26. Shri Shri Kali Deh
Kaliya
ghat or Kalideh is
the place on the banks of river Yamuna where Lord Krishna during his childhood
pastimes in Vrindavan subdued a poisonous serpent Kaliya Nag. Earlier Yamuna
used to flow near to this place but during the course of time the river has
drifted away. It’s said that once Krishna was playing with his Sakhas on the
bank of river Yamuna. Suddenly their ball went inside the river. Fearing of
Kaliya Nag, due to whom the water of Yamuna was also turned poisonous, no one
was ready to go inside the river and bring the ball back. Knowing this Krishna
decided to relieve the people of Vrindavan and river Yamuna of this poisonous
serpent and thus jumped from the nearby Kadamba tree into the river. Kaliya nag, who was
sleeping, got angry at Krishna for disturbing his sleep. In a fit of anger he
started releasing poison from his mouth. Krishna immediately jumped and mounted
over one of the hoods of Kaliya who was having thousands of hoods. There was a
long fight between both of them and at last Kaliya fell down restlessly.
Krishna came out of the river Yamuna dancing on the hoods of Kaliya Nag. Then
Krishna instructed Kaliya to leave the river Yamuna and move to sea and also
told him that Garud, (fearing whom Kaliya was hiding in the deep waters of
Yamuna) will not harm him after seeing the foot impressions of Lord Krishna
formed due to dancing on his hoods.
The old Kadamba tree
from where Lord Krishna jumped into the river Yamuna is still present at this
Ghat. There is also a small shrine commemorating the incident of Kaliya Nag
from Krishna’s Pastime. This shrine has the deities of Lord Krishna and Balram
along with Kaliya Nag. The Ghat is built in red sandstone and is adorned with
the stone images of Krishna and Kaliya Nag depicting that very pastime.
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