Govardhan Temples: Daan Ghati, Haridev, the Kunds and Parikrama Guide

Key facts at a glance

Govardhan temples: an overview

There is a hill in the western Braj that devotees do not climb, but bow to and walk around barefoot: Giriraj, the sacred hill of Govardhan, which, by the tradition, the child Krishna lifted on his little finger for seven days and nights to shelter the people of Braj from a punishing storm. The hill itself is worshipped as a form of Krishna and around it and through the town of Govardhan, about 22 to 26 km from Mathura, lies a garland of temples, kunds and sarovars, tied together by the beloved 21 km parikrama. Our govardhan hill page covers the sacred Giriraj in more depth.

This guide covers the Govardhan temples in full: the story of the lifted hill; the main temples, Daan Ghati and the Mukharvind, Haridev Mandir and the Jatipura Mukharvind of Shrinathji; the sacred kunds and sarovars, Radha Kund and Shyam Kund, Mansi Ganga and Kusum Sarovar; the 21 km parikrama and its shrines; and the timings, entry and how to reach and plan. For the town beyond its temples, see our govardhan up guide and for a sightseeing plan, our places to visit in govardhan guide.

From the ground (Gurudutt): Govardhan is not a place to rush; it rewards those who slow down. If you have the strength and a day, the 21 km parikrama is the real pilgrimage, done barefoot and you will see devotees doing the milk parikrama and even the dandavati, prostrating the whole way. If you have only a morning, at least take darshan at Daan Ghati and the Mukharvind, bow to Giriraj and see Radha Kund and Kusum Sarovar, which is the loveliest spot of all, especially in the soft light of early morning or evening. Remember you do not climb Giriraj, out of reverence; you walk around it. Darshan everywhere is free, so carry only what you wish to offer and start early, before the heat. See our Mathura Vrindavan tour Package  or message WhatsApp +91 7302265809. 

The story of the Giriraj hill

By the tradition, when the people of Braj prepared their yearly worship of Indra, the god of rain, the child Krishna persuaded them instead to worship Govardhan hill, which gave them grass, water and shelter. Enraged, Indra sent down a terrible storm to drown Braj and Krishna lifted the whole Giriraj hill on the little finger of his left hand, holding it aloft like an umbrella for seven days and nights, under which all the people and cattle of Braj sheltered, until Indra, humbled, relented and bowed to him.

So Govardhan is worshipped as Giriraj, the king of hills, a form of Krishna himself; the devotees do not climb it, out of reverence, but walk around it and the day after Diwali is kept as Govardhan Puja or Annakut, in memory of this pastime. We present the story as the cherished belief and tradition holds it, held with faith and recounted with reverence, the lifting of Giriraj by Krishna.

The main temples of Govardhan

Around the town and the parikrama marg stand the chief temples of Govardhan, each with its own place in the pastimes of Krishna.

• Daan Ghati Mandir: at the foot of Giriraj, marking the pastime where Krishna, as a toll-keeper, playfully demanded a daan from Radha and the gopis; the deity is worshipped as a rock of Giriraj and it is a chief starting point of the parikrama.

• The Mukharvind: the sacred lotus face of Giriraj, worshipped at Daan Ghati and, most famously, at Jatipura, where the Mukharvind of Shrinathji is bathed daily with milk and offered flowers; many begin their parikrama there.

• Haridev Mandir: an ancient temple near Mansi Ganga, holding the deity of Giriraj-Govardhan Maharaj, where the tale of the lifted hill is told, one of the oldest temples of the town.

• Chakleshwar Mahadev: the guardian Shiva of Govardhan, near Mansi Ganga, revered as the protector of the sacred hill, honoured by pilgrims on the parikrama.

• Punchari ka Lautha: a beloved temple of Lautha Baba, a friend of Krishna, on the parikrama marg at the tail, punchari, end of the hill.

So Daan Ghati, the Mukharvind, Haridev Mandir, Chakleshwar Mahadev and Punchari ka Lautha are the main temples. So take darshan at each as you go. Our govardhan temples and mukharvind page covers the shrines in more depth. We present them with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith, the temples of Giriraj.

The sacred kunds and sarovars

Govardhan is as beloved for its sacred waters as for its temples, each kund holding the memory of a pastime of Radha and Krishna. Our braj kunds and sarovars page covers the holy waters of Braj.

• Radha Kund and Shyam Kund: two sacred ponds near Govardhan, among the very holiest to the Vaishnavas; by the tradition Krishna created Shyam Kund and Radha and the gopis created Radha Kund beside it, dearer even than Krishna himself to the devotees.

• Mansi Ganga: the sacred lake in the heart of the town, created, by the tradition, by Krishna from his mind at the gopis' wish, its water held holier even than the Ganga.

• Kusum Sarovar: a graceful sandstone reservoir near Radha Kund, where Radha gathered flowers to meet Krishna; its ghats and pavilions were built in 1764 by Jawahir Singh of Bharatpur in honour of his father Raja Suraj Mal and the main tomb has fine ceiling paintings.

So Radha Kund and Shyam Kund, Mansi Ganga and Kusum Sarovar are the sacred waters of Govardhan. So take them in on your visit, Kusum Sarovar above all for its beauty. We present them with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith, the divine kunds and sarovars of Govardhan.

The Govardhan Parikrama

The heart of a Govardhan pilgrimage is the parikrama, the sacred circumambulation of Giriraj, about 21 km on foot around the parikrama marg, performed barefoot by countless devotees. There is no fixed time; many complete it in a morning, others take longer and some perform the special forms of devotion. By the tradition, the parikrama is held to wash away sins and fulfil the heart's wishes.

Some devotees perform the dugdh or milk, parikrama, carrying a clay pot of milk with a small hole so that it trickles onto the marg the whole way, with another of incense, an escort refilling the milk; others perform the dandavati parikrama, prostrating full-length the entire distance, a labour of many days. The parikrama passes Daan Ghati, Jatipura, Radha Kund, Kusum Sarovar, Mansi Ganga, Punchari ka Lautha and the other shrines. We present the parikrama with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith, the beloved circuit of Giriraj.

Timings, entry and how to reach

The Govardhan temples are generally open in the morning and the evening, closing for a while through the middle of the day, in the rhythm of the temples of Braj; the parikrama itself has no time limit and is walked day and night. Entry and darshan are free. Govardhan is about 22 to 26 km from Mathura and roughly the same from Vrindavan, about an hour by road, reached by taxi, auto or bus; the nearest railhead is Mathura Junction. Our mathura vrindavan temple timings and how to reach vrindavan guides help you plan.

The best time to visit is the cool season, roughly October to March; Govardhan Puja, the day after Diwali and the Mudia Purnima and Guru Purnima parikrama seasons are the most fervent but very crowded. Our best time to visit vrindavan mathura guide covers the seasons. So come in the cool months and start early for the parikrama. So darshan is free throughout. So reach Govardhan from Mathura or Vrindavan in about an hour and plan around the temple timings and the parikrama.

How to plan your Govardhan visit

Govardhan is easily visited on a day trip from Mathura or Vrindavan, most often combined with Barsana, the town of Radha and Nandgaon in the western Braj; if you wish to do the full 21 km parikrama, allow a whole day and start before dawn. Take darshan at Daan Ghati and the Mukharvind, bow to Giriraj and see Radha Kund and Kusum Sarovar at the least. Our mathura vrindavan tour itinerary helps you shape the day and our radha rani temple barsana page covers nearby Barsana.

We arrange Govardhan tours taking in the temples, the kunds and the parikrama, often with Barsana and Nandgaon, with the transport, the routing timed around the darshan hours and a knowledgeable local guide. A shared day tour starts from around ₹1,499 per person, with darshan free at the temples; our same-day govardhan barsana tour covers the western Braj, our two-day mathura vrindavan tour the twin cities and our one-day vrindavan tour package Vrindavan. Message me on WhatsApp at +91-7302265809 to plan your visit.

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