Nathdwara is a popular Hindu pilgrimage site. This is one of the most celebrated pilgrimage shrines of India, enshrining Krishna as Govardhana Giridhari. Nathdwara is situated 48 km north east of
Udaipur in Rajasthan, on the banks of the Banas River. Nathdwara enshrines Shrinathji - an image of Krishna, which was originally, enshrined at the Vraja Bhoomi at Mount Govardhana near Mathura.
The name Nathdwara means Gate of the Lord. The image was brought to Mewar, for the sake of protection during the period of Aurangazeb, the Moghul monarch.
The chariot carrying the image is said to have gotten stuck here, and hence a temple was established with the permission of the then Rana of Mewar, at Nathdwara. Nathdwara is very closely associated
with the Vallabha Sampradaya of Vaishnavism. Prior to his visiting the Shrinathji shrine, Vallabhacharya is said to have described Puri, Pandharpur, Srirangam and Tirupati as four great centers of
Vaishnavism, in his work Tatvartha Deepa Nibhandha. |
