24 | April | 2016 | Abha Shahra Shyama

ShreeNathji Mandir on Giriraj Govardhan

ShreeNathji Mandir on Shri Govardhan: A Panoramic view.

Darshans here are of this ShreeNathji Chavi. The original Murti is now at Nathdwara Haveli. The journey to Mewar, as desired by Thakurjee, began in 1669 AD, on Asadh Sud Punam on Friday, during the last 3 hours of the night. ShreeNathji with all His sewaks arrived in Sinhad (Nathdwara) in 1672 AD, on Falgun Vad Satam on Saturday.

Many bhakts are not able to get these darshans, as they are unable to climb up; either because of bad health, old age, or the belief that one should not give shram to Shri Girirajji by climbing on Him. Please enjoy these Darshans.

Few details about this sacred mandir:

In 1499 AD, ShreeNathji gives hukum in a dream to Puranmall Kshtri. “Come to Vraj Mandal and build a large mandir for me”. So Puranmall sold all his property and came to Shri Govardhan at Vraj. He asked the Vrajvasi the where about of Shree Dev Daman.

Puranmall was very happy to do the darshans, after which he meets Shri Vallabh Acharya and narrates the dream. “I have sold everything that I possessed and come here with all my wealth to build the mandir as per Shreeji’s hukum”.

Shri Maha Prabhuji grants permission for building. Purnmall then requests Shri Giiriraj that there will be a lot of disturbance in building the mandir, I need your permission. Giriraj Govardhan says, “ShreeNathji will live in my heart, so all the digging work etc will not cause any parishram to me, please go ahead and start the work”.

The mandir foundation was laid in the year 1499 AD, Vaishak Sud 3, in Rohini Nakshatra.

All of Puranmall’s wealth was soon exhausted. He went south again to work and earn money so that the mandir could be completed. Shreeji refused to accept this sewa from any other bhakt and waited for 20 years, till Puranmall could complete the mandir!

Till then Shreeji stayed in a small mandir. These 20 years, Ramdas Chauvan Rajput did the sewa. Thus from 1488 AD till 1519 AD, Shreeji did His Leela from this small mandir.

The architect Hiramani lived in Agra. As per hukum in his dream, he came to Vraj and met Shri Vallabh Acharya. Shri Vallabh Acharya gave him the permission and instructed him to start drawing the plan on paper. He drew the plan of a mandir without a shikhar. But as soon as he finished drawing the plan it would change to a drawing of a mandir with a shikhar. This happened three times, so Shri Maha Prabhuji understood that it was Shreeji’s desire to stay in a mandir with a shikhar.

He tells Damodardas, “Since ShreeNathji wishes to stay in a mandir with a shikhar, it means He will stay in Shri Govardhan for many years. Then there will be attack by the Mughals, after which Shreeji will move to some other part of the country. He will stay here also for several years, after which He will move back to Vraj.

New mandir Paat Utsav

Once this new mandir was ready, Shre Maha Prabhuji reached Vraj after completing parikrama of the country. Shreeji was established in His new mandir in 1519 AD; Vaishak Sud Teej; on Akha Teej. This day is also called the Paat Utsav of ShreeNathji.

This is the ancient mandir built by Shri Puranmall. It has been restored twice since.

(Paragraph taken from our website for ShreeNathji – Abha Shahra Shyama)

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This is how the mandir looks from the inside. Many bhakts do not climg up, so this photo can be helpful.

Gurushree Sudhir bhai, Ashokji, on Shri Govardhan at Shreeji’s Pargatya sthal

A distant view of the mandir

View of the mandir from the parikrama maarg

A book on Shri Govrdhan and ShreeNathji details. I took it with me when I climbed on Shri Govardhan, and enjoyed taking this picture here. Jai Shree GovardhanNathji!