Nanda Baba


Nand, according to the Harivamsha and the Puranas, was the head of the Gopas tribe of Yadava cowherds referred as Holy Gwals. Nanda was a Kshatriya and a King. He is popularly known as the foster-father of Krishna.
Nanda was the Chief or Mandaladhish of Gokul Mandal that was one of the most powerful Divisional area of Yadava. Nanda was brother of King Vasudeva. Vasudeva, took his new-born son Krishna to Nanda on the night of the child's birth so that Nanda could raise him. Nanda, who was married to Yasoda, brought up both Krishna and Balarama. Krishna derives his name Nandanandana from him.

Nanda's story

King Nanda

Nandagopa was the foster father of Lord Sri Krishna. He took care of Balrama. Nanda, also identified as King Nanda in many scriptures was a kinsman and great friend of King Vasudeva. The fact that King Nanda and King Vasudeva were brothers is confirmed both by Bhagavat Purana, Book 10, and Mahabharata.

Krishna and Nanda

According to Bhagavata Purana, King Nanda of Gokul Kingdom was brother of King Vasudeva.
King Vasudeva married Devaki, the daughter of King Ugrasena of Mathura. Devaki's brother, an evil tyrant named Kamsa, had imprisoned Ugrasena and usurped the throne. Owing to the divine prediction that Kamsa would be slain by the eighth child of devaki, Kamsa arranged that all of Devaki's sons should die at birth. Six children thus perished. Vasudeva wife give birth to Balrama and Krishna himself was placed by Vasudeva into the hands of Nanda. Both Krishna and Balrama were brought up by Nanda, the cowherd chief and his wife Yashoda.

Nanda Memorials

Nandagaon

Nandagaon is one of the religious places near Barsana in Braj. It was capital of feudal Nanda Baba, where he resided with his followers and the cowherds.

Nanda Bhawan (Chaurasi Khamba Mandir)

The residence of Nanda, known as Nanda Bhawan, where Krishna grew up and spent first three years of his childhood is main and most famous temple in Mahavan. This yellow coloured building has many wall paintings depicting pastimes of Krishna has 84 pillars inside. It is believed that there are 84,00,000 species in this material world and each pillar is said to symbolise 100,000 species, thus representing all the life in the universe.

Nanda Ghata

Nanda Ghata is situated on the bank of sacred river Yamuna. The Ghata is related to the rescue of Nanda Baba's abduction by the followers of God Baruna, while Nanda was taking bath in holy river Yamuna.