A world out of the world: Goverdhan.

Goverdhan, the famous hill that was lifted by lord Krishna is situated 26 KM west from Mathura. It is peaceful, serene and a very nice place to be. It is the place where the Lord played with his friends. It is the place where the Lord did Raas with the Gopis and Radha. It is the place where you can still get to see the handprints and footmarks of the lord Krishna preserved in the rocks at several places. The place still reverberate with the sounds and sights of Peackocks, cuckoos and deer. People here are still in love with Govind, the lord who once lifted this huge hill.

How to Reach

One can reach Goverdhan either from Kosi Kalan or from Mathura and Vrindavan. Various types of vehicles are available run both by private as well as govt. agencies. It takes about 2 hours to reach from Kosi and about 45 minutes to reach from Mathura/Vrindavan.

The Place

It is a small town with the Goverdhan hill located in its heart. It is strange to see a hill sprouting out on the plain topography. Accept for Goverdhan, you will not find any other around. According to the Garg Samhtia, Sage Pulatsya brought this hill from the Vidhya Mountain Range and wanted to carry it to Kashi so that sages can have this pure hill present in the land of Shiva. However, Goverdhan, a part of Lord Krishna and a great devotee of the God refused to budge from the Brajbhoomi. Thus Goverdhan became a part of this land. The place is full of beautiful lakes, ponds, creepers, temples and natural features that leave you spellbound. Most of the Idols here are not carved but are naturally formed. Few of them are imprinted with the marks of Lord Krishna’s hand, Peacock’s Feather etc. It is said that when lord played his flute, even the hill used to melt in joy and at that time the prints of hand etc used to be left on it when it used to solidify again.

The Parikrama

The 21 KM long parikrama is started most of the times from either Manasi Ganga or from Daan Ghaati. Manasi Ganga is a close ended lake said to have been dug out of the land by the lord himself. It is said to be a form of the Ganges itself. Brajbhoomi is said to hold all the tirthas present anywhere else in India. Manasi Ganga holds the same significance as the river Ganga does in the heart of the pilgrims. In the temple you can see the handprints of Radha Krishna. Also a rock with lork Krishna’s Mukut printed on it can also be seen.

The parikrama is started from here in clockwise direction. You reach Daanghaati. Here there is a temple dedicated to lord Giriraaj or the Goverdhan hill himself. From here once starts walking along with the hill on the right side. One should refrain from reacting at the beggars etc and should remain happy throughout the journey. If possible walk on the dirt path along side the hill and not on the normal road. On the way you come across various places like the beautiful Govind Kund, Mujharbind, Jaitpur, Radha Kund etc.

It takes about 8 Km to complete the parikrama which ends at the place from where the parikrama was started.

Chandra Sarovar

About 3 km from Goverdhan, there is a village called Parsoli. This is the place where there is a beautiful lake present with a MoonTemple on its bank. This is the place where Lord Krishna did Raas with the Gopis. Here Soordaas, one of the greatest devotees of the lord stayed and composed his famous literature like Soor Sagar etc. It is not known to many people but if visited leaves a very pleasant memory on the mind.

Food and Stay

Several dharamshalas are present at various locations where one can go and stay. All of them are moderately priced and are equipped with basic amenities. It is, however, advisable to stay in Mathura/Vridnavan. The food available at the roadside restaurant is Ok and one should not look forward to things like Burgers, Pizza or Mc Donalds here.

It is unfortunate to see that the place is not as well maintained by the government as it should be. More efforts should be made to make the Goverdhan Yatra a better experience for all who come here.

All in all a nice place to visit and feel yourself a part of the Brajbhoomi. Jai Shri Krishna