Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “And this, O Shrinivasa, is Sakhisthali-grama where Chandravali stays. It is also called Sakhikhara. Uddhava sat at this place and told the gopis all about Krishna’s activities in Dwaraka.” This is the famous village that is associated with of the gopi named Chandravali, who is the cousin of Radharani and also Her main rival in attracting Krishna’s love and affection. It is said that of all the gopis, two are most prominent, they are Radharani and Chandravali, but of the two, Radha is the best and most expert in pleasing Krishna. Some say that Chandravali was born here and also lived here with her sixty four sakhis, or close friends. There are others who say that Chandravali only lived here and was actually born at Rithore near Sanket. There was at one time a large kadamba-khandi, or grove of kadamba trees within the forest of Sakhivana but unfortunately the forest, which the Vraja-bhakti-vilasa says is one of the sub-forest of Vrindavana, has been reduced considerably, but the lake known as Sakhisthali-kunda can still be seen and is visible from the Govardhana Parikrama path.
