Padma Purana explains that in one kalpa during Lord Sri Krishna's Bhauma Vrindavana (earthly) pastimes, the Vraja-gopis went near Dwarka to dance with their beloved in a secluded forest beside the sea, 20 km north of Dwarka on the night of Sharad Purnima (full moon) and once again danced with him. Krishna secretly left His palace, abandoned His royal insignias, robes, opulent crown and other trimmings of a King, and again adorned Himself in his gopa-vesh, simple dress of a Vrindavana cowherd boy - with a red turban and peacock feather atop His head, a flowing lightning gold dhoti and diaphanous yellow chaddar, a yellow karnikara flower stuck above one ear, a gunja berry necklace swinging from His neck, and His indomitable instrument - flute (murali).
After hours of wonderful dancing and transcendental expressions, Lord Sri Krishna took the Gopis to swim in a nearby lake to relieve their fatigue. All the body powders, unguents, oils and pastes of sandalwood, musk, jasmine, saffron and various colored minerals washed off their transcendental bodies as they splashed each other and played about. Unable to part from Krishna, the Gopis offered their lives to the soil of this land and merged with their beloved. It is said that they turned into yellow clay, known as Gopi Chandan. For the last fifty centuries Krishna bhaktas have been using this clay known as Gopi Chandan (it is golden color just like Radhika’s splendid limbs), to apply tilaka. The soil of the Gopi talav is extremely smooth and yellow in color.
