Places to Visit in Govardhan: The Giriraj Hill and Its Sacred Sites

Key facts at a glance

Places to visit in Govardhan: an overview

Govardhan, the town of the sacred Giriraj hill in the western Braj of Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, is one of the holiest places of the whole land of Krishna, revered, by the tradition, as the hill Krishna lifted upon his little finger to shelter the people of Braj. Built around the low sandstone hill and threaded by the great parikrama, it is filled with temples, kunds and sacred spots tied to the pastimes of Krishna, and dear above all to the devotees who walk the circuit of the hill.

This guide covers the places to visit in Govardhan in full: the Giriraj hill and its 21 km parikrama; the temples of Daan Ghati, the Mukharvind at Jatipura, Haridev and Chakleshwar Mahadev; the holy kunds of Radha Kund, Shyam Kund, Mansi Ganga, Kusum Sarovar, Govind Kund and Uddhav Kund; Punchari ka Lautha and the sites around it; along with the festivals, the best time to visit, and how to reach and see them. For the town and hill in full, see our govardhan up guide.

From the ground (Gurudutt): Govardhan rewards an unhurried, devotional visit, so come knowing that the heart of it is the Giriraj hill and its parikrama, a walk of about twenty-one kilometres around the holy hill. If you can, walk a part of it, even barefoot, and take darshan at the Mukharvind, where the hill is bathed with milk. If you cannot walk it all, a cycle-rickshaw or car covers the route and the main sites, Daan Ghati, Radha Kund, Kusum Sarovar and Mansi Ganga. Remember that Giriraj is revered as Krishna himself, so the hill is worshipped as the deity, and pilgrims do not climb it. The town is busiest at Govardhan Puja and Guru Purnima. Darshan is free. See our Mathura Vrindavan tour Package  or message WhatsApp +91 7302265809.   

Govardhan at a glance

Here are the essentials of the places to visit in Govardhan in one place.

In one line: Govardhan holds the sacred Giriraj hill and its 21 km parikrama, the temples of Daan Ghati, the Mukharvind, Haridev and Punchari ka Lautha, and the kunds of Radha Kund, Mansi Ganga and Kusum Sarovar, all tied to the lifting of the hill by Krishna.

About Govardhan and the Giriraj hill

Govardhan is revered, by the tradition, as the place of one of the best-loved pastimes of Krishna: when the people of Braj, at Krishna's word, turned from the worship of Indra to the worship of the hill, Indra in his anger sent torrential rain, and Krishna lifted the whole Giriraj hill upon his little finger and held it as a canopy for seven days and nights, sheltering the people and cattle of Braj, until Indra's pride was humbled and he came to beg forgiveness. So Govardhan is above all the town of the lifted hill, and Giriraj is revered as non-different from Krishna himself. Our govardhan hill guide covers the hill and its darshan in full.

The hill lies about 22 km west of Mathura and roughly 25 km from Vrindavan, a low ridge of sandstone around which the town and the parikrama wind. By the tradition, the devotees do not climb the hill but walk around it and worship its rocks and shilas, for it is Krishna himself. We present the sanctity of Govardhan as the cherished belief and tradition of Braj, held with faith and recounted with reverence. So Govardhan is the holy town of the Giriraj hill, rich with sacred places to visit.

The Govardhan Parikrama

The heart of a Govardhan pilgrimage is the parikrama, the sacred circumambulation of the Giriraj hill, a walk of about 21 km, or seven kos, taken by countless devotees around the holy hill. Many walk it barefoot; some measure their length along the ground in full prostration, the dandavat parikrama, which can take days; and some offer the dugdha parikrama, letting milk trickle from a pot onto the path as an offering. By the tradition, the Govardhan parikrama carries the merit of pilgrimage to all the sacred sites of Braj at once. It is most often begun at Daan Ghati or the Mukharvind at Jatipura, and said to begin and end at Mansi Ganga. Our braj chaurasi kos yatra guide covers the greater parikramas of Braj on which Govardhan is honoured.

The full walk takes most people the better part of a day, and there is no time limit, so many walk it before dawn or over a day or more. It is especially thronged on Guru Purnima, on full-moon and Ekadashi days, and at Govardhan Puja. So the parikrama is the soul of a Govardhan visit. So walk the full circuit or a part of it, according to your strength and devotion. We present the parikrama with the reverence of the tradition, held with faith, the beloved circuit of the Giriraj hill.

Daan Ghati, Mukharvind and the parikrama temples

Among the chief places to visit in Govardhan are the temples woven around the hill and its parikrama.

• Daan Ghati Mandir: a chief temple and a usual start of the parikrama, revered, by the tradition, as the place of the daan leela, the playful toll pastime of Krishna and the gopis; the deity is worshipped as a rock of Giriraj.

• Mukharvind at Jatipura: revered as the sacred mouth of the Giriraj hill, near Anyor, where the hill is bathed with milk and offered bhog and Chhappan Bhog, and where many begin the parikrama; tied to the Pushtimarg tradition.

• Haridev temple: on the southern bank of Mansi Ganga, a temple of red stone enshrining Haridev, one of the four presiding deities of Braj, taken in darshan on the parikrama.

• Chakleshwar Mahadev: a revered Shiva temple near Mansi Ganga, honoured as the guardian Shiva of Govardhan, with the bhajan-kutir of the saint Sanatan Goswami nearby.

• Anyor and the Indra Puja sthal: the village near Jatipura revered as the place from where Krishna lifted the hill, and the site tied to the humbling of Indra and his worship of Krishna.

So Daan Ghati, the Mukharvind, Haridev, Chakleshwar Mahadev and the shrines of Anyor are among the beloved temples of Govardhan, most on the parikrama path. Our govardhan temples mukharvind guide covers the shrines that ring the hill. We present these temples and their pastimes as the cherished belief and tradition of Braj, held with faith and recounted with reverence, the sacred shrines of the Giriraj hill.

Radha Kund, Shyam Kund and the sacred kunds

Govardhan holds some of the holiest kunds of all Braj, tied to the pastimes of Radha and Krishna, chief among them Radha Kund and Shyam Kund. braj kunds and sarovars covers the sacred waters of Braj in full.

• Radha Kund: among the holiest kunds of all Braj, near the village of Arita, revered, by the tradition, as dug by Radha and the gopis with their bangles and filled with the waters of all holy rivers; dear above all to the devotees of Radha, with the samadhis of the great Goswami saints nearby.

• Shyam Kund: beside Radha Kund, revered as created by Krishna, who called up the waters of all the holy rivers to purify himself after slaying the bull-demon; the two kunds side by side are among the most sacred spots of Braj.

• Govind Kund: near Anyor, revered as the place where the humbled Indra performed the abhishek of Krishna as Govinda, the lord of the cows, with the milk of the celestial cow Surabhi.

So Radha Kund, Shyam Kund and Govind Kund are among the supremely holy kunds of Govardhan, tied to the pastimes of Radha and Krishna and to the lifting of the hill. So take a reverent dip or darshan at them on your visit. We present their sanctity as the cherished belief and tradition of Braj, held with faith and recounted with reverence, the sacred waters of the land of Krishna, the divine and transcendent love-play of Radha and Krishna, never a worldly matter.

Mansi Ganga, Kusum Sarovar and the sarovars

Govardhan holds beautiful sarovars and lakes among its places to visit, tied to the pastimes of Krishna and adorned by the kings of old.

• Mansi Ganga: the sacred lake at the heart of Govardhan village, revered, by the tradition, as manifested by Krishna from his mind to grant Nanda and Yashoda a Ganga-snan and to purify himself; renovated by the kings Bhagwan Das and Man Singh, and the usual start and end of the parikrama.

• Kusum Sarovar: a beautiful sandstone reservoir between Govardhan and Radha Kund, revered as the place where the gopis and Radha gathered flowers for Krishna; its grand ghats and carved chhatris were built around 1764 by Jawahir Singh of Bharatpur in honour of his father Raja Suraj Mall, with painted tombs and a Giriraja shrine.

• Uddhav Kund: a kund near Kusum Sarovar revered, by the tradition, as the place where Uddhav, the messenger of Krishna, resides forever as grass, honouring the supreme love of the gopis.

So Mansi Ganga, Kusum Sarovar and Uddhav Kund are among the loveliest and holiest sarovars of Govardhan, tied to the pastimes of Krishna and adorned by the kings of Bharatpur and Amber. So take them in on the parikrama and a fuller visit. We present the sanctity of these sarovars as the cherished belief and tradition of Braj, held with faith and recounted with reverence, the sacred lakes of the Giriraj hill.

Punchari ka Lautha and the outlying sites

At the southern tip of the Giriraj hill and around it lie further beloved places to visit, tied to the pastimes of Krishna and the devotion of his friends.

• Punchari ka Lautha: the tender temple at the southern tip, or tail, of Giriraj, revered, by the tradition, as the place of Lautha, a dear childhood friend of Krishna who waits eternally for his return; the vermillion-smeared deity of Lautha Baba is worshipped by countless devotees.

• Apsara Kund and Naval Kund: kunds near Punchari, revered, by the tradition, as tied to a rasa pastime of Krishna with the apsaras; Naval Kund, the Punch Kund, gives Punchari its name.

• Surabhi Kund: near Punchari, revered as the place where the celestial cow Surabhi and Indra came to plead forgiveness from Krishna after the lifting of the hill.

• Narada Kund: a kund on the parikrama path revered, by the tradition, as the place where the sage Narada composed the Narada Bhakti Sutra, the aphorisms of devotion.

So Punchari ka Lautha, the Apsara, Naval, Surabhi and Narada kunds, and the other spots around the hill enrich the places to visit in Govardhan, tied to the pastimes of Krishna and the love of his friends and the sages. So take them in on the fuller parikrama of the Giriraj hill. We present their sanctity as the cherished belief and tradition of Braj, held with faith and recounted with reverence, the tender sites of the beloved hill of Krishna.

Timings, tips and how to reach

The temples of Govardhan keep the general rhythm of the temples of Braj, open in the morning and the evening and closing for a while through the middle of the day, a little earlier in summer and later in winter, while the parikrama path is open at all hours and many walk it before dawn. So plan temple darshan for the morning or the evening, and confirm the current timings locally. Our mathura vrindavan temple timings guide covers the schedules of the region. Darshan is free, and any offering, such as milk or flowers, is voluntary.

A few honest tips: the full parikrama is about 21 km, so start early, carry water, and wear good shoes, or go barefoot as devotion allows; those who cannot walk it all can use cycle-rickshaws, e-rickshaws or a car along the route; the town is busiest at Govardhan Puja and Guru Purnima; mind the monkeys, as across Braj; and the outlying sites are best seen on the parikrama or with a guide. Our how to reach vrindavan guide covers arriving in the region, and our best time to visit vrindavan mathura guide the seasons.

Govardhan lies about 22 km from Mathura and roughly 25 km from Vrindavan, reached easily by road; combine it with Barsana, the town of Radha, and Nandgaon in the western Braj. We arrange Govardhan and western-Braj tours taking in the Giriraj hill and its sacred sites, with the transport, the routing, the timing around the closures, and a knowledgeable local guide to bring the pastimes of the hill alive. A shared day tour starts from around ₹1,499 per person, with darshan free throughout; our same-day govardhan barsana tour covers Govardhan and the western Braj, our five-day braj 84 kos yatra the great parikrama, and our two-day mathura vrindavan tour the twin cities. You can also add radha rani temple barsana and nand mahal nandgaon to a western-Braj circuit. Message me on WhatsApp at +91-7302265809 to plan your visit.

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