Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
To the south, adjacent to Nandīśvara Hill, are a few ruins of the staircase of Nanda-bhavana. Nanda’s residence here was extensive, with separate bedrooms for everyone including Nanda Bābā, Mother Yaśodā, Mother Rohiṇī, Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva. It had a kitchen, store-room and dining hall, as well as resting-rooms and other rooms for Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa. Here, Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva performed many of Their childhood, boyhood and youth pastimes. Daily, at forenoon, Śrīmatī Rādhikā used to come here from Jāvaṭa with Her sakhīs on the zealous and loving requests of Mother Yaśodā, and with great delight, She would prepare many tasty foodstuffs for Kṛṣṇa together with Mother Rohiṇī. Kṛṣṇa used to eat with His sakhās in the adjacent large dining-hall and then rest in the bedroom situated one hundred steps from the dining-hall.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
This was the site of Nanda Maharaja’s residence known as Nanda Bhavan where Krishna and Balarama used to live; the word ‘bhavan’ means a large palatial residence with many well-appointed rooms. The present temple of Krishna-Balarama has been built on the spot where Nanda’s residence once stood. Within this temple one can see the large Deities of Yasoda Mayi and Nanda Maharaja with Krishna and Balarama standing in between them. On the right side of Nanda are Krishna’s friends Shridama and Madhumangala. On the left of Yashoda one can see Radharani along with Rohini and Revati, the mother and the consort respectively of Balarama.
These Deities of Nanda, Yashoda and Krishna, are said to be the same Deities found by Lord Chaitanya in a cave on Nandishwara Hill. The other Deities were added at a later time. When Lord Chaitanya eventually left Vrindavana after His famous parikrama in the year 1515, He ordered His senior most followers known as the Six Goswamis to spend the rest of their lives in the holy dhama. Their mission was to excavate all the lost places of Krishna’s pastimes as well as establish temples of Radha-Krishna, besides write books on the science of devotion and in general revitalize the cult of Krishna-bhakti amongst the general population. Within a short time temples were built at all the important pastime places like Vrindavana, Govardhana, Nandagrama and Varsana. The present Krishna Balarama temple at Nandagrama was reportedly built by the wealthy landowner Rupa Rama Singh of Varsana in the 19th century.
