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24-Mile (40km) Govardhana Parikrama

 
Airavata Kunda
Aniyora (Anaur)
Apsara Kunda
Ashoka-lata Temple
Balarama Temple
Brahma Kunda
Chakaleswara Mahadeva Temple
Chakra Tirtha
Dan Ghati (Krishna Vedi)
Dan Nivartan Kunda
Doka Dauji (Balarama Stali)
Gantholi (Ganthuli)
Gauri Kunda
Gopala Prakata Stali (Sringar Stali)
Gopala Temple
Gopala Mandir
Govardhana Hill Parikrama
Govardhana Pastimes
Govardhana Puja Story
Govardhana Shilas
Govardhana Town
Govinda Kunda
Harideva Temple
Indra Kunda
Indra Tila
ISKCON Temple at Govardhana
Jeti Pura (Jatipura)
Julian (Govardhana) Shila
Kadamba Van
Kilol Kunda (Kelanvan)
Krishna-Balarama
Kusuma Sarovara
Laksmi Narayana Temple
Madhavendra Puri Discovers Gopala
Madhavendra Puri’s Bhajana Kutir
Malyahari Kunda
Manasi Devi Temple
Manasi Ganga
Mukharai
Mukharavinda Temple
Nanda Maharaja Temple
Narada Vana
Narasimha Temple
Sri Nathaji
Nimgram (Nimgaon)
Pancha Tirtha Kunda
Parasauli (Muhammed Pura)
Petha (Pitha)
Punchari Ka Lautha Baba Temple
Punchari Kunda (Navala Kunda)
Radha Govinda Temple
Rudra Kunda
Sanatana Gosvami’s Bhajana Kutir
Sakhi Vana
Sankarsana Kunda
Siva Khari (Siva Pushkarani)
Sri Gopala (Nathaji)
Sringa Stali (Murkharavinda)
Story of Sankhacuda
Surabhi Kunda
Surabhi Van
Surya Kunda
Sutala Vana Forest
Syama Dhak
Syama Vana and Syama Kutir (Ratna Simhasana)
Uddhava Kunda
Uddhava Temple
Vasanti (Vasati)
Vilasa Vana and Vilachu Kunda
Yugal Kunda
 

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Govardhana Hill

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“Krishna assumed a great transcendental form and declared to the inhabitants of Vrindavana that He was Himself Govardhana Hill in order to convince the devotees that Govardhana Hill and Krishna are identical. The identity of Krishna and Govardhana Hill is still honored, and great devotees take rocks from Govardhana Hill, and worship them exactly as they worship the Deity of Krishna in the temple.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.24.35 purport)
“Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Krishna and Balarama, along with Their calves, cows and cowherd friends, will all kinds of necessities—water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krishna and Balarama, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.21.18)

Of all the devotees of Lord Krishna, Govardhana Hill is the best because it supplies Krishna and Balarama with all types of necessities. Presently at its highest point the hill is just 25m (80 feet) high.

There are four paths (ghatis) on which the gopis would go over Govardhana Hill. They are Dan Ghati, Prema Ghati, Syama Ghati and Govinda Ghati.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited Govardhana Hill, He did not walk on the hill because He considered Govardhana as non-different from Lord Krishna. Therefore traditionally Gaudiya Vaishnavas don’t step on Govardhana.

Body of Govardhana
Govardhana is formed in the shape of a peacock. Radha Kunda and Syama Kunda are the eyes. Dan Ghati and Manasi Ganga are its long neck. Mukharavinda is the mouth, Kusuma Sarovara its face, and Punchari is its back and tail feathers. A peacock often curves its neck and puts his head under its stomach. Govardhana Hill is shaped in this pose of a peacock. In Govinda-lilamrita, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami says that Govardhana Hill is shaped like a peacock and that Radha Kunda and Syama Kunda are its eyes.

Govardhana Shilas
Devotees take rocks from Govardhana Hill and worship them exactly as they worship the Deity of Krishna in the temple. This worship is as good as Deity worship. Lord Krishna has appeared as Govardhana-shila (a stone from the hill), so that His devotees may render service to Him. It is important that not just anyone takes a rock from Govardhana Hill. The right to worship a Govardhana-shila should be given only by the guru (spiritual master). So his permission should be taken before beginning worship.

Radha Kunda to Kusuma Sarovara
A few minutes after leaving Radha Kunda you pass the road that goes to Vrindavana, on your left. About sixty metres pass this turn off is Tamala Kunda, which is a muddy pond.

Just after crossing the Yamuna canal, there is the Keli Devi (Parvati) Temple. Next to this temple is a small kunda named Mayur Kunda. Krishna is said to have taken the form of a peacock (mayur) here and danced.

Gwaliorwala Temple
As you proceed down the path, the Gwalior temple is on the right. The Deities in this temple are Radha Radhakanta and Gaura Nitai. This beautifully designed temple was built in the late nineteenth century.

Kusuma Sarovara

Gval Pokhara
There is a small pond here called Gopala Kunda. It is said that Krishna would have lunch with the cowherd boys here. Gval means “cowherd boy.” Pokhara is another name for a kunda. In the forest here, the stones of Govardhana Hill can clearly be seen coming out of the ground.

How To Get Here Directly across from Sant Nivas Ashram, there is a dirt path on the right side of the parikrama path. If you go down this path 170m you come to Gval Pokhara, on your left.

Yugal Kunda
It is said that Nanda Maharaja stayed at this place for a few days, while the cowherd families were moving from Gokula to Nandagram, their new place of residence.

There is a small path that goes into the field, about 50m before the tax-gate (toll). This path is next to a broken wall (1m high). At the end of this wall is a 3m (9 ft) high tower, about 20m (50 ft) into the fields. From the parikrama path Yugal Kunda is on the left, about a one-minute walk away, behind some trees. You cannot see this kunda from the road.

Ear of Govardhana
Right after the tax-gate (toll) the road forks in two directions. The right road is the correct path. About a half km past the tax-gate is a small roadside temple on the right side of the road, where the ear of Govardhana is said to be located. Across the street is a brick-colored building with a 2m (7 ft) by 18m (40 ft) white sign in Hindi. This temple is just before a big modern temple that looks new.

Govardhana Town
The town of Govardhana is a fairly big town in the middle of Govardhana Hill.

Manasi Ganga

Pancha Tirtha Kunda
This place is called Pancha Tirtha because five holy places are said to be within its water. They are: Gomati, Narmada, Sarayu, Vetri and Kanchi. It is also said that this place is called Pancha Tirtha because it has five important bathing places within it: the Ganges, Pushkar, Prayag, Kurukshetra and Gaya. The building in front of this kunda is known as the Bharatpur Raja’s Chatri.

How To Get Here This place is on the right hand side, just after entering the town of Govardhana. It is set back from the parikrama path, behind a good-sized structure that looks like the one at Kusuma Sarovara. It is across the street from Manasi Ganga. When I came here, it was not possible to enter the enclosure that Pancha Tirtha Kunda was located in, and it is not normally open to the public.

Govardhana Parikrama after Manasi Ganga
After taking bath in Manasi Ganga and darshan of Harideva, one takes a right onto the parikrama path and walks through the market. After about 300m you come to a busy crossing (T intersection), where you turn right onto the road that goes over Govardhana Hill. After about 300m, you make a left onto the good-sized parikrama road, just after a police station and the Laksmi Narayana Temple (also on the left). You should be careful that you do not go too far on this road or you will go over Govardhana Hill. There is a yellow and blue sign where the parikrama path turns left in Hindi pointing to the left.

Laksmi Narayana Temple
This is one of the 108 Divya Desam Temples mentioned by the Alwars (Tamil Nadu Vaishnava devotees). It is considered to be one of the most important temples in India according to the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya. The Deities in this temple are considered to be the utsava (festival) Deities of Govardhana Hill. The original Deities in this temple are gone and the present Deities have been worshiped for about 200 years.

How To Get Here From the outside, it is difficult to tell there is an ancient, good-sized temple here. This temple is on your left, just before reaching the turnoff for the parikrama path (about four buildings down) to leave the town of Govardhana, and just before going over Govardhana Hill. It is next to the police station (which has a yellow and blue sign). If you need to ask where this temple is located, ask for the police station. This temple is to the right of the police station.

ISKCON Temple at Govardhana
In this temple are two Govardhana-shila, one black and the other whitish. This temple is an old palace with a good-size yard and a new stone boundary wall. It used to belong to the Maharaja of Chattarpur in Madhya Pradesh. The black Govardhana-shila was originally worshipped by the Maharaja of Chattarpur. While digging a hole to built an underground water tank, the devotee found a whitish colored shila, which represents Balarama.

There is a great view of Govardhana Hill from the roof. It is a peaceful place to spend the day, or a good place to rest while doing Govardhana parikrama. There are some basic living facilities here, which should be arranged in advance.

How To Get Here This place is about half a km out of the town of Govardhana, on the left side of the parikrama path. There is a small white stone sign saying ISKCON in the wall. The left gate is a fancy designed black metal gate. Most of the taxi and motor rickshaw drivers outside the Krishna Balarama Mandir know how to get here.

Dan Ghati

Dan Nivartan Kunda
Dan-nivartan means “the place where the tax was excused.” After Krishna had taxed the gopis, the gopis wanted to get revenge. So all the gopis got together and hid in the forest. At that time, Krishna was walking through the forest with just a few friends. The gopis caught Krishna and His friends. They then made Krishna bow down to Srimati Radharani and beg her for forgiveness, as punishment for making them pay a tax.

How To Get Here This kunda (15m by 20m) is on the right side of the parikrama path, right next to Govardhana Hill. It is about 250m pass the ISKCON property and one km outside of the town of Govardhana. The sides of this kunda are sloped downward..

Gopala Prakata Stali (Sringar Stali)
Madhavendra Puri found the Deity of Gopala at this place while staying at Govinda Kunda, about 500 years ago. This place is very close to Govardhana Hill, so one has to be careful not to step on Govardhana when coming to this place. Sri Gopala was discovered before Lord Caitanya came to Vrindavana.

This Gopala Deity is now known as Sri Nathaji and is worshiped at Nathdwar in Rajasthan.

How To Get Here This place is almost right next to Govardhana Hill, below where the old temple of Gopala is located, on the edge of the village of Aniyora. It is about a minute walk from Sankarsana Kunda.

Gopala Mandir
The temple on top of the Hill is where the Deity of Gopala (Nathaji) was installed by Madhavendra Puri. The original Deity of Gopala is now worshipping in Nathdwar in Rajasthan. There is a Govardhana-shila worshipped in the new temple by priests belonging to the Vallabha Sampradaya.
There is a temple dedicated to Lord Siva next to the Gopala Mandir.

Aniyora (Anour)

Govinda Kund Area

Gauri Kunda

Surabhi Van
This is the forest where Surabhi (mother cow) and Indra bathed Lord Krishna. In the center of this forest is Govinda Kunda.

Julian (Govardhana) Shila
If you proceed along the side of Govardhana Hill you come to a large Govardhana-shila. On the shila is Radha and Krishna sitting on a swing being pushed by Radha’s girlfriends. This shila is not so easy to find.

Doka Dauji (Balarama Stali)

Govinda Kunda to Apsara Kunda
If you get on the main paved parikrama road after leaving Govinda Kunda, you will pass a small roadside temple with a Deity of Govardhana lying on his back. About 100m past this temple is a small roadside Ganesh temple on the right. You then go 50m (150 ft) further and then make a right turn down the dirt path. There is a 5m (15 ft) high yellow concrete tank with some water facets near this dirt road. You follow this path around to the left for 100m and you then come to Navala Kunda and Apsara Kunda.

Punchari Kund & Apsara Kund

Rudra Kunda (Rudan Kunda)
Lord Siva meditated on Krishna here. At this place is a temple dedicated to Siva called the Bole Baba Mandir.

It is said that Lord Siva shed tears (rudan) of love for Radha and Krishna here. Rudra is another name for Siva. It is said that Radha and Krishna would come and bath in this kunda. During the monsoon season a good-sized lake surrounds this kunda.

This kund is close to Airavata Kunda, on the right side of the main road. It is about a ten-minute walk before Jati Pura.

Jeti Pura

From Jeti Pura
From Dandavati-shila you make a left and return to the parikrama path. As you leave Jeti Pura you come to Surya Kunda. This kunda is on the left hand side, a short distance into the fields. This kunda is always dry and is called Sukda Kunda by the locals.

Vilasa Vana and Vilachu Kunda
About halfway between Jeti Pura and the town of Govardhana is the Satya Narayana Temple. This temple is a small roadside temple about a kilometre from Jeti Pura. You can see the Deity of Satya Narayana from the road. There is a cold drink stand across the road from this temple. This places is also known as Bilchuban.

In you proceed into the fields, which are directly behind the temple, for a kilometre you come to Vilasa Vana and Vilachu Kunda. On the southern bank of Vilachu Kunda is a broken stone seat. It is said that Radharani and Krishna would sit there and talk together. The Deity of Harideva was hidden here during the Mughal rule, when the Muslim would destroy temples and Deities. It is also said that Krishna found Radha’s toe-ring, when she lost it while smiling in this kunda. It is said that if one bathes in this kunda they will attain liberation.

Govardhana Town
The path gets a little tricky when you enter the town of Govardhana. You go on the main road, then you make a right and a left and go through the main bazaar. There may be a detour before this point that goes to the left. After walking through the main bazaar for ten minutes the road bends to the right and after passing the town hall you make a left turn. This road then goes straight going pass Uddhava Kunda, until you reach the town surrounding Radha Kunda.

On the way through the town of Govardhana you can stop at Chakra Tirtha, which is on the bank of Manasi Ganga. Just before you leave the town of Govardhana, you can see Manasi Ganga on the right side of the road. Manasi Ganga is only about 20m (60 ft) wide at this place. You turn right at this place to get to Chakra Tirtha.

On the road going from the parikrama path to Chakra Tirtha, there is a temple (house) that is said to mark the place where Subari Rishi resided after he got married.

After leaving Govardhana town you come to Sakhi Vana.

Sakhi Vana and Sakhi Sthali (Sakhikhara)
This is the place of sakhi-gopi Chandravali. This place is where she used to meet Krishna. There is a run-down kunda here on the left hand side of the parikrama path. This kunda is called Sakhi Kunda (Lilavati Kunda). It is said to have been created by the 64 sakhis (girlfriends) of Chandravali. Chandravali is the transcendental competitor of Srimati Radharani for the attention of Krishna.
At this place Chandravali lived with her husband, Govardhana Malla, who was a close friend of Abhimanyu. Her 64 sakhis (friends) also lived here.

Krishna had pastimes with the cowherd boys at this place.

How To Get Here This place is about ¾ km (half a mile) from the town of Govardhana going toward Radha Kunda. It is also known as the village of Sekarwa. Sakhi Kunda is a fairly small kunda, which looks like it has not been used for a while. You may not be able to tell it is a kunda at first.

Uddhava Kunda
This is the place where Uddhava, after meeting with the gopi, desired to have a future birth as an insignificant clump of grass in Braja. As you approach Uddhava Kunda, on the right side there is a small temple with Radha-Krishna Deities. These Deities are said to have been installed by Vajranabha.

How To Get Here This place is a few kilometre past the town of Govardhana, on the right side of the road. You can not see this kunda from the road. This kunda is about a half hour walk from the town of Govardhana. It is next to a group of buildings. This kunda is on the backside of Kusuma Sarovara, on the other side of Govardhana Hill.

Siva Khari (Siva Pushkarani)

Malyahari Kunda

Twenty-four Mile (40 km) Govardhana Parikrama
There are several important places in the vicinity of Govardhana Hill, which are not visited on the normal parikrama. Many of these places are close to Govardhana Hill (within 5 km) and can be visited by taxi. The 40km (24 mile) parikrama visits many places that are not visited on the normal Govardhana parikrama.

The parikrama starts by taking bath in Manasi Ganga. One then takes darshan of Harideva, Manasi Devi and Brahma Kunda. After leaving Manasi Ganga, you make a right and walk until the road ends. When you come to the T intersection (the road ends), on the left side of the road is Rinamochana Kunda. Rinamochana Kunda is near the Govardhana power station. Usually only after it rains will there be any water in this kunda. If one bathes in this kunda they are freed from all vices.
You then make a right at the T intersection. You then make a left onto the Mathura-Sonk Road after going about 50m. After about 50m, Papamochana Kunda is on the left. It is said that anyone who bathes here has all his offenses removed.

You then return to the road to Mathura and then go in the direction of Mathura, passing the government bus stand on the right. You then come to a small hill on the right hand side. Next to this hill is a small pond known as Indra-dhwaja Tila. This is where the cowherd men would normally worship Indra.

You then go about another kilometre, and there is a turn off to the right going to the village of Jamanta. It is a good idea to ask the local residence where this turn off is located.

Parasauli (Muhammed Pura)

Petha (Pitha)

Syama Dhak

Gantholi (Ganthuli)

Mainhadi Kunda

Saunkhrai

Nimgram (Nimgaon)

Patalgram and Navagram

Surya Kunda

Konai to Magavera

Vasanti (Vasati)

Mukharai

Pailgram

Kilol Kunda (Kelanvan)

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