India’s renowned royal state of Rajasthan, its capital, Jaipur, is home to the generous Govind Devji Mandir. The ancient Hindu temple is located within the City Palace complex between the Bada Mahal and Chandra Mahal in Jaipur tourism. It was built in 1735 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. The temple’s main deity is one of Lord Krishna’s forms, Govind Devji, who was also the main deity of Amber’s Kachawaha Dynasty of Amer’s rulers.
It is believed that the idol of Govind Ji looks precisely like Lord Krishna. The Maharaja of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, was a devotee of the Lord. Hence, his palace was designed so that he could get a glimpse of the lord directly from his palace after the idol was shifted from Amer to Jaipur. Due to its significance and legend, the temple is flocked by devotees all year round and gets a huge footfall.
History
Govind Devji is one of the forms of Lord Krishna, the main deity of the Kachwaha dynasty of Amer. It is associated with the rich history of Jaipur and its rulers. It is believed that the original idol of Govind Devji was in a temple in Vrindavan, which was excavated around 450 years ago from Goma Teela in Vrindavan by a disciple of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Shri Rupa Goswami.
When it came to know the temple’s existence, the then maharaja of Amer, Sawai Man Singh, along with the Mughal Emperor Akbar, built a massive temple in Vrindavan in 1590 AD. The red sandstone was used to construct the Agra Fort. Moreover, the emperor also gave away around 135 acres of land for livestock and feed. During the 17th century, the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb was on a spree, razing off Hindu temples and destroying the idols. Around the same time, the idol of Govind Ji was taken care of by Shri Shiv Ram Goswami in Vrindavan.
He kept transferring the idols from Vrindavan to Kama in Baratpur, then from Radhakund to Govindpura in Sanganer to save them. The principal deity of the ruling dynasty, the then ruler of Amer, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, took the onus to protect the idol and placed it in Amer Valley, which was later called Kanak Vrindavan in 1714 AD.
Legends Behind the Idol
Legend has it that around 5500 years ago, the great-grandson of Lord Shri Krishna, the 13-year-old Bajranabh, wanted to make the exact idol of the Lord after getting instructions from his grandmother about the Lord’s appearance. The first idol he made had only feet resembling the Lord Krishna and was named Lord Madan Mohan ji. This idol is enshrined in Karauli, Rajasthan.
Brajranabh made a second idol wherein only the chest resembled Lord Krishna, and the idol was Lord Gopi Nath ji. It was enshrined in Purani Basti, Jaipur. He made the third idol to look like Lord Shri Krishna in all ways and was approved by his grandmother. Finally, the idol came to be known as Lord Govind Devji or Bajrakrit.
Architecture and Layout
The temple was built with Sandstone and marble, and ceilings were covered with gold. The architecture has a blend of Rajasthani, Muslim, and Classical Indian elements to it. It was built beside a royal residence; the walls are adorned with chandeliers and paintings. The temple is surrounded by a lush green garden known as Talkatora.
Entry Fees and Timings – Visiting the temple is not an entry fee.
Temple Timings: 4:30 Am to 12:00 P.m. and 5:45 P.m. to 9:30 P.m. during the summers; 5:00 AM to 12:15 PM and 5:00 PM to 8:45 PM during winter.
Aarti and ritual Timings: The aarti timings differ by half an hour to forty-five minutes with seasons, summers, and winters. During this season, the morning Mangla aarti begins at 4:30 Am, followed by the Dhoop and Shringar aartis at 7:30 Am and 9:30 Am respectively.
The food offering to the deities starts at noon at 11:00 Am, which lasts till 11:30 Am and is called the Rajabhog.
The evening aartis begin with the early evening Gwal aarti at 5:45 P.m., followed by the Sandhya aarti at 6:45 P.m., which is the late evening aarti, and night aarti begins at 9:00 P.m., called the Shayan aarti.
The aarti timings during winter are pushed forward by half an hour for morning aartis, and evening aartis are pushed back by 45 minutes.
Best time to Visit the Temple
The temple can be seen all year round on Jaipur tour packages. However, the Janmashtami celebrations are done with great zeal and show here. One must undoubtedly visit the temple during Janmashtami. The deities are dressed in jewels and charming clothing.
Places to visit near Govind Devji Temple
- Jag Niwas Garden
- City Palace
- Jantar Mantar
- Hawa Mahal
- Tripolia Bazaar