
• Lohavan is a recognised stop on the Braj Chaurasi Kos (84-kos) parikrama, and a roughly 5 km circumambulation traces the forest.
• Most day-visitors simply walk a short 2-3 km stretch, take darshan at the Radha-Gopinath shrine, and sit a while by the kund.
• The area sees comparatively few outside visitors, so facilities are minimal and it stays peaceful outside the big parikrama seasons.
• For vegetarian travellers, Braj is entirely pure-vegetarian by custom and municipal norm, but Lohavan itself has essentially no established restaurants — just a few village tea-and-snack points of unverified standard.
• The sensible plan is to carry your own prasad, fruit and water, since the nearest kitchens we can vouch for are back in Mathura.
• A specific caution: the wider Mathura-Braj belt is one of India's heaviest bhang (cannabis) regions, and government theka shops and roadside stalls near Mathura's ghats and gates sell bhang thandai and lassi that look and are named almost exactly like ordinary ones.
• Never accept a thandai or lassi from an unknown stall — order sweets and cooked food only from trusted, long-established halwais.
• Come in the cool months (October-February), ideally on a Kartik or parikrama morning when the van feels most alive, wear modest clothing, remove footwear before entering the shrine, and treat the cows and the quiet with the reverence Braj asks of every visitor.