The Story of Krishna’s Idols Created by Vajranabha

Vajranabha, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna, was deeply curious about the divine. Growing up, he had heard countless stories about Krishna’s adventures, wisdom, and teachings from his grandmother, who was Krishna’s daughter-in-law.

While she shared many stories with him, she could not describe Krishna’s appearance, as in Indian tradition, it is not customary for a daughter-in-law to make eye contact with her father-in-law as a gesture of respect. Yet, one question always lingered in his heart: What did Krishna truly look like?

Uttara’s Written Description of Krishna
Before Vajranabha was born, Uttara, the wife of Abhimanyu (Arjuna’s son), had seen Krishna during her lifetime. Uttara was blessed to have interacted with Krishna personally and later recorded her memories of his appearance. 

According to Uttara:

Krishna’s skin was radiant, neither too fair nor too dark, glowing with a divine light.

His large, lotus-petal-shaped eyes carried a calm yet confident gaze.

A captivating smile adorned his lips, and a prominent mole marked his chest.

He dressed simply, wearing a yellow dhoti (traditional wrap) and a turban.

Uttara’s written account of Krishna’s appearance became a valuable resource for Vajranabha.

Vajranabha’s Devotion and the Eight Idols
When Vajranabha came of age, he wanted to ensure that Krishna’s image was preserved for future generations. Inspired by Uttara’s written description and the stories told by his grandmother, he decided to carve idols of Krishna from an imperishable stone called Vajra. His goal was to make each idol reflect a specific feature of Krishna as described by Uttara.

In total, Vajranabha created eight idols, which he placed in temples across North India, each representing a different aspect of Krishna’s divine beauty.

The Creation of Three Famous Idols
Among the eight idols, three became especially famous due to their extraordinary craftsmanship and accuracy:

Shri Madan Mohan Ji: Vajranabha’s first creation. This idol captured Krishna’s feet perfectly, but the rest of the features were not exact.

Shri Gopi Nath Ji: The second idol, which reflected Krishna’s chest and arms beautifully.

Shri Govind Dev Ji: The third idol, which became the most celebrated. It captured Krishna’s large, lotus-like eyes, radiant smile, and divine essence exactly as described by Uttara.

Vajranabha’s grandmother and others who were close to Krishna’s lineage helped guide his work, ensuring the idols were as accurate as possible.

The Temples of Vrindavan
Years later, Vajranabha became the King of Mathura under the guidance of Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna. As king, Vajranabha built magnificent temples in Mathura and Vrindavan to honor Krishna. He enshrined the three famous idols in these temples:

Shri Madan Mohan Ji, representing Krishna’s enchanting charm.

Shri Gopi Nath Ji, capturing Krishna’s tender and playful nature.

Shri Govind Dev Ji, the most accurate depiction of Krishna’s divine form.

Lost and Rediscovered
Centuries later, during invasions, many temples in Vrindavan were abandoned and destroyed. To protect the idols, priests buried them underground. Over time, Vrindavan became an overgrown forest, and the idols were forgotten.

In the 16th century, a saint named Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Vrindavan. Guided by meditation and ancient scriptures like the Bhagavata Purana, which mentioned Vajranabha’s idols, he realized the sacred importance of the area. Shri Chaitanya directed his disciples, Shri Roop Goswami and Shri Sanatan Goswami, to search for the idols.

The Goswami brothers rediscovered the idols of Shri Madan Mohan Ji, Shri Gopi Nath Ji, and Shri Govind Dev Ji. They rebuilt temples in Vrindavan to honor these sacred artifacts and shared their significance with the world.

Saved Once Again
In the 17th century, during Aurangzeb’s reign, many temples were destroyed again. However, the idols were saved by devoted priests who moved them to safer locations in Rajasthan:

Shri Madan Mohan Ji was relocated to Karauli.

Shri Gopi Nath Ji and Shri Govind Dev Ji were enshrined in Jaipur.