Raval

       Shrimati Radharani appeared in this world in a village called Mukharvali, now known as Raval.

      This is the place of the appearance of the most worshipable object of devotion for the Gaudiya Vaishnavas (followers of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu); Vrishabhanu Nandini, Shrimati Radharani. There is a small temple here called Ladli Lal Temple with Radha Krishna deties. The deity of Krishna is said to have been established by Vajranabh, great-grandson of Krishna, some 5000 years ago. Raval is some 4 Km south of Gokula, the appearance place of Shri Krishna.

       It is explained that Vrishabhanu and Kirtida, were living in Barsana but they had no children. While at the same time Nanda Maharaj and Yashoda were living in Nanda Gaon and they also had no children. Vrishabhanu Maharaj and Nanda Maharaj were dear most friends. So they decided to shift their two communities of cowherds close to the bank of Yamuna, because the Yamuna is filled with all auspiciousness. So, Nanda and Yashoda shifted to Gokula and got Lord Shri Krsna as their child. Vrishabhanu Maharaj alongwith his community of cowherds shifted to Raval which at that time was very close to river Yamuna. Once Vrishabhanu Maharaj went to Yamuna to take his bath and there he saw in the midst of the Yamuna a beautiful lotus flower and on the lotus flower was the most perfect object of all beauty in the form of a small infant baby. Her complexion was golden and it was more brilliant than millions and millions of Suns. Vrishabhanu was wondering how to reach this beautiful lotus flower. At that time Lord Brahma appeared, and Lord Brahma explained to Vrishabhanu that in your previous life you were Suchandra and your Kirtida was Kalavati and you performed great tapasya, eating only dry leaves and hardly some water for thousands upon thousands of years. You desired the supreme source of Laxmi to appear as your own baby child and I therefore appeared before you and offered you this benediction. So to fulfill your prayer the Supreme Laxmi, Shrimati Radharani has now appeared to be your child.

       Vrishabhanu took Shrimati Radhika to his home and offered her to Kirtida, his wife. Vrishabhanu Maharaj had wonderful, wonderful celebrations and was giving hundreds and thousands of cows decorated in jewels, gold and silver in charity, and everyone around Vraja Bhoomi, especially this Raval area began singing and dancing, celebrating the birth of this beautiful child. Upon seeing Her just once their hearts became insatiably attached to Her and they could think of nothing or no one else except Her. But for some inconceivable reason this child would not open Her eyes. Nor would She acknowledge any sound or make any sound from Her mouth. Perhaps She was blind and deaf and dumb.

       At that time, Narada Muni came to Raval Dham to take the darshan of Shrimati Radharani, the Supreme most object of his worship. Upon Narada’s request Vrishabhanu brought the child and Narada Muni immediately offered his prostrated obeisances to the child. He began to circumambulate this beautiful golden baby. And with tears of love in his eyes he began to chant the glories of Shrimati Radharani. After this Shri Narada explained to Vrishabhanu, you should have big, big celebrations. Let everyone know about the birth of this child. Then he went to a place called Narada Kunda, which is near Govardhan Hill and by the blessings of the darshan of Shrimati Radharani he wrote the Narada Bhakti Sutra there.

       Meanwhile Nanda and Yashoda came to Raval alongwith their little baby Gopal in order to behold the beauty of Shrimati Radharani and to offer their congratulations to Her fortunate parents. At the time when they were discussing so many wonderful subject matters, little Gopal crawled to the swinging cradle in which Shrimati Radharani was sitting, and somehow or other, reached up and He put His beautiful moonlike face right before Shri Radhika. Only then did Shrimati Radharani open Her beautiful lotus like eyes because She did not want to see anything in this world except Her beloved Shyamsundar, Shri Krishna. She began to cry in ecstatic love and when all the Brajvasis saw this wonderful pastime they all began to celebrate the glories of Shrimati Radharani.