Clockwork precision is needed while rearing a child. Right from waking him up, bathing him, feeding food till he retires to bed at night. Handling the naughtiness and being mesmerised by the crazy antics is part of the routine.
50 Kms away from the beautiful city of Udaipur,Rajasthan lies the temple town of Nathdwara. Small lanes and their by lanes all lead to the holy gates of the temple which is popularji known as Haveli.
Shrinathji, the residing deity of the place, is the child avatar of Lord Krishna, who lifted the govardan parbat/mountain on his little finger. With mesmerising eyes and a beautiful diamond studded chin, the Lord blesses all its devotees with their wishes.
Did you know, in India, we have a beautiful temple dedicated to the child avatar of Lord Krishna, worshipped exactly how a kid is taken care of.
Intrigued?
Read on if yes....
50 Kms away from the beautiful city of Udaipur,Rajasthan lies the temple town of Nathdwara. Small lanes and their by lanes all lead to the holy gates of the temple which is popularji known as Haveli.
Shrinathji, the residing deity of the place, is the child avatar of Lord Krishna, who lifted the govardan parbat/mountain on his little finger. With mesmerising eyes and a beautiful diamond studded chin, the Lord blesses all its devotees with their wishes.
Ardently worshipped and referred as Thakurji, many households follow the daily ritual of worshipping the image of laddu gopal, termed as seva.
Vallabh Sampradaya is a religious sect whose followers are known as vaishnavs. This sect was founded by Vallabhcharya, loyally followed by the inhabitants of Gujarat and Rajasthan states. Their main/family deity is Shrinathji.
Rituals:
The darshans are open for specific timings as per the Lord's schedule for the day.
The most interesting part of this temple is that there are no lines which lead for the darshan. Yes, no lines or extra payment line. The area of viewing is divided into men and female section. It is said that "waves" are present in the darshan, basically meaning, that you have to push and pull people to get your heartful view of the beautiful Lord! It actually resembles waves of the sea.
Just like a kid is woken up from sleep, the Lord gives darshan in the "mangala" at early hours of the day. The best part of this viewing is that you are allowed in your night suits. Yes, no need to bathe and get ready. Just give company to the Lord in your night wear..
Shringar -- The God is now bathed, dressed and ready for venturing out with his friends to play.
Gval - The mid- morning snack darshan.
Rajbhog- It is the Lunch time! A spread of sumptuous bhog is offered to the beautifully dressed Lord.
Utthanpan -- The afternoon siesta is over :)
Sandhya -- The twilight time wherein the Lord returns home after his sojourn with friends and cattle. He shall now bathe and get ready for the night.
Shayan -- The last public darshan of the day. The Lord is now done with his dinner and retires to his bed for the night.
Accommodation, Food and Shopping:
Hotel Vallabh Darshan is the popular hotel (most like a functional guest house if you ask me) with average pricing and closest in proximity to the temple. Trip advisor can help you with more hotels in the vicinity.
Food is lip and finger smacking yummy.. ! The main market area has innumerable stalls which sells pav bhaji, tawa pulav, sabudana vada, south indian and north indian stuff.. Must try is the thandai, freshly grounded and prepared.
Lassi lovers will have a blast with its malai enriched lassis!
You will find amazing pudina tea in mud cups (called khullars) and steaming hot poha after the mangala/early morning darshan.
Shopping includes apparel for laddu gopal idols with its paraphernalia, paintings and pichwais, superb silver jewellery and costume jewellery sets. Buying papads,pickles, khattas are also a good option.
Inspired Art :
Shrinathji followers have significant influence on Hindu art in the form of the Pichhwais, which are intricate and colourful paintings on cloth, paper, walls and temple hangings which portray Shrinathji. These are devotional textiles that centre on the image of Shrinathji.
Rituals:
The darshans are open for specific timings as per the Lord's schedule for the day.
The most interesting part of this temple is that there are no lines which lead for the darshan. Yes, no lines or extra payment line. The area of viewing is divided into men and female section. It is said that "waves" are present in the darshan, basically meaning, that you have to push and pull people to get your heartful view of the beautiful Lord! It actually resembles waves of the sea.
Just like a kid is woken up from sleep, the Lord gives darshan in the "mangala" at early hours of the day. The best part of this viewing is that you are allowed in your night suits. Yes, no need to bathe and get ready. Just give company to the Lord in your night wear..
Shringar -- The God is now bathed, dressed and ready for venturing out with his friends to play.
Gval - The mid- morning snack darshan.
Rajbhog- It is the Lunch time! A spread of sumptuous bhog is offered to the beautifully dressed Lord.
Utthanpan -- The afternoon siesta is over :)
Sandhya -- The twilight time wherein the Lord returns home after his sojourn with friends and cattle. He shall now bathe and get ready for the night.
Shayan -- The last public darshan of the day. The Lord is now done with his dinner and retires to his bed for the night.
Accommodation, Food and Shopping:
Hotel Vallabh Darshan is the popular hotel (most like a functional guest house if you ask me) with average pricing and closest in proximity to the temple. Trip advisor can help you with more hotels in the vicinity.
Food is lip and finger smacking yummy.. ! The main market area has innumerable stalls which sells pav bhaji, tawa pulav, sabudana vada, south indian and north indian stuff.. Must try is the thandai, freshly grounded and prepared.
Lassi lovers will have a blast with its malai enriched lassis!
You will find amazing pudina tea in mud cups (called khullars) and steaming hot poha after the mangala/early morning darshan.
Shopping includes apparel for laddu gopal idols with its paraphernalia, paintings and pichwais, superb silver jewellery and costume jewellery sets. Buying papads,pickles, khattas are also a good option.
Inspired Art :
Shrinathji followers have significant influence on Hindu art in the form of the Pichhwais, which are intricate and colourful paintings on cloth, paper, walls and temple hangings which portray Shrinathji. These are devotional textiles that centre on the image of Shrinathji.
Associated legends :
The Govardhan Parbat episode is an important one in the Lord Krishna story. The inhabitants of Vrindavan, his native place, performed a long yagna/ fire prayer to appease the Lord of Rains, Indra for the well being of their land in form of good rainfall. Little Krishna questioned his father and other elders about wasting their time in futile prayers for a natural phenomenon, but instead channelise their energies in doing their work in a diligent manner which is their dharma.
Convinced by his arguments, the people abandoned the puja ritual and got along with their work. This angered the king of gods, Indra. He felt insulted and humiliated. Egged by his ego, he unleashed torrent rains and lightning on the people which continued for a considerable amount of time.
Frightened people appealed to Lord Krishna to save them from this fury. He calmly lifted the goverdhan mountain, which is massive in width and huge in size, on his little finger. The villagers were amazed by this magical phenomenon and sought refuge below the mountain which now resembled a gigantic umbrella.
The entire village was sheltered beneath it comfortably, after some time, Lord Indra's fury abated and he seeked the forgiveness of Krishna for his actions. The benevolent Lord forgave him after teaching him a lesson of humility and restored the mountain back.
Wish you explore this temple town on your own..
A big thanks to wikipedia!
Frightened people appealed to Lord Krishna to save them from this fury. He calmly lifted the goverdhan mountain, which is massive in width and huge in size, on his little finger. The villagers were amazed by this magical phenomenon and sought refuge below the mountain which now resembled a gigantic umbrella.
The entire village was sheltered beneath it comfortably, after some time, Lord Indra's fury abated and he seeked the forgiveness of Krishna for his actions. The benevolent Lord forgave him after teaching him a lesson of humility and restored the mountain back.
Wish you explore this temple town on your own..
A big thanks to wikipedia!