Nathdwara · Rajasthan
Sri Shrinathji Temple — Nathdwara, Rajsamand District, Rajasthan
Sri Shrinathji = Krishna in his 7-year-old Govardhan-uplifting form; the principal 'gruh' (the main household deity) among the 7 Svarupas of the Pushti Marg (the sampradaya founded by Vallabhacharya); the temple is called 'Nanda Bhavan' (modelled on Nanda-Gokul's home); built in the Haveli-Mewar architectural style; at Nathdwara (previously Sihad/Sinhad) since 1672 CE
अन्य नाम: Shrinathji · Shrinathji ki Haveli · Nanda Bhavan · Giridharji
इस मन्दिर की विशेषता
Sri Shrinathji (Krishna in his 7-year-old Govardhan-uplifting form) — a swayambhu (self-manifest) carved bas-relief from black marble of Govardhan Hill; left hand raised (the Govardhan-uplifting mudra), right hand at the waist; worshipped as a living child (clothes changed 8 times daily); upadevathas: Navneetpriyaji (residing at Nathdwara); Vitthalnathji (the gruh of Govindji)
Swayambhu Bala-Krishna carved bas-relief in black marble; the Govardhan-uplifting form (centre of the Vishnu-Indra-pride-shaming narrative); the tradition of changing the deity's clothes 8 times daily
सम्प्रदाय: Pushti Marg (the Path of Divine Grace) — founded by Vallabhacharya (1479-1530/31; a Telugu Brahmin); his son Vitthalnathji (Gusainji) institutionalised the sampradaya and his 7 sons received the 7 principal Svarupas (Shrinathji to the eldest, Giridhar); administered under the Nathdwara Temple Act 1959 (Rajasthan); the Nathdwara Temple Board (corporate body); the Tilkayat Maharaj is the hereditary custodian/manager/trustee (NOT owner — per the 1959 Act); the current Tilkayat is Sri Indradamanji ('Rakeshji') Maharaj (single-source flag)
The Shrinathji idol is self-manifest of Sri Krishna — it emerged from Govardhan Hill in the left-hand-raised Govardhan-uplifting mudra. Krishna, to humble Indra's pride, lifted Govardhan Hill for 7 days to protect the Braj people from rain — this is the iconographic form.
Sri Vallabhacharya (1479-1530/31; a Telugu Brahmin) founded the Pushti Marg (the Path of Divine Grace) sampradaya; a Bhagavata-centric path of Krishna bhakti. His son Vitthalnathji (Gusainji) institutionalised the sampradaya and established the worship of 7 principal Svarupas including Shrinathji. On Vitthalnathji's death, his 7 sons received the rights of the 7 Svarupas: the eldest, Giridhar, received Shrinathji (the principal gruh).
During 1665-1672 CE — due to the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's iconoclastic campaign, the Shrinathji idol was safely moved from Govardhan/Mathura. After a 6-month stop at Agra, the journey continued through Mewar. Per tradition, at Sihad/Sinhad village the bullock-cart wheels suddenly became stuck — accepting this as a divine sign, the Mewar Maharana Raj Singh provided royal protection in 1672 CE and built the temple. The town's name 'Nathdwara' (= the Lord's gateway) replaced the earlier name Sihad. Architecture: Haveli-Mewar style; the temple itself is called 'Nanda Bhavan' (modelled on Nanda-Gokul's home).
Shrinathji being a 7-year-old Bala-Krishna form — a living-child daily-routine worship — there are 8 changes of clothes and darshan windows: Mangla (awakening) + Shringar (alankara) + Gwal (the cow-herding form) + Rajbhog (midday meal) + Utthapan (post-rest awakening) + Bhog (evening meal) + Sandhya Aarti + Shayan (rest darshan). Darshan times shift with the seasons.
The cloth-painted backdrops hung behind the Shrinathji idol = 'Pichhwai' (= 'that which is at the back'); each utsav/season has a special Pichhwai; Nathdwara = the world's Pichhwai-art centre.
05:30 (Mangla) से 19:30 (after Shayan) तक · मध्याह्न विश्राम 12:15-15:30
वस्त्र-संहिता: Traditional Indian attire recommended; men in dhoti/kurta-pyjama; women in saree/salwar-suit with an upper cloth; the Pushti Marg temple is centred on traditional purity
फोटोग्राफी: Photography and mobile phones are fully forbidden inside the temple (strictly); electronic devices forbidden
विशेष नियम: Photography + mobile phones + electronic devices are fully forbidden inside the temple (strictly); the 8 darshan times shift with the seasons; a pre-call to the temple administration is recommended; the Pushti Marg temple is centred on traditional purity
Mangla + Shringar + Gwal + Rajbhog + Utthapan + Bhog + Sandhya Aarti + Shayan = the world's unique 8-daily-darshan.
Personal/family name sankalpa; booked at the Nathdwara Temple Board office.
Week-long pre-Holi Braj-style colour/saffron/gulal celebrations; with special Holi-themed Pichhwai.
On Govardhan Puja day (the day after Diwali), 56 cuisine offerings; the temple's signature utsava.
The Ashtami tithi (August-September) Krishna-Janma utsava.
A special Pichhwai for each utsav; Nathdwara is the centre of the Pichhwai-art school.
The temple's signature utsava; 56 cuisine offerings; Shrinathji = the Govardhan-uplifting form gives this special significance
Krishna's birth annual utsava; special Pushti-Marg-style darshan
Week-long pre-Holi Braj-style colour/saffron/gulal celebrations; with special Holi-themed Pichhwai
Commemoration of the Rasa-lila; special darshan and moon abhisheka
Beginning of the Vasanta-ritu; yellow-cloth shringara
Special deepa shringara
Anniversary of Krishna's cow-herding
Commemoration of Nanda Baba's celebrations at Gokul on Krishna's birth
Pushti Marg = the Path of Divine Grace; a sankalpa tirtha grounded only in divine grace; the supreme Pushti-Marg darshan sankalpa
स्रोत: Vallabhacharya Shodash-Granth + Wikipedia
Mangla + Shringar + Gwal + Rajbhog + Utthapan + Bhog + Sandhya Aarti + Shayan; a sankalpa tirtha of living-child Krishna daily-routine worship
स्रोत: templetimings + templedarshantime + yatradham multi-source
Shrinathji = the Govardhan-uplifting form; 56 cuisine offerings; the temple's signature utsava sankalpa tirtha
स्रोत: Wikipedia + Shrinathji Helpline multi-source
Week-long pre-Holi Braj-style saffron/gulal Holi; Nathdwara Holi is world-renowned; Holi-themed Pichhwai; a joy sankalpa tirtha
स्रोत: Temples.bio + Shrinathji Helpline multi-source
Nathdwara = the world's Pichhwai-art centre; a special Pichhwai backdrop for each utsav; a traditional-art sankalpa tirtha
स्रोत: Wikipedia Shrinathji + Wikipedia Nathdwara multi-source
Shrinathji's 7-year-old Govardhan-uplifting form; the centre of the Braj-people-rain-protection narrative; a bhakti-shakti sankalpa tirtha
स्रोत: Bhagavata Purana + Wikipedia multi-source
An auxiliary Svarupa-gruh near the Shrinathji residence
The gruh of Govindji; among the Pushti Marg's 7 Svarupas; darshan-worthy
The world's tallest Shiva statue (~111 m); on the Ganesh Tekri near Miyani-Kumbhalgarh; built by the Tat Padam Upvan Trust
The Mewar royal-family's tutelary Shiva tirtha; built in 734 CE
The central Mewar-history battlefield; the Chetak memorial
The Mewar royal architecture; Udaipur is a world-renowned tourist centre
Among the Pushti Marg's 7 Svarupas; the Dwarkadhish-form tirtha; the Balkrishna lineage
Among the UNESCO 'Hill Forts of Rajasthan' group; a 15th-century Mewar fort
The principal gruh (the eldest Giridhar lineage) — Shrinathji Nathdwara + Mathuradhish Kota + Vitthalnathji Nathdwara + Dwarkadhish Kankroli + Gokulnathji Gokul + Gokulchandramaji Kamvan + Balakrishnaji Surat
7 मंदिर
The principal Vaishnava tirtha; under Mewar-royal patronage
4 मंदिर
Post-1672 the principal Krishna tirtha after the Braj relocation; the Govardhan-form centre
2 मंदिर
The Rajasthan-Krishna-tirtha apex
3 मंदिर