Govardhan Hill

Govardhan Hill Parikrama

Govardhan Hill Parikrama is a sacred ritual performed by the devotees. Parikrama means taking a round of the place on your feet. The Parikrama route is 25 km long. It is this hill which was lifted by Shri Krishna on his index finger to protect his fellow villagers and animals to save them from the floods caused by the angry Lord Indra.

Now the hill lies there with the whole scene depicted by a sandstone structure. It is said that Govardhan Hill was about 3 KM high but due to the curse of Pulatsya Muni, it keeps decreasing by the size of a Sesame seed. Devotees also take rocks from the Govardhan and worship it just like Shri Krishna.

Including Radha Kund & Syam Kund It may be 25 km long walk around the hill but the devotees do it diligently. This ritual of Parikrama is considered to be even better if is it done with milk. The parikrama should be done clockwise.

RadhaKund & Syam-Kund

Radha Kund is just at 8 km distance from Govardhan Hill. It is also a holy place near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh District. The story goes that a demon disguised as a bull by the name of ‘Aristasura’ was killed by Shri Krishna. Radha asked him to wash his sins and purify himself since he had killed a bull. Radha and her milkmaid friends said that he had to visit all the holy places of the 3 worlds.

At this Shri Krishna said Instead of visiting these places he would bring the waters of these rivers there instead and just after he hit the ground with his heel and waters of the holy places erupted in the ‘Kund’ (Pond) which was named Syam-kund. Shri Krishna took a bath in it. Thereafter the gopis (milkmaid) and Radharani hit the ground with their bangles and a representative of the holy places appeared and said to Radha that their life would be virtuous if they could enter her pond! So with the permission of Radha and Krishna, the holy waters from all the holy places started flowing in Radha Kund

Daan Ghati Temple

This temple was started by Shri Gopal Das Kaushik, a well known citizen of Mathura in 1970s. Here the deity is in the form of a rock and it is said that it keeps going down in earth every year. Now it has become more visitors.

Kusum Sarovar

Kusum Sarovar is the pond surrounded by steps from all sides. It has Kadambh Tree groves on all sides and a cenotaph of the Royal family of that time. It is that place where the gopis used to wait for Shri Krishna with flowers.

Mansi Ganga

It is a pond restored by Raja Bhagwan Das and Raja Maan Singh which serves as the start and the end of Govardhan Parikrama. It has many enclosures and steps. It is said that the foster father of Shri Krishna Nand Maharaj asked Shri Krishna to take him for pilgrimage to take a bath in the holy rivers.

Shri Krishna told him that why go all the way, he could have the bath right there only. And he hit his flute on the ground and the waters of all the holy rivers erupted right there and Baba Nand happily took a bath there.

Large numbers of faithful people bathe here on Guru Purnima and Dipavali and take darshan of Girraj JI OR Shri Harideva. The stone ghatas at Manasi Ganga were built by a King of Jaipur Bhagavan Dasa.

Har Devaji Temple

Once according to the scriptures, Radha Rani and Gopis were waiting for Mansi to meet her beloved Krishna on the banks of Ganga. When he did not come for a long time, he started chanting the name of Lord Harde so that God could hear his voice and he would appear. His love touched Krishna's mind and he appeared in front of him as a seven year old beautiful child.

Seeing this, Radha Rani and Gopis were so happy that she started coming to that place everyday and singing devotional songs. It is believed that in fact the Hardev temple was built by Krishna's grandson. Today's Hardev temple was built by Raja Bhagnadas of Jaipur in the 16th century during the Shashan period of Shahanshah Akbar. The devotees take a bath in the Ganga and take the blessings of Lord Harde by doing Parikrama around the temple and take their blessings.