The Hindu temple Govind Dev Ji is situated in Jaipur in Rajasthan state of India. It is located in the City Palace complex. The temple is dedicated to Govind Dev Ji (Lord Krishna).This temple is among the 7 temples of Thakur of Vrindavan including Sri Radhavallabhji, Shri Bankey Bihari Ji, Shri Govind Dev Ji and four others. The image of the deity (murti) was brought from Vrindavan here by Raja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur. According to popular legend, Lord Krishna’s image in the temple looks exactly like Krishna’s form during his incarnation on Earth.
The deity originally belonged to SrilaRupa Goswami who was a disciple of Lord CaitanyaMahaprabhu.
According to the legend, the Image of Lord GovindDevji was also called “Bajrakrit”- indicating thereby that it was created by Bajranabh – The Great Grand Son of Lord Krishna. Some 5,000 years back when Shri Bajranabh was around 13 years old, he asked his Grand Mother (daughter-in-law of Lord Krishna) as to how Lord Shri Krishna looked like; Then He made an image as per the description given by her. She however, said that not all but the feet of that image looked like those of Lord Shri Krishna. He made another image, yet she said that the Chest looked like that of Lord Shri Krishna. Thereafter, He made the Third Image and looking at the same she veiled her face as a show of modesty, and remarked that the image was an exact likeness of Krishna.
The first one came to be known as “Madan Mohanji”. The second one was called as Lord “GOPI NATHJI” and the Third One, the likeness of Krishna is LORD “GOVIND DEVJI”. With passing of ages the glories of the Indian Culture were being forgotten and the sands of time kept piling up. Together with every other thing these pious divine images were also lost from the memories of people. Some 500 years ago, legend has it that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked one of his disciples to excavate the idol of Govinda, which had been buried there to protect it from the Mughal marauders.
For Vaishnavites, particularly followers of Lord Krishna, this is one of the most important temples outside Vrindavan.
‘Aartis’ and ‘Bhog’ are offered seven times a day, when the deity is unveiled for ‘Darshan’. Thousands of devotees visit the temple daily and an even larger number visit during Janmashtami.
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