Giriraj ji (Sri Krishna) Temple

Giriraj ji (Sri Krishna) Temple

Giriraj ji Temple of is a popular temple, located approx 20-25 Kms from Vrindavan, dedicated to Giriraj Ji, a natural form of Lord Krishna, who lifted the Hill on his finger, to save lives of the Brijwasi’s.

Govardhan Hill is also known as the Giri Raj.There are two ways to interpret Govardhan Hill’s name. The Hindi term for the sacred cow is ‘Gau’ (Go), and the shelter where cows stay is ‘Vardhan.’

According to Lord Krishna, Govardhan Parvat (hill) is not distinct from him, as mentioned in the Holy Bhagavad Gita. As a result, all of his worshippers worship the clean rocks of the hill in the same way they adore his idol. The hill is built of sandstone and rises 80 feet tall with a perimeter of 38 kilometres.

As per the legend, Krishna saw huge preparations for the annual offering to Indra and questions his father Nanda about it. He debated with the villagers about what their ‘dharma’ truly was. They were farmers, they should do their duty and concentrate on farming and protection of their cattle. He continued to say that all human beings should merely do their ‘dharma’, to the best of their ability and not pray or conduct sacrifices for natural phenomenon. The villagers were convinced by Krishna, and did not proceed with the special puja. Indra was then angered, and flooded the village. Krishna then lifted Mount Govardhan with one finger and held it up as protection to the people and cattle from the rain. Indra finally accepted defeat and recognized Krishna as the victor. He offered his prayers and left to his heavenly kingdom.

As a result, this hill is sacred to all Krishna devotees. After Lord Krishna protected the village, he instructed everyone to worship the hill, and that’s why Govardhan Puja is celebrated after Diwali.