Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
Vihāravana lies one-and-a-half miles south-west of Rāma-ghāṭa. Darśana of the Bihārījī Temple and Vihāra-kuṇḍa is recommended. Vraja-bihārī Kṛṣṇa together with Rādhikā and the gopīs performed rāsa and other kinds of amorous pastimes at this charming place near Śrī Yamunā. Although most of the forests of Vraja have been cut down, Vihāravana remains somewhat protected. Even today, cuckoos sing and thousands of peacocks make their ke-kā sound here, and during the rainy season they dance and drop their feathers. There are many beautiful kuñjas, kadamba groves and many kinds of creepers here. When one visits this place, sweet remembrances of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes will manifest in one’s heart. In the cowshed here, the very beautiful cows, jumping calves and intoxicated looking bulls awaken sweet memories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s cow grazing pastimes.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
Viharavana is one of the upavanas or sub-forests of Vrindavana mentioned in the Vraja-bhakti-vilasa. This isolated forest is a place where Krishna and the cowherd boys would bring the cows for grazing. It is also one of the places where Krishna performed rasa-lila pastimes with the gopis. There is a temple here known as Radha-bihari Mandira which is maintained by devotees of the Nimbarka sampradaya. Within this forest is a place known as Kacchavana because there is a kunda located there called Kacchavana-kunda, where Krishna and Balarama and the cowherd boys would play in the water and enjoy themselves by pretending to be turtles. The word ‘kaccapa’ or ‘kacchua’ means a turtle. The kunda, which is also called Krishna-kunda as well as Vihara-kunda, is teeming with small turtles. The pastime place of Viharavana is said to have been rediscovered by Shrila Narayana Bhatta.
