Govardhan

Govardhan refers to both a town in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India, and the nearby sacred Govardhan Hill in the Braj region. The town serves as a base for pilgrims visiting the hill and its surrounding temples, ponds, and shrines. The Govardhan area is an integral part of Vaishnavism in Braj and attracts visitors from across India and beyond.

The Govardhan Hill is a prominent natural formation that holds deep religious significance in Hindu tradition. According to texts such as the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna lifted the hill on his little finger to provide shelter from Indra’s rain for the inhabitants of the Braj region and for their cattle. The hill is revered as a form of Krishna himself, and numerous temples, kunds (sacred ponds), and sacred sites dot the landscape around it. Pilgrims undertake Govardhan Parikrama, a circumambulation of the hill along a route that passes many temples and sacred places and is a central devotional practice for devotees.

Cultural life around Govardhan centers on temples and ritual sites that line the parikrama circuit. Govardhan Puja, observed during Diwali, is a major annual festival that commemorates Krishna’s lifting of the hill. The site has historically been a focus for devotional movements within Braj, including Gaudiya Vaishnavism, and today is supported by multiple religious organizations. In addition to traditional worship, the area encompasses temples and guesthouses that serve pilgrims and encourage ongoing religious and cultural activity in the region.