Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
Kole-ghāṭa is situated across the Yamunā from Brahmāṇḍa- ghāṭa, towards Mathurā. Śrī Vasudeva, along with the newborn baby Kṛṣṇa, crossed the Yamunā here on his way to Nanda-bhavana in Gokula. When he was half way across, the Yamunā rose up so that she could touch Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s feet. Vasudeva held Kṛṣṇa higher. When the water reached Vasudeva’s neck, he became perplexed and anxious for the child’s protection. He cried out, “Ko leve? – Who will save Him?” Vajranābha therefore named this ghāṭa Kole-ghāṭa, which is derived from the phrase ko leve.
Seeing the level of the Yamunā rise, baby Kṛṣṇa touched Yamunā-devī’s lap (kola) with His lotus feet, and at once the Yamunā’s waters began to recede. The Yamunā’s shifting waters created an island, which became the location of Kolegaon.
Uthaleśvara and Pāṇḍeśvara Mahādevas are situated on the bank of Kole-ghāṭa.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
This is the famous riverside ghata where Lord Krishna’s father Vasudeva, crossed the Yamuna River on his journey to Gokula Mahavana. Vasudeva was carrying the newly-born Krishna in a wicker basket balanced on his head while on his journey from the prison cell of Kamsa to the safety of Nanda Maharaja’s house at Gokula. Vasudeva crossed the Yamuna River at Kole Ghata, which is presently known as Koila Ghata, but due to a fierce storm raging that night, after entering the river, Vasudeva became overwhelmed by the strong waves and heavy currents and suddenly losing his balance, baby Krishna fell out of the basket into the river Yamuna. Fearing that He may drown, Vasudeva began franticly searching in the fast-flowing water for baby Krishna but could not find Him anywhere. It is said that this incidence was a pastime performed by Yamuna Devi, who was eager to receive Krishna’s lotus feet on her head and also satisfy her desire to have baby Krishna sit in her lap. After embracing Him in her waves for a few ecstatic moments, Yamuna Devi returned baby Krishna to His father. At that moment Vasudeva suddenly saw baby Krishna floating in the water nearby and was overjoyed that his son had not perished in the raging current. Having got his baby Krishna back, Vasudeva once again attempted to cross the river but this time, by the grace of Yamuna Devi, who subdued her fastflowing current, he managed to get to the other side and reached Gokula and the house of Nanda Maharaja. According to the Sanskrit dictionary the word ‘kole’ refers to a person’s ‘lap’ and in this particular case it means that Yamuna Devi had baby Krishna on her ‘lap’. It is said that this holy tirtha was established by Maharaja Vajranabha. It is mentioned by historians that Maharaja Vajranabha became king of Mathura after the retirement of the Pandavas to the Himalayas. At the request of the local Vaishnava community, Vajranabha identified and named all the holy places connected to Krishna’s pastimes within the area of Vraja Mandala.
