In the evening, when the cows came home from the pasture, they stopped at a lake to drink. The boys who drove them stopped too, washed their feet and laughed. It is said that one of those boys was Krishna, and that the lake is the one outside Nandgaon called Pavan Sarovar, the pure lake.
It is a calm, broad tank with stone steps, a little away from the hill and the crowd. If you are visiting Nandgaon, it is the best place to sit afterward.
The story in a few lines (what the guide page does not retell)
Tradition says Krishna brought the cows here to drink on the way back from grazing, and the lake was filled with water of the holy rivers for the purpose. Another account adds that Nanda used to bring Krishna and Balarama to bathe here. The cowherd boys' pastimes with the herds are in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.15 and 10.18, but this lake is not named in the text, so it is local tradition.
A well-loved story, found in pilgrim guides, says that Nanda wished to bathe at Prayag. Krishna persuaded him to go on Akshaya Tritiya instead, and Prayag, the king of tirthas, told Nanda that he came every year to wash away the sins pilgrims left on him, in this very lake. So Nanda bathed here instead of travelling. The sources are devotional, and we cannot date them.
Why it matters on the yatra
The lake reminds us that Braj is a world of cows. The tanks, forests and hills of the region are all tied to herding. To sit by this water in the evening, with cattle on the road and peacocks in the trees, is to see the life that the stories describe.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is said to have rested here during his visit to Vrindavan, according to Gaudiya sources, which gives it a place on the pilgrim route.
Getting there from Vrindavan, Mathura and Delhi airport
Pavan Sarovar lies just outside Nandgaon, about 1 km from the hilltop temple. It is around 55 km from Mathura Junction and Banke Bihari, about 150 km from Delhi airport, and 4 km from Prem Sarovar. One guide places it beside the road toward Kamyavan.
Your driver can park at the roadside near the kund, and you walk two to five minutes.
Timings and what changes by season (check locally)
The lake is open by day and no timings are known. Early morning and evening are best, when the light is soft and the cows are out. During Holi the road may be closed to cars, and in Kartik lamps are lit at the steps.
The shrine across the water may keep its own hours, which you should ask about locally.
Dress, phones, crowds and kind manners
Dress modestly and remove shoes before descending the steps. Photographs of the lake are fine. Crowds are light apart from festival days. Monkeys are present, so keep spectacles and snacks hidden.
Treat the water with respect. Do not throw plastic or flower wrappers in it.
An evening by the lake
Come an hour before sunset and walk the length of the steps. The tank is broad, the stone is warm and the light on the water is soft. Cows may be led down for a drink, as they were in the stories, and you can watch them in the old way. Boys with sticks follow behind, laughing.
Sit near the temple end and look back toward the hill of Nandgaon, which rises behind the trees. This is perhaps the best view of it. The place has a mood of unhurried contentment, as if the day were being put away.
Remember to carry out anything you bring in, and to leave the steps as clean as you found them.
Boating and bathing
We found no confirmed information on boating at Pavan Sarovar, so do not count on it. Bathing in the water is part of the tradition, especially on Akshaya Tritiya according to the Nanda story, but water quality and depth vary. Go down the steps slowly, and bathe only if you are sure of the water and have someone with you.
Many visitors are content to wash their hands and feet, sprinkle a little water on the head and sit.
The Pavana-Bihari shrine
Pilgrim guides mention a temple named Pavana-Bihari across the water. We do not have detailed information about its history or hours, so ask the local priest. The lake is also linked in tradition to Radha and her friends, and the name is explained in one guide as coming from Pavan Gopa, a father of Vishakha, one of the eight principal gopis, who is believed to have had it dug. That is an explanation from pilgrim literature and should be treated as tradition.
Where to eat nearby (link to the food guide)
No named eatery was found at the lake. Tea stalls may be near the road. Plan lunch in Nandgaon market, where chaat, samosa, tea and lassi are sold, or at a sweet shop in Barsana. Carry water. See our Barsana and Nandgaon food note.
Plan it with: nearby stops, and a lala:Cab guide
Pair Pavan Sarovar with the hilltop temple in the morning, then Prem Sarovar and Sanket on the road to Barsana. A lala:Cab driver will plan the order, and a guide can tell the Nanda and Prayag story at the steps.
Questions, answered
Why is it called Pavan Sarovar?
Pavan means pure. One guide also says it was made by Pavan Gopa, father of Vishakha, but this is tradition.
Is there a ticket?
No ticket is known. Check locally.
How far is it from the Nandgaon hill?
About a kilometre.
Timings, entry rules and fees change. Please confirm on the day with the temple or your driver.
- Whether boating exists
- Timings of the Pavana-Bihari temple
- Water quality for bathing
- Nanda and Prayag story is devotional tradition
- Builder and date of the stonework
Walking this path soon?
If you would like a driver who knows the lanes and the timings, the lala:Cab app is there when you are ready. No advance, no pressure.