New Delhi: The divine destination of Mathura will make you immerse in Krishna bhakti the moment you land there. From majestic temples to great legends—the place has many direct references to Lord Krishna and Radha Rani.
One such temple, which has a significant role in understanding the lord's immense power happens to be the Giriraj Temple. The pious Govardhan is near Vrindavan in Mathura where Krishna-Radha are revered much. Govardhan hill also known as Giriraj mountain has a lot of religious significance.
The legend has it that lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan temple on his little finger to protect the people from the wrath of the rain god Indra. Krishna defeated the rain god and thus the villagers were saved. People in the village were busy collecting their annual offerings to Indra to make him happy. However, when lord Krishna saw it, he asked his father why they were making such a lavish arrangement. He then enlightened the people about what their true 'Dharma' was. He told them that they should rather focus on farming and protection of their cattle. Adding further that the every human must work towards their 'dharma' with full conviction but not pray or conduct sacrifices for natural phenomenon.
Therefore, when the villagers didn't offer anything to the rain god and no puja was conducted to appease him, he became angry and flooded the area. It was at that point when lord Krishna stepped forward and lifted the mountain. The legend has it that Krishna's act of defeating Indra was to signify that 'Karma' is supreme and people to perform their duties with utmost vigour.
Also, Govardhan Puja is related to the act of Lord Krishna lifting the Govardhan Hill on his finger to protect his devotees from lord Indra’s torrential rage. Usually, it falls on the day after Diwali, marking the joyous event.
Interestingly, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar recently posted a picture on Twitter and captioned it as: "Fortunate to pass by the Giriraj Temple everyday.It is symbolic of Lord Krishna defeating Indra. Morning wishes to all,have a blessed day". So, today we will tell you how you too can seek divine blessings of the lord by visiting the temple.
How to reach the Giriraj Temple or Govardhan:
By Road:
You can book a taxi or go by your own car and reach Govardhan from Mathura in about 2 and half hours in a car. You can also check the bus availability for Delhi to Govardhan. Also, boarding for Mathura can be a good option. Then after reaching there you can easily find a local means of transport to reach the Giriraj temple. Also, special tourist buses run to Govardhan from Mathura.
By Train:
The nearest one is the Mathura Railway Junction. It is approximately 22kms from Govardhan.
By Air:
It is best to go by road as the distance is not much. However, the nearest airport from Mathura happens to be in Agra. It is 78.6 km from Agra airport to Govardhan. Therefore, it will take you approximately two hours to reach Govardhan temple.
