Doul Govinda Temple (Pron: ˈdaʊl/ˈdu:l/ˈdəʊl gə(ʊ)ˈvɪndə) is one of the important temples of Kamrup,

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It is situated on the northern banks, on the foothills of Chandra Bharati hill at Rajaduar,

North Guwahati Guwahati () the largest city of the Indian state of Assam, and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the seat of the Government of Assam. ...

. The temple is mainly devoted to

Lord Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is wi ...

. Besides, there is an Namghar along with the temple within the same premises. The temple is open and accessible all the year round, but one can enjoy the thrill of a river cruise as well as walking on white sands of the beaches of

Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, and ...

, from the month of November to April.

History

Several stories exists regarding this deity and how 'He' was brought here by late Ganga Ram Barooah from a place called Sandhyasar near

Nalbari Nalbari is a small town in Nalbari district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Assam. Nalbari is also the headquarters of Nalbari district, Nalbari District. Etymology The word ''Nalbari'' is derived from and . is a ...

. The first structure of Doul Govinda Temple was erected more than one hundred and fifty years ago but it was again renovated in 1966.

Importance

The temple is known for its

Holi Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...

celebrations in the month of February–March. Holi is observed by the local people for five days with various programmes and about five thousand pilgrims are always assembled at the temple premises during this time. Special

Ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

service is available to the temple from

Guwahati Guwahati () the largest city of the Indian state of Assam, and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the seat of the Government of Assam. Th ...

to Rajaduar at this time. Daily activities of the Doul Govinda Temple start early, with the opening of the doors at seven in the morning. The priest bathes the idol and then performs the Archana. The worshipers start coming in from an hour after this, which continues till the end of the day. In between that, the temple remains closed during the afternoon. In the evening the Arati is performed by singing devotional songs or 'Kirtaan'. Prasada followed by Bhoga is distributed among the devotees in open hall, during afternoon hours daily. A good number of devotees contribute to the temple Management to offer Bhoga and Thagi (Sarai) on their behalf with or without craving. Such devotees get some amount of Bhoga for taking home from the counter.

Transport

Generally Ferries as well as Steamers are available from Fancy Bazaar Ferry Ghat to Rajaduar, which is the easiest and fastest means, to reach the temple. After landing on Rajaduar, It is a five-minute walk to reach the Temple. Trekkers are available from Kharguli, as well as from Adabari and

Jalukbari Jalukbari is a locality in Guwahati, Assam, India, located between National Highway 31 (India), National Highway 31 and National Highway 37 (India), National Highway 37. Education Gauhati University, Assam Engineering College, Assam Science ...

References

External links

{{Hindu Temples in Assam Hindu temples in Assam Kamrup district Krishna temples Hindu temples in Kamrup district