Govardhan Hill

Getting there

• By air

  The airport is in Delhi, about 150 km from Govardhan.

• By train

  A railway station is at Mathura, where taxis can be hired to reach the town.

• By road

  A single line electric train runs from Mathura to the town. Tourist buses also operate.

Why devotees come here

Govardhan Hill, also called Giriraj, is a sacred ridge in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh. It is the sacred centre of Braj, and it is taken as a natural form of Krishna. At its highest point it rises 100 feet above the land around it.

The ridge is about 8 km long and lies in the area of Govardhan and Radha Kund, about 21 km from Vrindavan. Legend says Krishna and his brother Balarama roamed the shaded groves, pools, caves and cow pastures of this hill. There are also legends of Krishna saving the hill from a flood. Hindus and other people from India and abroad make pilgrimage to Govardhan each year.

In 2018 the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh declared Govardhan a pilgrimage centre, along with Mathura, Baldev, Nandgaon, Radha Kund and Gokul. The state has also declared Govardhan a teerth sthal, a pilgrimage site, along with other towns of Mathura. Reports say the hill's green cover has shrunk over the years. Its sanctity must be kept, because it is intrinsic to Hindu culture and mythology.

The buildings and other structures on the hill date from the sixteenth century. Shri Chaitanya Temple is built of red sandstone and decorated with paintings of Krishna and Radha. Govardhan is a tehsil of Mathura district, made so by the Uttar Pradesh government.

Festivals

• Date not given in our sourcesGovardhan Puja

  One of the main festivals celebrated at Govardhan.

Tips for your visit

• The perambulation path around the hill is 21 km long.
• Danghati Temple in Govardhan is one place where visitors offer prayers.
• Daan-Ghati Temple and Mukharbind Temple are also in the area.

Questions people ask