Nathdwara, a small town in Rajasthan, 48 kilometres north-east of Udaipur, is a pilgrimage spot for the devotees of Lord Krishna, where a manifestation of our Lord is present in His infant incarnation and worshipped as Shrinathji. Historically the formation of the ‘Haveli of Shrinathji’ or the mansion of our God, was initiated in the 17th century, during the barbarian destruction of the anti-Hindu Mughal ruler Aurengzeb. The idol was shifted from Mathura in 1672 A.D. along river Yamuna and was retained at Agra for almost six months, and finally while crossing the village Sihad or Sinhad in Mewar, the wheels of chariot in which the icon was being transported sank into mud and could not be moved any farther. The accompanying priests realised that the place was the Lord Shrinathji’s chosen spot and accordingly, the icon was installed in a temple there under the rule and protection of the then Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar. Due to the plunders and loots carried out by Holkars of Indore, the Medas and the Pindaris, the icon was shifted again and was protected at Udaipur and Ghasiyar under the patronage of Maharana Bheem Singh of Mewar. The temple has been designed in the lines of temple of Nanda Maharaj (Krishna’s father), in Vrindavan.
The icon of Shrinathji, carved out of black stone, is symbolic of Krishna ‘lila’, when He lifted the Govardhan Hill. Apart from eight sacred darshanas every day, namely Mangala, Shringar, Gval, Rajbhog, Uttanpan, Bhog, Sandhya, and Shayan, a number of other rituals are taken place. A motley group of devotees gather here during festivals like Holi, Janmashtami, Annakutta and Diwali.
The aura of spiritual enlightenment and blissful union of faith and divinity in Nathdwara, also known as the Apollo of Mewar, makes Shrinathji temple the centre of attraction of Udaipur. Visit and explore !
Try to pick up any random excerpt or vignette about Rajasthan, which does not speak of the valor and bravery of its magnanimous kings. Next to impossible!! And why shouldn’t they? This land is proud to have blessed humanity with such benevolent, gargantuan and invincible kings who have transformed their period of regime into a golden era. Regality perfumes the air of Rajasthan, and valor runs in the veins of every person born on this great soil. And when comes the question of the blend of all such qualities which go into making an invincible warrior,a benevolent king and a fierce patriot, the land of Rajasthan unanimously presents one name, ‘Maharana Pratap’. And here we are with legacy, his birthplace-Kumbhalgarh.
It might sound like a cliche, but the fact still remains that Kumbhalgarh Fort is one of the most magnificent forts of Rajasthan, earning repute all throughout the globe as the one of the World Heritage sites.
Erected in the Mewar province of Rajsamand district of Rajasthan in the 15th century, the perimeter wall of the fort extends to almost 36 kms. The fort is well over 1100 metres above the sea level. The fort houses seven gates and over 360 temples, of which 300 are Jain temples and the rest are Hindu temples. The fort was built by Rana Kumbha, the then ruler of Mewar and expanded in the 19th century. The fort truly remained impregnable to attacks, except in 1535 when it succumbed to the forces of Mughal emperor Akbar, owing to shortage of drinking water. If you thought that these facts were amazing enough, the list is not over yet- the wall of the Kumbhalgarh fort is the second largest in Asia (pretty obvious as to which is the largest one). Also, it is believed that Maharana Kumbha burnt huge lamps that consumed fifty kilograms of ghee and hundred kilograms of cotton to facilitate for the lighting condition which would help the poor farmers who worked in their farms in the valley during the night.
Such is the glory and magnificence of the Kumbhalgarh fort. If reading about the fort gives you Goosebumps, then imagine the excitement, the thrill that will come racing down your spine when you stand right in front of this bastion of unparalleled strength.
