Haridev Ji Temple, Govardhan: Timings, the Ancient Deity and Mansi Ganga

Haridev Ji temple: at a glance

Haridev Ji temple timings

The Haridev Ji temple and its timings

The Shri Haridev Ji temple, known with devotion as Mandir Shri Thakur Haridev Ji Maharaj, stands on the southern bank of the Mansi Ganga lake in Govardhan, in the Mathura district, about 22 km from Mathura Junction. It is one of the most ancient and revered temples of Braj, dedicated to Shri Haridev, the lord of Govardhan. It is typically open in the morning, from about 5:30 am to 11 am and in the evening, from about 4 pm to 10 pm, closing through the afternoon for the deity's rest, as is the Braj way; entry is free. As set out above, confirm the current timings locally, as they shift with the season. To visit Haridev Ji and do the Govardhan parikrama, a mathura vrindavan tour with Experience My India can plan it.

From the ground (Gurudutt): When you come to Govardhan for the parikrama, you must have the darshan of Haridev ji at Mansi Ganga; he is the very heart of Giriraj and his temple is one of the four most ancient in all of Braj. The red-stone temple is beautiful and the deity is full of mercy. Come in the early morning, before the parikrama, bathe at Mansi Ganga and take Haridev's darshan; it blesses the whole walk. Radhe Radhe, Jai Giriraj.

Shri Haridev, the heart of Govardhan

The deity of the temple is dear to all who love Govardhan:

• Haridev, a form of Krishna. Shri Haridev, also called Govardhana-natha Haridev, is a form of Lord Krishna, worshipped here as the very lord and heart of Giriraj Govardhan; where the hill itself is adored as Giriraj Maharaj, the deity Haridev is the Lord of the hill, in his beautiful temple form.

• The worshipful form of Govardhan. To the devotees of Govardhan, Haridev is the presiding deity of the holy hill and his darshan at Mansi Ganga is a darshan of the soul of Govardhan; so no parikrama, no visit to Govardhan, is complete without the darshan of Haridev ji.

• At the heart of the parikrama town. The temple stands at the heart of Govardhan town, by the great Mansi Ganga lake where the parikrama begins and ends, so Haridev presides over the holy walk around Giriraj, the first and the last darshan of many a pilgrim's parikrama.

The appearance of Haridev at Mansi Ganga

A beloved legend tells of Haridev's appearance at this very place. It is told that once, at the banks of Mansi Ganga, the gopis of Braj, longing for Krishna and feeling the deep pain of separation from him, began to call out his name as Haridev, again and again, Haridev, Haridev, Haridev, their yearning so intense that it seemed they would give up their very lives for a sight of him. And at that, moved by their love, Krishna appeared before them here in his form as a boy, holding Govardhan Hill aloft on one hand and his flute in the other; and from that day Radha and the gopis came to this place to worship Govardhana-natha Haridev, their beloved Lord of Govardhan. So the temple marks the place of his loving appearance to the devotees. The giriraj maharaj govardhan aarti lyrics sings of this same Giriraj, Govardhan, whom Krishna lifted.

History: the four Vajranabha temples and the ancient shrine

The Haridev Ji temple is among the most ancient and storied of Braj:

• One of the four Vajranabha deities. By tradition, the ancient deity of Haridev at Govardhan is one of the four great Deva deities of Braj whose origin traces to Maharaja Vajranabha, the great-grandson of Krishna, who established them ages after Krishna's pastimes: Haridev at Govardhan, Govindadev at Vrindavan, Keshavadev at Mathura and Baladev near Mahavan. So Haridev is a brother-deity of the great ancient temples of Braj.

• The red-sandstone temple of the sixteenth century. While the deity is held to be of great antiquity, the present red-sandstone temple that stands today, beautiful and dignified, was built in the sixteenth century by Raja Bhagavan Das of Amer, the father of Raja Man Singh, of red sandstone from Bharatpur on local-stone foundations; it is one of the grand old temples of Braj.

• The deity moved and the replica. In the upheaval of the seventeenth century, when the temples of Braj faced troubled times, the original deity of Haridev was taken away, to a village near Kanpur, to keep it safe, together with other beloved deities of Braj; since then, a pratibhu, a faithful replica of the deity, has been worshipped in the original temple at Mansi Ganga and is worshipped there to this day.

Of the four Vajranabha deities, Keshavadev is honoured at the krishna janmabhoomi in Mathura and Baladev at the 84 khambha temple mahavan near Gokul.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the deity's story

The Haridev Ji temple is dear to the Gaudiya tradition, for Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself came here. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu made his pilgrimage to Braj and walked the Govardhan parikrama, perceiving every stone of Govardhan as inseparable from Krishna, he came to the Haridev temple at Mansi Ganga; and before the deity, overcome with love, he chanted the holy names of Krishna and danced for hours in ecstasy, until great crowds gathered, amazed at his divine love. So the temple holds the memory of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's ecstatic devotion and is a dear stop for all who follow his path; the radha rani temple barsana of Barsana and the ghats of the braj yamuna ghats and leela sites hold the same Gaudiya devotion.

Haridev Ji on the Govardhan parikrama

Haridev Ji darshan is an essential part of the great Govardhan parikrama:

• By Mansi Ganga, where the parikrama begins. The temple stands by the Mansi Ganga lake, the great sacred tank at the heart of Govardhan town, which Krishna is said to have drawn from his own mind so that Braj could have the Ganga's water; the Govardhan parikrama traditionally begins and ends with a dip or a sprinkling at Mansi Ganga, so Haridev presides over the holy walk.

• An essential darshan. Pilgrims performing the traditional seven-kos, about twenty-one kilometre, Govardhan parikrama hold the darshan of Haridev ji to be an essential part of the sacred journey; many take his darshan and bathe at Mansi Ganga, before setting out on the parikrama and return to him at the close.

• With the holy places of Mansi Ganga. The banks of Mansi Ganga hold other dear shrines besides Haridev, including the Chakleshwar Mahadev temple, the guardian Shiva of Govardhan and the Mukut Mukharvind; together they make the heart of the Govardhan parikrama.

See our govardhan hill guide for Giriraj and the parikrama and the apsara kund govardhan and surabhi kund govardhan for other holy kunds on the walk.

How to reach and visit

The Haridev Ji temple is easy to reach, at the heart of Govardhan town:

• Reaching the temple. Govardhan town is about 22 km from Mathura Junction and Mathura and about 25 km from Vrindavan; the Haridev Ji temple is at the heart of the town, a very short walk from the southern bank of Mansi Ganga. Most pilgrims go by car with a Braj guide, often as part of a Govardhan parikrama day.

• Visit in the morning. Come in the early morning, for the Mangla darshan and to begin the parikrama in the cool of the day; bathe or sprinkle the water of Mansi Ganga, take the darshan of Haridev ji and set out on the walk around Giriraj. Remember the afternoon closure and confirm the day's timings.

• Best time. October to March is the most pleasant season for the parikrama and the darshan; Haridev Ji and Govardhan are dearest and busiest at Govardhan Puja after Diwali and on Guru Purnima. Dress modestly, follow the temple custom and treat the ancient shrine with reverence.

See our distance from mathura to gokul and how to commute in vrindavan guides for reaching this side of Braj and our mathura vrindavan temple timings guide to confirm the current darshan hours.

We take pilgrims to the Haridev Ji temple and on the Govardhan parikrama, with Mansi Ganga, the kunds and the whole of Braj, in a comfortable vehicle with a Braj-born guide who knows the temple, the timings and the old stories. A shared day tour starts from around ₹1,499 per person, with darshan free. The braj 84 kos yatra covers the whole of Braj including Govardhan, our mathura vrindavan tour the twin cities and our vrindavan tour package Vrindavan in a day; the kshir sagar at Baldeo and the banke bihari temple at Vrindavan are dear too. Message me on WhatsApp at +91-7302265809 to plan your Govardhan parikrama and Haridev darshan.

Related guides

• govardhan hill

• giriraj maharaj govardhan aarti lyrics

• apsara kund govardhan

• surabhi kund govardhan

• krishna janmabhoomi

• agra mathura vrindavan tour package