SB 10.11.35

They entered Vṛndāvana with happiness (sam—praviṣya), just as the ocean gave a path to Rāma. They crossed the Yamunā by tying the huge carts together, which floated like boats. They crossed at a distance of one yojana north of Kāliya Hrada since they feared disturbances if Mathurā was too close in the south. Or they crossed at the junction of Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, at the place between bhakta-krīḍṇaka-sthāna and vatsa-krīḍṇaka-sthāna, south of Kāliya Hrada and from where they would live, since at that place there were no people because the huge forest. They formed a semi-circle with the carts, which commonly done, so that the goods could be fixed in the back side safely and there was a wide entrance for the cows to exit comfortably. Viṣṇu Purāṇa says: sa samāvaṣitaḥ sarvo vrajo vṛndāvane tataḥ śakaṭī-vāta-paryantaś candrārdhākara-saṁsthitiḥ All of the people of Vraja then went to live in Vṛndāvana. They lived in a semi—circle made of an enclosure of carts. They made enclosure of carts on the first day. Hari-vaṁśa describes the situation later: kaṇṭakībhiḥ pravṛddhābhis taṭhā kaṇṭakibhir drumaiḥ nikhātoccritaśākhābhir abhiguptam samantataḥ The fence was covered completely with thorny creepers, thorny trees, long branches fixed in the earth. It should be understood that the thorny trees were planted live. The branches were cut and fixed in the earth. The enclosure was a yojanas deep and two yojanas long. Kāliya Hradā was one krośa (1/4 of a yojana) north of Vṛndāvana. This actually means north-east, since Mathurā was situated to its south. Ādi-varāha Purāṇa says: uttare hari-devasya dakṣiṇe kāliyasya ca anayor devayor madhye mrṭāste cāpunar bhavāḥ Vṛndāvana lies north of Govardhana and south of Kaliya Hrada. Dying there one is not born again. Harideva is the presiding deity of Govardhana and Kāliya-damana Kṛṣṇa presides over Kāliya Hradā. Though not far from Mathurā, this area was not populated because it was west of Mathurā and full of dense forest. Saṭtīkarā, which is less than a krośa to the south east of Kāliya Hradā, is two yojanas distant from where they would establish their settlement, facing Govardhana. Other places were not suitable. To the south was Mathurā and to the south-east was the Yamunā, and north east of the Yamunā in the east was Kāliya Hradā. This was too restricted for herding the cows. The north, north-west and west gave misery because of the cold wind. Even today people avoid building gates to their villages in the ordinal directions in Mathurā district. na naḥ purojanapadā na grāmā na gṛhā vayam vanaukasas tāta nityaṁ vana-śaila-nivāsinaḥ My dear father, our home is not in the cities or towns or villages. Being forest dwellers, we always live in the forest and on the hills. SB 10.24.24 Kṛṣṇa recommended worship of Govardhana since it was situated in front of the town gate. It should be understood that the famous Nandīśvara, the chief residence of Nanda, was established later. The word Vraja means “to go here and there.” Goṣṭha-nanda-nilaya or Gorai is well known to the local people. This place, Goṣṭha-nanda-nilaya-gokula, and other places as well, are seen within Vṛndāvana.