Places to Visit in Govardhan: The Sacred Hill, the Parikrama and Its Kunds and Temples

Key takeaways

• Govardhan is the sacred hill Krishna lifted to shelter Braj from the rains.

• Its 21 km parikrama is the heart of any visit; the hill is circled, never climbed.

• Daan Ghati and Mukharvind at Jatipura are the chief temples.

• Radha Kund and Shyam Kund are the holiest of the kunds.

• Mansi Ganga and Kusum Sarovar are the other great sacred tanks.

• Govardhan lies about 22 km west of Mathura; darshan is free.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018: more than 50,000 of them. Govardhan is one of the most sacred places in all of Braj, the very hill that Krishna lifted on his finger and for the pilgrim it is not a place of monuments so much as of the parikrama, the walk around the holy hill and the kunds and temples strung along it. Here are the places to visit in Govardhan, sight by sight, with the parikrama that joins them, the distances and the honest advice. See it on our Mathura Vrindavan Tour Package, message on WhatsApp at +91 7302265809, any day from 8 AM to 9 PM.

The story of Govardhan Hill

To understand the places of Govardhan you must know the hill’s story, the most beloved of all Krishna’s deeds of protection. The people of Braj used to worship Indra, the god of rain, with a great annual sacrifice. The young Krishna urged them instead to worship Govardhan Hill and the cows and the land that truly sustained them. Angered, Indra sent down a terrible storm to drown Braj and Krishna lifted the whole Govardhan Hill upon the little finger of his left hand and held it aloft like an umbrella for seven days and nights, sheltering all the people and cattle beneath it, until Indra, humbled, relented. Ever since, Govardhan has been worshipped as Krishna himself, as Giriraj, the king of hills and this is why pilgrims circle it in devotion but never set foot upon it, for to walk on the hill is to walk on the Lord.

The Govardhan Parikrama

The heart of any visit to Govardhan and the chief thing pilgrims come for, is the parikrama, the circumambulation of the sacred hill. The full parikrama is about twenty one kilometres around the whole of Giriraj and there is a shorter inner circuit of about seven kilometres around the Mukharvind. Most begin at the Daan Ghati, at Jatipura or at Radha Kund and walk clockwise and there is no time limit; many take a whole day, some walk barefoot and the most devout perform the dandavat parikrama, prostrating their full length again and again around the entire hill over many days. A specially loved form is the milk parikrama, in which a pot of milk with a small hole is carried so that it pours steadily onto the path as an offering the whole way round. Along the parikrama Marg lie almost all the sacred places of Govardhan, which is why the walk and the sights are one and the same.

The Govardhan parikrama. The hill is circled, never climbed.

1. Daan Ghati Mandir

The Daan Ghati is one of the principal temples of Govardhan and a favourite starting point of the parikrama. Its name comes from the leela in which Krishna, as a cowherd, playfully demanded a toll, daan, from the gopis carrying their butter and milk over the hill. Within, Giriraj is worshipped in the form of a sacred rock and the devout tell that this deity rock rises very slightly from the earth year by year, a thing the local people say they have witnessed across generations, though it is a matter of faith rather than proof. Pilgrims bow here, offer their worship and set out on the parikrama from this gate, so it is a natural and auspicious first place to visit.

2. Mukharvind at Jatipura

At Jatipura, on the western side of the hill, stands the Mukharvind, revered as the sacred mouth of Giriraj, the face of Govardhan himself. This is one of the holiest points on the whole hill, associated with Shrinathji and here hundreds of devotees each day perform the abhishek, bathing the sacred stone with milk and offering flowers, so that the place is always alive with worship and the scent of milk and marigold. Many pilgrims begin the inner seven kilometre parikrama from Jatipura and to take darshan at the Mukharvind, the very mouth of the Lord as hill, is among the most cherished acts of a Govardhan pilgrimage.

3. Radha Kund and Shyam Kund

The twin sacred tanks of Radha Kund and Shyam Kund, side by side, are among the very holiest places not only of Govardhan but of all Braj, especially dear to the Gaudiya tradition. The story is beloved: when Krishna had slain the bull demon Arishtasura, Radha teased that he had incurred the sin of killing and to purify himself he struck the ground with his heel and called all the holy rivers, which welled up as Shyam Kund. Radha and the gopis, not to be outdone, dug their own kund nearby with their bangles and bracelets and Krishna filled it from Shyam Kund and so Radha Kund appeared. To bathe or to sit in worship at these kunds, especially on the midnight of Radha Kund’s appearance day, is held to be of the highest merit and pilgrims come from across the world to them.

4. Mansi Ganga

At the heart of Govardhan town lies Mansi Ganga, a large and ancient sacred lake whose name means the Ganga created by the mind. Tradition tells that when Krishna’s companions wished to bathe in the Ganga, he summoned her by his very thought into this tank and that Radha and Krishna would boat upon its waters. In the evening the aarti is performed at its ghats, the lamps floating on the dark water, a beautiful and peaceful sight. Though buildings now crowd its banks, it remains a lovely and holy place at the centre of the town and a natural pause on the parikrama.

5. Kusum Sarovar

About a twenty five minute walk from Radha Kund lies Kusum Sarovar, one of the most beautiful spots in all of Braj, a large tank of honey coloured sandstone with grand ghats and pavilions rising above the water. Its name means the lake of flowers, for here, it is said, Radha would come with the gopis to gather flowers and would meet Krishna. The magnificent sandstone monument and the ghats above it were built in 1764 by Jawahir Singh, the king of Bharatpur, in honour of his father Raja Suraj Mal and the main cenotaph has lovely paintings on its ceiling. Peaceful and less crowded than the temples, especially at sunset when the stone glows gold, it is a place many pilgrims count as the loveliest of their Govardhan visit.

The places of Govardhan at a glance

The places to visit in Govardhan at a glance.

Location and how to reach Govardhan

Govardhan lies about twenty two kilometres west of Mathura and about twenty six kilometres from Vrindavan, an easy drive across the Braj countryside and it is most often visited as a day trip from either town. Radha Kund and Kusum Sarovar sit a few kilometres apart on the northern side of the hill, near each other. The nearest railway junction and the nearest airport are those of Mathura and beyond, Delhi. A private car to Govardhan and around its sights, with the parikrama walked, is by far the easiest way, especially for reaching Radha Kund and Kusum Sarovar which lie apart from the town. The table gives the distances.

Reaching Govardhan. Distances are approximate; verify on the day.

For the seasons and the wider route, our Vrindavan parikrama guide is a companion walk and our Mathura Vrindavan taxi service drives you to Govardhan and around its sights.

When to visit

The cool months of October to March are much the best for Govardhan, for the parikrama is a long walk of twenty one kilometres, punishing in the summer heat and pleasant in the cool. The early morning is the loveliest and coolest time to begin the walk. Two occasions above all fill Govardhan: Govardhan Puja, the day after Diwali in autumn, which is the hill’s own great festival, when Giriraj is worshipped and vast crowds walk the parikrama; and Guru Purnima and the appearance day of Radha Kund, both greatly revered here. For a calm parikrama, an ordinary cool weekday is best. Our best time to visit Mathura Vrindavan guide is the seasons.

The honest bit

Honest words on Govardhan. The most important thing, which every true Brajwasi holds dear: the hill is circled, never climbed. To set foot on Govardhan is, in the faith of Braj, to tread on Krishna himself, so however you see others behave, do not climb the hill. Darshan everywhere is free and no official VIP pass exists at any Govardhan temple or anywhere in Braj. The full parikrama is twenty one kilometres on foot, a real undertaking, so wear easy footwear or walk barefoot as the devout do, carry water, start early and pace yourself and the elderly may prefer the shorter inner circuit or a car to the main temples. Beware, as ever, of touts near the temples pressing services on you. Come in devotion and good preparation and Govardhan gives one of the deepest experiences in all of Braj.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul Mahaban Bangar and Govardhan and its parikrama are part of my own devotional home ground. Guiding since 2018, more than 50,000 pilgrims, 4.5 stars across 204 Google reviews, WhatsApp first, 8 AM to 9 PM daily. What a local brings to Govardhan is the knowledge of where to begin the parikrama and how to pace its twenty one kilometres, the sacred places found and their stories told along the way, the car positioned to meet you and to reach Radha Kund and Kusum Sarovar which lie apart and the honest guidance to circle and never climb. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.

Tip from Gurudutt: if you cannot walk the full twenty one kilometres, do not miss Govardhan for it. Take darshan at the Daan Ghati and the Mukharvind, sit at Mansi Ganga for the evening aarti and above all give an hour to Kusum Sarovar at sunset, when its honey coloured stone glows over the water and you will have touched the soul of Govardhan even without the whole parikrama. And whatever you do, circle the hill, never climb it.

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Plan your Govardhan visit

Tell me your dates and your group and I will build Govardhan into your Braj trip, the parikrama begun at the right point and paced for your party, the temples and the kunds seen in order, a car to reach Radha Kund and Kusum Sarovar, for one clear price. WhatsApp +91 7302265809, any day 8 AM to 9 PM. Packages from Rs 1,999 per person, 4.5 stars from 204 Google reviews. Born in Gokul, Mathura.