Halfway between the hill of Barsana and the hill of Nandgaon, there is a stretch of road where the fields are wide and the sky is wider. A small lake sits by the way, with a few steps going into the water. The local people call it Prem Sarovar, the lake of love.
It is said that this is where two villages that were always a little apart found a way to meet. It belongs to folk memory, and we will tell it as such.
The story in a few lines
Prem Sarovar is said to be one of the places where Radha and Krishna secretly met when their villages, Barsana and Nandgaon, lay a few kilometres apart. The lake is called of love because tradition says it was filled by the tears of their meetings and partings.
It lies close to Sanket village, where, by local tradition, Krishna promised to meet Radha. Sanket means signal or tryst. The spot has no firm scriptural source, so please treat it as local tradition and not as a verse of the Purana.
In many tellings, Radha's friends would stand at the water's edge to watch for Krishna, and the lake mirrored the sky as they waited. The mood of the place is not of a grand event, but of a small, private joy, a glance across a field.
Why it matters on the yatra
The Bhagavatam tells of the Rasa and of the gopis' longing in chapters 29 to 33 of the tenth canto, but it does not name the meeting places of the village tradition. Braj fills that silence with place names that carry feelings: a lake for tears, a village for a signal.
For many pilgrims, a short pause at such a place is a gentle part of the Barsana and Nandgaon day. It asks for no queue and no ticket, only a few quiet minutes.
Treat this stop as an invitation to slow down. After the climb at Barsana and the steps at Nandgaon, a lake by the road is a place to sit on a low wall, drink water and let the morning settle. No special preparation is needed.
Getting there
Prem Sarovar lies between Barsana and Nandgaon. By the guide, it is about 4 km from the Radha Rani temple, 4 km from Nand Bhawan and 4 km from Pavan Sarovar. Mathura Junction and Banke Bihari are each about 53 km away, and Delhi airport about 150 km.
Park on the roadside and walk a few minutes. During Holi, road diversions along this stretch affect access. Ask your driver the exact location, since we have not verified it.
If you are travelling by e-rickshaw or on foot between the two villages, you will pass the lake naturally. By car, ask the driver to stop for ten minutes on the way from one hill to the other, and to wait on the roadside.
Timings and what changes by season
It is a daytime stop with no formal timings, and the information is not verified. Morning is best, with soft light on the water and few people. Summer middays are hot and shadeless.
In the rains, the lake is fuller, and the paths may be muddy. In winter it is quieter and cooler.
In the rainy months, the fields around the lake turn green and the road is lined with flowering trees, which makes the short stop especially pleasant. In October and November, the mustard and paddy fields are gold, and the light at dusk is soft.
Dress, phones, crowds and kind manners
Dress modestly and keep your voice low. Photographs are fine. The crowd is light, and toilets are not known to be available, so use them before you come. Monkeys are possible. Water quality is not known, so do not drink or bathe.
Anyone offering a special rite for a fee does not speak for the tradition.
Children like water and may want to go to the edge, so hold their hands. Steps can be slippery with algae. The lake has no lifeguard or fence that we know of, and the depth is not known.
Sanket and the nearby shrines
The village of Sanket has a shrine, which our guide marks as something to check locally, and a post on it may follow. Ask in the village for the temple. Pavan Sarovar and Nandgaon's Nand Bhawan are the natural next stops, and Barsana's Radha Rani temple is the natural last.
Treat the lake as one pearl on a string. The string is the long road joining the hills. Many who pass this way say very little, because a place like this does not ask to be explained.
Where to eat nearby
Roadside tea is available. There is no verified restaurant here. Barsana and Nandgaon markets have kachori, chaat, samosa and lassi stalls, and our Barsana food post lists the types.
Plan it with nearby stops
Allow about a quarter of an hour on the way across. lala:Cab can add the lake to a Barsana day, and a guide can tell the story of the tryst on the spot. Perhaps the best way to end the stop is to say Radhe Radhe once, quietly, and walk back to the car; nothing more is asked.
Questions, answered
Where is Prem Sarovar?
On the road that joins the two hill villages, near Sanket. Ask your driver.
Does a scripture tell this story?
No. It is local tradition.
How long should I stay?
About 15 minutes.
Can I bathe in the lake?
We do not know the water quality. It is best not to.
Timings, entry rules and fees change. Please confirm on the day with the temple or your driver.
- Exact location of the lake
- Timings
- Sanket shrine
- Water quality
- Wikivoyage: Barsana and Nandgaon
- Srimad Bhagavatam 10.29-10.33 (Vedabase)
- Local tradition of Sanket and Prem Sarovar
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.