Shrinathji is a Hindu deity and a form of Lord Sri Krishna,
manifest as a 7 year-old Balak or child. Shrinathji is the
presiding deity of the Vaishnava sect, referred to as the
Pushtimarg (the Path of Grace), also known as the Vallabh
Sampradaya or Shuddhadvaita, originally established by Shri
Vallabhacharya.
Srinathji Standing on Peacock - Brass Statue
Shrinathji is worshipped according to the Bhakti Yoga
tradition, by the Vaishanavites in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The
main temple of Shrinathji is located in the temple town of
Nathdwara, which lies about 48 kilometers from Udaipur in
Rajasthan. The son of Vallabhacharya, Vitthal Nathji, was the
one who institutionalized Shrinathji worship at this temple.
Due to the immense popularity of the deity, the town itself is
referred to as Shrinathji.
Origins of the Deity
Originally, the child deity was addressed as Devdaman, the
Conqueror of all Gods. According to Hindu mythology, the child
Krishna had lifted the Govardhanagiri of the Govardhana hill,
in order to subdue Indra, the King of the Gods. Shri
Vallabhacharya later named this Lord as Gopala and the temple
as Gopalpur. However, Vitthal Nathji finally named the deity
as Shrinathji.
Krishna Lifts Giri Govardhan - Mural Poster
Early references to Shrinathji are found in ancient religious
texts and literature. Most important of these is the instance
where the Lord lifts the Govardhana hill with the little
finger of his left hand, in order to protect the residents of
Vrindavan from the arrogant wrath of Indra. This reference
also features in the Giriraja-khanda of the Garga Samhita,
wherein the Lord is addressed as Devadaman Shrinath.
The followers of the sect of Pushtimarg believe that the
Lord’s arm and face emerged from the Govardhana hill. Ever
since, the Brajvaasis (the locals in that area) started the
worship of Gopala, under the spiritual guidance of Madhavendra
Puri. Hence, Madhavendra Puri is attributed to the discovery
of the Lord Shrinathji. The deity was earlier worshipped in a
small shrine at Jatipur village near Govardhana. Later, it was
moved to a much larger temple atop the selfsame hill. It is
believed that the Lord directed Shri Vallabhacharya to build
the temple at Govardhana. Shri Vitthal Nathji continued then
continued this tradition of worship.
History of the Nathdwara Temple
After having been worshipped in a temple at the Govardhana
hill, the idol of Shrinathji was shifted along the river
Yamuna and was even kept at Agra for some months. Then, in
order to protect the idol from the rising Mughal empire, it
was finally transported further south, in a chariot. When the
idol reached the village called Sihad or Sinhad in Mewar, the
wheels of the chariot sank into the mud and refused to budge
from there. The priests realized that it was the desire of the
Lord himself that a temple be installed in that very area,
which was then under the rule of Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar.
This temple was repeatedly attacked by the Holkars of Indore,
the Pindaris and the Medas. In order to protect it, the idol
was shifted yet again to Udaipur and was protected by Maharana
Bheem Singh of Mewar.
Nathdwara: The Haveli of Shrinathji
The temple at Sinhad, where the chariot got stuck in the mud,
was built in the 17th Century. This temple is popularly
referred to as Shrinathji ki Haveli, meaning, the House of
Shrinathji. It was called thus because it resembled a regular
household, containing a chariot for movement.
The original chariot which was used to transport the idol is
believed to have had a Doodhghar (store room for milk),
Paanghar (a room to store betel), a Mishrighar and Pedaghar (a
room to store sugar and sweetmeats), a Phoolghar (room for
flowers), a fully functional Rasoighar (kitchen), a Gahnghar
(to store ornaments), a Kharcha Bhandar (treasury), a Chakki
(grinding wheel) and even an Ashvashala (stable for horses and
chariots).
The priests and the servers of the temple are not paid
salaries. They receive the temple Prasad in reward for
carrying out their duties.
Shrinathji Idol at Nathdwara
The idol of Shrinathji in the temple of Nathdwara portrays the
child Krishna lifting the Govardahana Giri. His left hand is
shown in a raised position, with the right fist clenched and
resting at the waist. A large diamond is placed just beneath
his lips.
The idol itself is carved out from black marble. The deity is
decorated with intricately crafted jewels, many dating right
back to the pre-Mughal era. Near the main idol are carved
figures of three sages, two cows, one lion, one snake, one
parrot and two peacocks. The Lord is draped with rich silk and
zari embroidered clothing. The deity is treated as royalty and
is respectfully addressed as Thakurji. Followers believe that
Shrinathji would one day ultimately return to Govardhan.
Rituals and Festivals at Nathdwara
The Nathdwara temple celebrates about 3 festivals a week.
There is an interesting ritual of conducting darshans 8 times
a day, at specific times each day, each darshan signifying one
aspect of worship of the Lord. Due to the joint influence of
the Krishna cult and the Pushtimarg as propagated by Shri
Vallabhacharya, the rituals evolved to become very elaborate
and complex, comprising many elements of worship within
itself.
The 8 aarti darshans are particularly beautiful and attract
great crowds of devotees. The idol of the deity is treated
like an actual, living child and is adorned with suitable
attire at each time of the aarti, be it day or night. The
prayers are offered along with lamps, flowers, fruit and other
offerings. Devotees sing in praise of Shrinathji, with
instrumentalists playing along with them. Each aarti has a
certain set of songs to be sung with it. The Lord is then
revealed in all his splendour, as the parda or curtain placed
in front of him is removed. This view is called the “jhanki”,
which literally means, “glimpse”.
The priests working in the Haveli are said to be direct
descendants of Vallabhacharya. This is also prevalent in all
the Havelis around the world. The people establishing these
shrines and formally offering worship are all believed to
belong to the kul (dynasty) of the acharya.
The shrine especially attracts large numbers of devotees
during particularly Vaishnavite occasions such as Janmashtami,
which marks the birth of Lord Krishna; Holi, Diwali and so on.
The Eight Darshans of Shrinathji
Srinathji - Lord Krishna (set of 4) - Poster
Legend has it that the Gopis living in Braj used to love
Krishna so intensely that they would try and make up just
about any excuse to go over to Yashoda’s place to get a
glimpse of their beloved Nandgopal. Yashoda, being highly
protective of Krishna, would often be concerned about the
Gopis wandering around her house at all times of the day.
Hence, she decided that they could visit him only at
particular times of the day – after he finished eating or as
he was resting and so on.
Based on this belief, Vallabhacharya stipulated that his Lord
would give his devotees darshan at particular hours in a day
and decided on 8 times per day, when the doors of the sanctum
sanctorum would be opened for devotees to have a glimpse of
the Lord.
Below are the 8 darshans in detail:
1. Mangala
This is the very first darshan of the day. Shrinathji is
gently woken up with the sound of the Shankha or conch, being
blown in the background. This darshan lasts up to a time
period of 45 minutes. This time may vary with each different
season. Darshans start a little later during summer; the
reason being that the Lord plays for longer with his friends
in the hot weather, and so, he would need more sleep to get
back his energy.
Child Krishna’s adornment is also simple at this time of the
year. He wears a thin adbandha. He is also not given his
flute, as others would forget everything else and stop doing
their work if he started playing his instrument.
During the winter season, he is put to sleep earlier and so,
is woken up earlier as well. In this season, he is covered up
with a thick rajaai or blanket and only his face is visible to
devotees. There is a sigri or fire lit before him, so as to
keep him warm.
Milk, mishri, buttermilk and sheera are considered to be
Shreeji’s favorite bhog (eats). The Mangal Bhog Sheera is
hence one of the most common items made for Prasad.
An elaborate aarti is then performed to attain the Lord’s
blessings. This dou vat batti aarti or aarti with two standing
wicks, is performed with seven full and seven half rounds. It
is believed that all his little friends would come to visit
this beautiful aarti. Songs composed by the poet Shri
Parmanand are sung during this darshan.
2. Shringar
The Shringar aarti takes place after about an hour from the
Mangala darshan. Here, Shrinathji is dressed up and ornamented
beautifully, in accordance with the particular season and time
of the year. Interestingly, the Lord’s attire and jewelry he
would wear on each day of the year had been fixed by Gusianji
about 500 years ago. That same tradition is followed even
today. Hence, the Lord never wears the clothing he has worn
once that year.
In this aarti, the Lord is offered garlands of flowers and a
pink lotus is pinned at his waist. He is also seen with his
flute in this aarti. After his Shringar is done completely, he
is shown a gold mirror, so that he can be pleased with the way
he looks. This ritual of showing him the mirror is believed to
be the most important moment of the entire darshan, with
devotees thronging to have a glimpse of this wonderful sight.
Shreeji appears to be happy and proud, standing tall, as if
appreciating his own good looks.
This darshan has no aarti. A bhog of dry fruits and sweets is
offered to him during this darshan. Keertans and bhajans
(devotional songs) of the poet, Kavi Shri Nand Das is sung at
this time.
3. Gwal
The Gwal darshan comes one and a half hours after the Shringar
darshan. This darshan is usually not open for the public
during special occasions and festivals. During this darshan,
the cowherd Nandlala is believed to be taking his cows for
grazing.
The leaves of the Tulsi plant are offered to the Lord and a
Dhoop Dhunni is carried out, so that he is not affected by the
evil eyes of others. Again, the dou vat batti aarti is
performed, followed by a bhog of milk, kheer, rabdi and so on.
Keertans of Kavi Shri Govind Swami are sung at this darshan.
4. Rajbhog
This is the fourth and the most impressive darshan of them
all. Just before this darshan opens to the public, the priest
loudly asks the sevak (helper) to bring Shreeji’s garland. The
Lord’s garden is believed to have been at a little distance,
and hence, the priest beckons the sevak to hurry up with his
job. This very elaborate darshan is open for longer than all
the other darshans.
Then, Shivji is called for, asking him to take a darshan of
the Lord. The idol of Shivji was also installed in a temple
near the Banas River, when Shrinathji shifted to Nathdwara. It
is believed that Shivji too participates in the Rajbhog
darshan, within a round semicircular area, just in front of
Shreeji. Hence, no one else is permitted to step into this
area at the time of the Rajbhog darshan.
The Lord is adorned with a new garland and he is seen with his
flute. Triangular betel leaves are offered to him, followed by
an elaborate aarti. He is offered all types of food that make
up for a royal lunch befitting his exalted status. The Lord’s
food is always sweet and no spice is added to his food. His
drinking water, which is fragrant, is always mixed with rose
water, kesar (saffron) or sandal essence. Milk mixed with
saffron is believed to be his favourite drink. Songs composed
by the poet Shri Kumbhan Dasji are sung for this darshan.
After his darshan, the Haveli is shut for the entire
afternoon, since he has to take his vishram or rest. The next
darshan takes place only after 3 hours, after the Lord is done
with his siesta.
5. Utthapan
This is the first darshan of the latter part of the day. The
darshan starts at around 3:30pm and goes on for 45 minutes.
Here, Shreeji is woken up with the soothing sound of the
Veena. The child Krishna is still a bit groggy after waking up
and so, the environment in the Haveli is calm and peaceful at
this time.
A bhog of fruits and milk products are offered and devotional
songs of poet Shri Surdas are sung in praise of the Lord.
6. Bhog
After about an hour after the previous darshan, there is the
Bhog darshan. During the summer season, little fountains are
started in order to cool the environment. In winters, a coal
sigri is lit in order to provide adequate heat to Bal Krishna.
A golden fan made of peacock feathers, called morchadi, is
waved around the idol of the deity. This darshan also includes
a flower shringar or flower bangala.
Later, a bhog of fruits, a few light snacks and Thor is
offered to the Lord, along with keertans of poet Shri
Chaturbhuj being sung during the darshan.
7. Sandhya Aarti
This darshan comes immediately after the Bhog darshan. It
relates to Yashoda doing an aarti for her divine son. The
deity’s clothing here is light and soft, as he is preparing
for bedtime. The child Krishna is given his flute and so,
everything around becomes serene and quiet.
In this darshan, Bhog is also offered to the Sudarshan Chakra.
Keertans of Kavi Shri Chitta Swami are sung at this time.
8. Shayan
The Shayan darshan is the last one for the day. As the name
suggests, this darshan is to put the child Krishna to sleep.
Here, the sevak goes out on the terrace to call out to the
chief chef to report early next morning for work. The playing
of drums signify the opening of the darshan. A melodious
bhajan is sung in the form of a lullaby. Shreeji is given his
flute and the Veena is played for some time.
A lush rich carpet is spread out, leading all the way to
Shreeji’s room. In the room, a gold bed is made ready for the
Lord to rest on. It is believed that Radha would also join
him, and so, her apparel and ornaments are also kept ready.
A bhog of water, laddoos and paan (betel leaves) are kept
ready for him. Keertans of Kavi Shri Krishna Das are sung at
this darshan.
Being the last darshan of the day, it becomes dark and silent
all around, till Krishna is woken up again the next morning
for giving his first darshan. The wooden platforms from the
“Dolti Bari” of the main audience chamber and the doors to the
“Sinh Pole” – the huge door guarded by tigers – are left open
for the night. Since the child Krishna is asleep, there are no
chances he will run out from the gates and hence, it is
considered safe to keep them open!
Not only the temple, but the entire town seems to retire into
an attitude of quiet as soon as Shreeji is put to sleep.
Preparations to Please Shreeji
The preparations that go into everyday aartis and darshans for
Shrinathji are as detailed and elaborate as the darshans
themselves. Here are details on various aspects of the
activities in the temple administration:
Bhog
All of the Lord’s Bhog is prepared in the Nij Mandir, in
accordance with the different seasons. Even the choice of
foods, spices and dry fruits to be used is based on the season
it is offered in. While most of the food is sweet, there is a
minimal addition of rock salt and pepper in some dishes. In
the heat of the summer, he is offered cooling Rose water and
sandalwood, while he is given Kesar or saffron to warm him in
the winters.
Only the purest of ingredients are hand-picked and used to
prepare the Bhog. Also, no one is allowed to watch as the Lord
partakes of his meal.
Shringar
Stone Studded on Gold Plated Srinathji - Metal Statue
While the bhog is a feast for the stomach, the shringar or the
ornamentation of the Lord is a veritable feast for the eyes!
Shrinathji’s shringar is very aesthetic, artistic and screams
of opulence. He is bedecked in all conceivable types of
jewelry, again in keeping with the day of the year and the
season.
The flowers used to decorate his person are grown especially
to offer seva to him, are plucked freshly and are gathered
early every morning from various gardens. There is a separate
room where sevaks prepare the garlands for him. The flower
shringar can be performed only by the Mukhiyaji (chieftain) or
other people authorized to do so. Just like during bhog, no
one is allowed to watch as the Lord is dressed up before his
darshan.
Shrinathji’s clothes are never used a second time. There is a
team of darjis or tailors who constantly create beautiful
apparel for the Lord. It is believed that if the child God
does not want a particular set of clothes, he would indicate
his refusal. In case he “refuses” the garment three times, the
item is kept away, never to be used again. An alternate set of
clothes is always kept ready for him, in case he rejects what
the sevaks drape on him.
Darshans
Hindu temples usually remain open for a fair amount of time
everyday. But this is not the case with Nathdwara. Since
Shrinathji is a child God, he is given enough play and rest
time during the day, when he should not be disturbed. Darshan
timings are hence regulated, with a possible variation of
about a half hour, in accordance with the different seasons.
During occasions and festivals, the darshan timings are
lengthened, so that all devotees can get a good glimpse of the
Lord.
He is woken up at a particular time each day, is bathed,
dressed and offered food. He then gives brief darshans, after
which he is sent off to play. He is given lunch and is then
put to sleep for a while, so that he can refresh himself.
After waking up, he is offered a light snack for the
afternoon. After his evening darshan, he is given a light meal
and is prepared for bedtime, to be woken up only the next
morning for darshan.
Since the child Krishna would not want to be disturbed all
through the day, the temple opens only for the 8 darshans or
jhankis and remains closed at all other times.
Govardhan Parvat has eight doors in all. Each door signifies
the location of Shreeji’s Ashta Sakhas or 8 Gwal friends.
These poet friends of Krishna wrote several songs and bhajans
in praise of the Lord, each of these songs depicting a
different bhava or rasa (emotion). These are still used in the
same order during each darshan in the Nathdwara.
Purifying Aspect of the Darshans
Shrinathji gives his darshan to all his devotees and
constantly bestows good upon them. While the Lord goes about
uncomplainingly with his unending routine, it becomes the duty
of the bhakta (devotee) to approach him with purity of heart
and bhava. It is important for devotees to move in the company
of sadhus and spiritually higher souls and also focus their
mind entirely on the darshans. Associating with satsangs
(spiritual groups) is also advisable for devotees, as it helps
to silence their minds and elevate them to higher planes of
existence.
While it is impossible not to get distracted by the rich
clothing and jewelry of the Lord, it would highly benefit
devotees to finally focus on his beautiful, benevolent face,
radiating love, peace and grace. For those who are pure of
heart and compassionate, the child God is said to respond with
an equal amount of love and bestows much good upon their
lives.
Shrinathji as Depicted in Art
Pichhwais are colourful and intricate paintings of Krishna.
These can be found in abundance in Nathdwara. Pichwai artisans
use the medium cloth, paper and temple wall hangings to
portray various aspects of the Lord, depicting him in
different body postures and moods. This exclusive art form is
passed down from generation to generation.
Pichwai artists can be found residing mostly in the Chitron Ki
Gali (Street of Paintings) and the Chitron Ka Mohallah (Colony
of Painters) areas and are predominantly found to be working
in close groups, under the supervision of a master artist.
The major purpose of these artisans is to narrate the tales of
Lord Krishna to illiterate locals. While this art is much in
demand in India, it is also very sought-after by foreign
visitors and has also emerged as the main export of
Nathdwara.
Temples around the World
Shrinathji temples can be found all around the world. Gaudiya
gurus have in fact established the Lord’s temples in certain
regions of Pakistan, Russia and of Central Asia as well. The
United States houses many Shrinathji temples in the states of
New Jersey, Lowell, Massachusetts, Parlin, Connecticut, New
Haven and so on.