With the thousand-headed snake Kaliya taking refuge in the Yamuna river in Vrindavan, the only place where his nemesis Garuda cannot step foot on, it falls on the young Krishna's shoulders to protect the locals. A young Krishna, playing with his friends on the banks of the river, jumps into it to retrieve the ball that has fallen into it. Krishna gets into a duel with the snake and as it attempts to wrap itself around him, he grows in size beyond Kaliya's capability. The resulting dance by Krishna on the serpent's hood even as the locals watch in amazement is the awe-inducing Kaliyamardanam but he spares the snake's life as Kaliya's wives beg the lord for forgiveness.