Davanal Kund and Davanal Bihari Temple

Davanal Kund is one of Vrindavan's gentler, less-visited lila-sthalis — a stone-lined sacred pond tucked into the town's older lanes, about 1.5 km from the Radha Vallabh temple, with the small Davanal Bihari shrine standing on its bank.

• The name says everything: davanal means 'forest fire,' and the pond marks a pastime told in the tenth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam.
• As tradition recounts it, after young Krishna had subdued the serpent Kaliya, he and the cowherd boys were resting by a lake at nightfall when Kansa's men set the surrounding forest ablaze.
• Krishna asked everyone to close their eyes, and in that instant swallowed the roaring fire as though it were cool water, leaving the boys and cattle unharmed.
• Devotees come here to sit by that water and remember the lila of a protector who takes danger into himself so his people need not fear.
• Be honest with your expectations: this is a devotional marker, not a grand monument.
• The site is a compact walled tank with stone steps (ghat) leading to the water, a venerable banyan tree on the bank, a few benches, and a plain temple where the Davanal Bihari deity is worshipped.
• A couple of newer, small temples stand nearby.
• For centuries the kund fed on the same spring-and-Yamuna water system as Vrindavan's other ponds; by the 2010s it had fallen into neglect, and it was cleanly restored over four months in 2023 through a collaboration of the Datri Foundation, INTACH and the local group Friends of Vrindavan, its water treated by eco-friendly methods.
• The atmosphere is the reward — early morning and dusk bring wandering sadhus, soft kirtan and a stillness rare in busy Vrindavan.
• It pairs naturally with a walk to nearby Radha Vallabh and Banke Bihari.
• Photography of the kund and grounds is generally fine, but treat the inner shrine and any worshippers with restraint and ask before photographing deities or people.
• For vegetarian travellers, Vrindavan is entirely pure-vegetarian by long tradition, so meals are effortless; the whitelisted sattvic kitchens and khoya-peda halwais of the town are a short auto-ride away.
• One firm caution, though: Braj is a heavy bhang (cannabis) region, and thandai or lassi sold at roadside stalls near the temples can be laced with bhang, looking and sounding identical to the ordinary drink.
• Never accept thandai from an unverified stall — carry your own water, or buy sweets and drinks only from trusted pure-veg shops.
• Come with an unhurried heart, sit by the water, and let the fire-swallowing lila settle over you.