| Rādhākuṇḍa | |
| — city — | |
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| Coordinates | |
| Country | India |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| District(s) | Mathura |
| Population | 5,884 (2001[update]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
Radha-Kund (Devanagari: राधाकुण्ड, IAST: Rādhākuṇḍa, English: “Radha’s pond”) is a town and a nagar panchayat in Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
As of 2001[update] India census[1], Radha-Kund had a population of 5889. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Radha-Kund has an average literacy rate of 65%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 53%. In Radha-Kund, 16% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Following the sacred writing “Sri Upadeshamrita” (The Nectar of Instruction) by early 16th century saint Srila Rupa Gosvami of Vrindavan, a close associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vaishnava Hindus consider Radha-Kund to be the supreme of all holy places.[2] Mythology has it that when Lord Krishna slayed a mighty asura (demon) in the form of a bull, his consort Radha tersely told Krishna to wash off his sins by taking dips in various holy rivers. Krishna laughed it off and struck the ground with his foot whereupon the mighty rivers emerged, welled up and formed a kunda (little water body). Subsequently the Lord bathed in the water to please Radha. The kunda came to be called “Shyam-Kund”. Indignant that Krishna used his powers for this, Radha and her girl attendants dug out a kunda with their bangles and filled it with water from “Manasi-Ganga”, another holy kunda at nearby Govardhan. That particular kunda is today's “Radha-Kund” where people come from far and wide to take a dip.[3]
Since Radhaji is considered the most holy, chaste, pure, pious and greatest of all divinities, Radha-Kund holds its significance and spiritual grandeur by being made personally by Radharani.[1]
Every twenty years or so Radha Kund is emptied revealing the original Kund that was rediscovered by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on his travels, as prior to this the Kund had remained hidden for many years. The original pool becomes visible when Radha Kund is emptied and is named Kancan or Kankan Kund.[4]
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