Kusum Sarovar
Among the lesser known historical monuments in the state of Uttar Pradesh are a group of 18th century memorial Chattris with a pretty water-body or kund in the foreground, known as Kusum Sarovar.
Situated on the banks of the holy River Yamuna, Kusum Sarovar lake has immense mythological significance. Kusum Sarovar is 450-feet long and 60-feet deep reservoir which belongs to the period of Lord Krishna, located between Govardhan and Radha Kund and lies at a distance of 28 km from Mathura. Kusum Sarovar lies towards the right side of sacred Govardhan parikrama path nearly one and a half mile from Radha Kund.
The pond is bordered on all sides by forest containing flowers like Beli, Chameli, Juhi, Yuthi, Mallika and Campaka. As per popular belief, Shri Radha Ji (the love of Lord Krishna) used to come to this place to collect flowers, and thus, the name comes — Kusum, which stands for flowers and Sarovar for the pond.
Surrounded by lush green forests, dotted with vibrant flowers, Kusum Sarovar is a soothing spot. Adding a unique grandeur in the setting of Kusum Sarovar is the imposing monumental structure in the backdrop which was built by Jawahar Singh — the king of Bharatpur.
Archirectural Style
On all four sides of the Kusum Sarovar, there is a series of steps that lead upward to the historical building. The arcaded walls that surround the pond boast a depth of around 60 m. It is set against a milieu of exotic palatial buildings made of sandstone.
The Sarovar has beautiful Rajasthani architecture etched with awe-inspiring workmanship. The pond was originally a very simple structure, the magnificent aesthetics that we see today is the result of renovation done on the orders of the King Veer Singh from Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh in 1735. Suraj Mal reconstructed a garden around for his queen after sometime and converted it into a beautiful place. The Kusum Sarovar is surrounded by splendid sandstone structure in the soulful Goverdhan which were constructed by the king of Bharatpur Jawahar Singh in the middle of 18th century. These glorious groups of buildings were erected in the memory and in honor of his father Raja Suraj Mal.
The central chhatri is square-shaped, with a lofty stone terrace decorated with corner booths and lateral bays. Raised on an ornamented plinth in the centre is the principal monument. The central chhatri is bounded on both sides by two other monuments supported on a 460 feet terrace, commemorating Raja Suraj Mal’s two queens — Hansiyat Devi and Kishori Devi. There is a huge garden filled with blooming flowers of various kinds, behind this building.
The ceilings and walls are decorated with beautiful paintings depicting the life of Krishna and Radha and the events from the history of the family to which it is dedicated. Along with that it also houses a replica of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna and Radha.
The water of the Sarovar is ideal for swimming so the travelers can spend some quality time here. Kusum Sarovar has a number of ashrams and temples nearby and the travelers can attend the evening aarti. Radha Kund is also an important tourist attraction situated nearby.
Beliefs
It is said that Radha Ji would come here under the pretext of collecting flowers for her friends, but would secretly meet with Krishna and have playful conversations.
According to legends, once while collecting flowers, Radha’s dress got stuck in thorns and Krishna came to help Radharani disguised as the gardener and took out her stuck dress from the thorns. It is also believed that Krishna used to play hide and seek with his friends on this ancient site and would collect flowers to make garlands for Radha.
According to folklore, Muni Ashtavakra had once performed penance on the banks of Kusum Sarovar for a darshan of Sri Radha-Krishna.
It is also said that anyone who bathes in the cooling and soothing waters of Kusuma Sarovara will achieve pure love of Godhead and gain entrance in to the pastimes of the Divine Couple Radha and Krishna.
On a whole, Kusum Sarovar is one of those tourist destinations in Uttar Pradesh that serve as the perfect epitome of beauty, history and serenity at one place.
