Welcome to Nathdwara

At about 90 min. drive (about 48 kms) from Udaipur in Rajasthan lies a very popular dham, Nathdwara set amidst idyllic hills on the left bank of the Banas river, where one can see devotees in large numbers flocking for worship. The place is most popular for its sacred Vaishnava temple of Lord Srinathji, the manifestation of Lord Krishna.Sri Nathdwara or the gateway leading to the Srinathji is also the centre of the Pushtimarg Sampradaya, a doctrine created by Jagat guru Sri Vallabhacharya. One can find the idol of Srinathji, sculpted out of one piece of black marble belonging to the 12th century and was first installed by Sri Vallabhacharya in a small temple at Jatipura, near Mathura. The little town is a honeycomb of lanes and alleys leading to the hub of activity, the Srinathji temple. The Haveli of Srinathji(as the temple is called), was once a royal palace of the Rajput rulers. Over 1000 devotees reach the temple early in the morning to serve the Lord, each day of the year. Getting up during the early hours for the first darshan is a regular observation where Lord Sir Nathji resides in regal splendour. Darshans or glimpses of Srinathji can be sought 8 times in the day. Collectively known as Ashtaya, the 8 darshans are Mangala, Shrungar, Gwal, Rajbhog, Uthhapan, Bhog, Sandhaya Aarti and Shayan. In each of them the leelas (divine manifestations) of the Lord are described and harmonized with His daily routine. Groups of devotees constantly flush into the temple, pushing, pulling and reaching out, sometimes even getting hurt in the process. The darshan is like a matter of life and death for them, and they endure it bravely eight times in a day just for those few seconds.