||Jai Giriraj, Radhe Radhe||

ITINERARY:

Departure- Early morning departure from Delhi at 6:00 AM. 

Arrival in Goverdhan Hill

It is a circular route that goes around the Parvat. Starts your tours from:-

1. Start with Prostration Worship:- Where all our body will touch the soil of Braj to clean our sin and bad karma.

2. Stop at Daanghati Mandir:- Start your Parikrama from here. Once on the bank of Govind kund, Shri Bhaguri Rishi performed a yagna to praise the deity, and the cowherd boys and girls brought offerings for the same. When Radha Rani brought her offerings from the other side of Barsane, Shri Krishna became a toll collector who obstructed her path and demanded a ‘ toll tax’ to cross from there. From then the temple is known as Daan Ghati. This was done through loving quarrels and sarcasm popularly known as ‘Leela’ by Shri Krishna. Even now people have to pay toll tax to cross this place.

3. Stop at Laxmi Narayan Temple:- Opposite the Daanghati temple is a lovely Laxminarayan temple in stone, built-in 1903 by a wealthy family of Hathras. Next to the police station, there is a small area marked for Govardhan Puja which is done every morning and evening. This is a modern structure.

4. Stop at Raj Govind Kund:- The legend behind the Kund explains that, when Lord Indra realized the supreme powers of Lord Krishna after watching him holding the Govardhan hill on his little finger thus protecting the people of Braj against the anger of Indra; he fell at feet of Lord Krishna and asked for his mercy. He then, along with other demigods performed the abhisheka (Bathing ceremony) of Lord Krishna with the milk of the sacred Surabhi Cow, the sacred water from the river Ganga, and lotus flowers. Thus the water and milk that was collected as a result of this bathing ceremony of Lord Krishna formed a lake

5. Stop at Sri Luk Luk Dao Jee Maharaj Temple:- The place where Sri Balram Jee has witnessed Sri Hari and Sri Radha Mata “Leela”, Since he was the elder brother of Sri Hari Krishna, as per tradition, mata Radha is the wife of his younger brother so he tries to reshape his body as Half Lion and Half Human to watch the “Raas Leela”

6. Stop at Poonchhari ka Lautha Temple:- When Krishna had to leave Braj Bhumi for Dwarka, he asked Lautha (his Friend) to come along. Lautha however, did not want to leave Braj Bhumi. He said he would live without eating or drinking anything till Krishna returned. Krishna blessed him so that he would live a healthy life even without eating. We know that Krishna never came back to Mathura, once he left it. People believe that Krishna will come back one day for Lautha, and he is worshipped at his temple in Poochhari village. 

7. Stop at Jatipura – Mukharvind:- Mukh means Face and Arvind means lotus flower. Thus this temple is dedicated to the lotus-like face of Lord Giriraj. Like the other Govardhan temples, the presiding deities of the temple are in the form of two shilas (rocks from Govardhan hill) one outlining the crown (Mukut) of the Lord Giriraj and the other one outlining the lotus face (Mukharvinda) of Lord Giriraj and thus temple is called as Mukut Mukharvinda temple. People of the village still believe that Srinathji still comes back here to sleep after Sandhya Arti in Nathdwara. This means Jatipura is on the other side of Aanyaur village, across the hill. A little ahead Sri Giriraj Dandwati Shila which is again a part of Giriraj Parvat is special. 7 rounds around it are equivalent to the holy hill. So, if you cannot walk the whole 21 km, this is your shortcut.

8. Stop at Radha Kund and Shyam Kund:- The story of Radha Kund is that a demon named Aristasura, in the body of a bull, was killed by Krishna. The Gopis (cowherd girls) told Krishna that for killing a bull he had to purify himself by visiting every single holy place in the three worlds. Krishna then said, “Why should I visit all these places, I will just bring the water from all these places here and then bathe in them.” Krishna then struck his heel on the ground and all the waters of the holy places entered into Syama Kund. The Gopis led by Radharani then dug another pond nearby with their bangles. Then a representative of all the sacred places told Radharani, “Our lives would be successful if we could enter your pond.” The holy waters from Syama Kund then flowed into Radha Kund with the permission of Radha. So Radha Kund is the holy waters from all the sacred places.

9. Stop at Kusum Sarovar:- Apart from architectural magnificence, it has its religious importance for being an explicit part of the celebrated pastimes of Sri Radharani as she used to pick up flowers from here and spend her time here along with her Sakhis (friends) and also Lord Krishna on the Ghats of this Kund. It’s said that Saint Ashtavakra performed his penances here at this Kund while waiting for the Divine appearance of Lord Radha and Krishna. After having a bath in the Kusuma Sarovar Narada Muni attained the body of Gopi with the blessings of Yogmaya Devi. Lord Chaitanya also bathed in the cooling waters of this Kund as it’s believed that one who takes a bath in the cooling waters of this Kund/lake attains the pure love of the Supreme Godhead and qualifies for witnessing the eightfold pastimes of Lord Radha and Krishna.

10. The Last Stop at Manasi Ganga:- It manifested by the will (Manasi) of Lord Krishna. It’s said that one who bathes in Ganga is freed from all his sins but one who takes a bath in Manasi Ganga is not only freed from sins but also attains the purest devotion of Krishna. The sacred circumambulation of Govardhan Hill starts and ends at Manasi Ganga. The legend behind the origin of Manasi Ganga is that once Kansa sent a demon to kill Lord Krishna. The demon took the form of a calf and hid himself within the cattle group of Lord Krishna. When Krishna realized this, he killed that demon. As he had killed the demon while he was in the form of a calf, his cowherd friends refused to play with him and advised him to go and have a bath in river Ganga to purify his body of the sin of killing a calf. Unwilling to leave Braj, Krishna remembered Ganga within his mind, and to his will Ganga took the form of Manasi Ganga and started flowing near the foot of Govardhan hill. Krishna then took a bath in the sacred waters of Manasi Ganga and purified himself to the pleasure of his cowherd friends. According to other legends, Krishna manifested Manasi Ganga through his mind (Manasi) to the pleasure of his foster parents Nand and Yashoda after knowing their desire for bathing in the river Ganga and their unwillingness to leave the land of Braj.

11. Drive back to Delhi