Nathdwara is a city in the Rajsamand district of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located in the Aravalli hills, on the banks of the Banas River and is 48 kilometres north-east of

Udaipur Udaipur (Hindi: , ) (ISO 15919: ''Udayapura'') is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, about south of the state capital Jaipur. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Udaipur district. It is the historic capital of t ...

Shrinathji Shrinathji is a form of Krishna, manifested as a seven-year-old child. The principal shrine of Shrinathji is the Shrinathji Temple in the temple city of Nathdwara, 48 kilometres north-east of Udaipur city in Rajasthan, India. Shrinathji is ...

, is a swarup of lord

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

which resembles his 7-year-old ''"infant"'' incarnation of Krishna. The deity was originally worshiped at Jatpura, Mathura and was shifted in the year 1672 from Govardhan hill, near

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...

along holy river

Yamuna The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...

after being retained at

Agra Agra ( ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the ...

for almost six months. Literally, Nathdwara means 'Gateway to Shrinathji (God)'. Nathdwara is a significant Vaishnavite shrine pertaining to the Pushti Marg or the Vallabh Sampradaya or the Shuddha Advaita founded by Vallabha Acharya, revered mainly by people of

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

and Rajasthan, among others. Vitthal Nathji, son of Vallabhacharya institutionalised the worship of Shrinathji at Nathdwara. Today also the Royal king family of Nathdwara belongs to the lineage of vallabhacharya mahaprabhuji. They are called Tilkayat or tikaet of Nathdwara. Daily Eight Darshan opens for devotees as per schedule by temple. Mangala, Shringar, Gwala, Rajbhog, Uthapan, Aarti, and Shayan. Mobile phones, socks, and shoes are not allowed. There are lockers near the gate you can put your phone and shoes in.

Religion

Vallabha Sampradaya

The religion of the town of Nathdwara is centered on the

Pushtimarg The Puṣṭimārga, also known as Pushtimarg (Path of Nourishing or Flourishing) or Vallabha Sampradāya, is a Hindu Vaiṣṇava saṁpradāya. It was established in the early 16th century by Vallabha (1479–1530) and further developed by his ...

sect of

Vaishnava Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, '' Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along wit ...

Hinduism and primarlily the Shrinathji Temple.

Shrinathji Temple

The shrine at Nathdwara was built in the 17th century at the spot as exactly ordained by Shrinathji himself. The idol of the Lord

was being transferred from Vrindaban to protect it from the Mughal ruler

Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

. When the idol reached the spot at village Sihad or Sinhad, the wheels of bullock cart in which the idol was being transported sank axle-deep in mud and could not be moved any further. The accompanying priests realised that the particular place was the Lord's chosen spot and accordingly, a temple was built there under the rule and protection of the then Maharana Raj Singh of

Mewar Mewar, also spelled as Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasth ...

. Shrinathji Temple is also known as 'Haveli of Shrinathji' (mansion).

Naveet Priya and Madan Mohan Temples

The idol of Naveet Priya came to Nathdwara with Shrinathji and is the form of Krishna as a child. Madan Mohan was gifted to Shri Nathji by the wife of Maharana Fateh Singh of Udaipur and Mewar. These two temples are under the same administration as the Shrinathji Temple.

Vithal Nath Temple

The image of Vithal Nath is the second of the seven svarups of the

sect. Its administration is separate from that of the above temples.

Other

Other deities worshipped in temples in the town include Khera Mata, Mahadeva, Hanuman, Mataji (in various forms), and Thakurji (non-Vallabhite Vaishnava temples). There is also a small presence of Islam and Jainism.

Geography and Transport

Nathdwara is located at . It has an average elevation of 584 metres (1919 ft). Located just 48 km north-east of

in Rajasthan, this town is easily reached by air, road or nearest rail-head.

Demographics

, Nathdwara had a population of 37,007. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Nathdwara has an average literacy rate of 73.0%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 65%. In Nathdwara, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. According to the 2011 Census of India, Nathdwara had a total population of 42,016, comprising 21,695 males and 20,321 females.

Artists of Nathdwara

Nathdwara Artists are a group of artists working around the precincts of the famous Nathdwara temple in Rajasthan. They are noted for Rajasthani-style paintings, called Pichwai Paintings, belonging to the

School. The paintings revolve around the image of

, the enigmatic black-faced figure of

, who is shown holding up Mount

Govardhan Govardhan also called Giriraj, is a key pilgrimage centre in India and a municipal town; a nagar panchayat; seat of an MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly (India), Member of Legislative Assembly) of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Uttar ...

. Several authoritative books have been published on this subject. Apart from Pichwai Paintings, the artists also produce small-scale paintings on paper. Themes from Krishna legend predominate. Mentioned under notable citizens are some of the famous artists who have won accolades/awards in the past.

Tourism

Statue of Belief

The ''Statue of Belief'' or ''Vishwas Swaroopam'' is the tallest statue of the Hindu God Shiva (369 ft.) in the world, that is constructed at Nathdwara in Rajasthan, India. The statue opened on 29 October 2022.

References

External links

Shrinathji temple
{{Hindu holy cities Hindu holy cities Cities and towns in Rajsamand district Hindu temples in Rajasthan Tourist attractions in Rajsamand district