Govardhan Hill

Within the Vrindavan forest is the holy mountain of Govardhana. Govardhana was born from Krishna’s heart in Goloka when Śrī Radha desired supremely beautiful arena for Their pastimes. He is known as the best servant of Krishna for he provides the most wonderful playground for the Lord and His devotees. Govardhana offers limitless pleasure for the cows, the gopas and the gopis. When Krishna was hardly seven years old, He lifted Govardhana like an umbrella and held it for seven days to protect the Vrajavasis from rain born from Indira’s anger.

Since time immemorial, devotees circumambulate the Govardhana I will as an act of worship.

Govardhana

MUKHARAVINDA

Here devotees make offerings of food to Giriraja
ÁNIYOR

During the Govardhan puja, the gigantic deity form of Giriraja ate the offerings with his right hand while motioning with his left and saying, “Bring me more (āniyor). Thus this town is known as Ániyor.
GOVINDA KUṆDA

Surabhi and Indra held in abhiṣeka (bathing ceremony) for Krishna after seeking forgiveness for Indra’s offence. The bath water of the Lord formed a pool called Govinda kuṇda.
MᾹDHAVENDRA PURĪ BAIṬHᾹKA

After circumambulating the Govardhana hill, Madhavendra Puri sat down to rest here at Govinda kunda. Krishna in the form of a cowherd boy brought him a pot of milk and appeared in his dream the following night describing His hiding place in the nearby bushes.
NAVALA-KUṆDA (PUNCHARĪ-KUṆDA)

Navala means forever youthful. Govardhana Hill is said to resemble a peacock.This kunda is also called Puncharī-kuṇda because this area is the tail of Govardhana. Here Krishna performed the spring rasa dance with the gopis.
APSARᾹ-KUṆDA

The lake was created from the water the Apsarās used to bathe Krishna. Twenty four incarnations of the Lord are said to reside on its banks. When the Puṅcharī rāsa dance took place, Apsarā-kuṇda and Puncharī-kuṇda transformed into liquid prema.
LOTᾹ BᾹBᾹ

Here Krishna’s dear cowherd boy friend Lota bābā sits beneath a tree and awaits Krishna’s return from Mathurā. Vrajavāsīs consider that he is still waiting.
SURABHI-KUNDA

This lake represents the divine virtue of forgiveness and marks the place where Mother Surabhi interceded on Indra’s behalf. Here Krishna grants forgiveness from offences.
VALLABHᾹCᾹRYA BAIṬHᾹKA

Baiṭhākas in puṣṭi-mārga tradition are holy places where Śrī Vallabhācārya, the founder of puṣṭi-mārga, narrated the holy bhāgavata kathā.
MᾹNASĪ-GAṄGᾹ

The original form of Gaṅgā was invoked by Krishna’s mind when the gopas insisted that He should purify Himself by bathing in the sacred river after delivering Vatsāsura. When the Vrajavāsīs wanted to go on pilgrimage to Mother Gaṅgā, Krishna convinced them to visit Mānasī-Gaṅgā to meet her.
ŚYᾹMA-KUṆDA

Rādhā insisted that Krishna should atone for the sin of slaying a bull (who was actually Ariṣṭāsura the demon who came in the form of a bull). Krishna called all holy waters of the universe and made this pond called Syāma kunda and bathed in it to purify Himself for Rādhārāṇī’s satisfaction.
RᾹDHᾹ-KUṆDA

This kunda was dug out by Sri Rādhā and the gopis and filled by holy waters, who appeared in person and requested residencin Radha lake. The topmost place in India is Vṛndāvana. The highest place in Vṛndāvana is Govardhana and the most auspicious place in Govardhana is Rādhā kunda.
ŚRILA RAGHUNĀTHA DĀSA GOSVĀMĪ'S SAMĀDHI

Śrila Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī – the Prayojana ācārya of Gaudiya Vaiṣṇavas considered Rādhā kunda his eternal home and residence. His sāmādhi was placed near the groves of Lalitā, Vśākhā, and Rupa manjari to fulfil his desire to live forever on the banks of the lake.
JAHNAVᾹ MᾹTᾹ BAIṬHᾹKA

The sitting place of Lord Nityānanda’s consort at Jahnavā ghāta. One day, as Jahnavā devi sat on the shore of the lake, Krishna appeared before her in His transcendental threefold bending form.
GIRIRAJA-ŚlLᾹ

An original Girirāja-śilā has taken residence here and is worshipped near Rādhā-kuṇda.
GIRIRAJA-ŚlLᾹ

The Vaiṣṇava Memorial honours recently departed devotees.