Recreated at Krishna Bhumi as one of the twelve principal forests of Braj, the forest of Lohavana was a charming and delightful place adorned with attractive flowers of all kinds. It was one of the places where Krishna is said to have pastured His cows.The forest is called Lohavana because, while grazing the cows here, Shri Krishna performed the lila of killing the demon, Lohjanghasur. Lohavana is also the forest where Jarasandha was defeated eighteen times.
Lohavana is near the holy Yamuna, where Lord Krishna, performed several pastimes with the Gopis. It is said that while performing boating-lilas with the Gopis, Krishna would disguise as a boatman and take them in His boat into the middle of the Yamuna’s flowing waters. There in middle of the river he would declare to them that his old dilapidated boat is leaking and it would soon sink. There was only one way that they could be saved, by throwing all their pots of milk and yoghurt overboard in to the river. Otherwise, the boat would not be able to bear the weight and sink. Frightened, the Gopis would beg him to take them safely to the shore and do exactly as Krishna, disguised as the boatman would tell them.
This famous boating-pastime place of Lord Krishna still lies in Lohavana to this day. Visitors and devotees also come to visit the famous Krishna Kund, the demon Lohasura’s cave as well as Shri Radha Gopinath Temple on the banks of Krishna Kund in this beautiful forest of Vrindavan.
