ByA few days back I came to meet my parents in Deogarh (Rajsamand). Suddenly my phone rang, it was my cousin. I picked up and she said “hey let’s go to Nathdwara to visit ShriNathji temple”.
I said ‘are you serious?’ We both have little kids and it was raining all day. I wasn’t sure at first, but then she insisted that she had seen the weather forecast and it would be clear the next day.
And the very next second I said “yes let’s go then!”
Before leaving, I thought why not read some information about the ShreeNathji temple, and trust me it made my journey more exciting and filled with devotion.
So, let’s go back in time to learn the fascinating history of Shrinathji temple.
- History of Shrinathji temple
- Darshan timings at Shrinathji Temple
- Shrinathji Temple Main Entrance
- Street Shopping in Nathdwara
- Delicious Food in Nathdwara Shrinathji
- Other places to explore near Shrinathji Temple
- Lal Baug
- Giriraj Parikrama
- Ganesh Tekri
- Shrinathji Gaushala:
- Vishwas Swaroopam(Statue of Belief)
- Final Words
History of Shrinathji temple
Shree Nathji is a seven-year-old child form of Lord Krishna. Hindus especially Vaishnav community have great devotion towards Shree Nathji.
Shree nathji is also called as thakur ji and shrinathji temple is also known as ‘thakur ji ki haveli’.
The temple was built in the 17th century by Goswami priests.
According to popular belief, the deity of Shree Nathji is exalted in Vrindavan. To protect it from destruction by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb it was brought to Rajasthan.
During the journey, the chariot carrying the idol got stuck in the mud at the village near Udaipur.
🙏 Sorry to disturb you in the middle.
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Therefore, taking it as a divine indication the priests and devotees decided to establish the temple at a place called Sihad village, near Nathdwara.
The next day filled with excitement we left early in the morning because Shrinathji darshan for devotees are available on specific timings(viewing of the deity) throughout the day.
If you are specially visiting Nathdwara for Shrinathji Darshan then plan your visit accordingly.
Darshan timings at Shrinathji Temple
| Morning Darshan/Mangla Darshan | 05:45 am to 06:30 am |
| Shringar Darshan/Mangla Darshan | 07:30 am to 08:00 am |
| Gwal Darshan | 09:05 am to 09:20 am |
| Rajbhog Darshan | 11:15am to 12:15pm |
| Uthapan Darshan | 03:45 pm to 04:00 pm |
| Bhog Darshan | 04:45 pm to 05:55pm |
| Shayan Darshan | 07:10 pm to 08:00 pm |
Interesting Fact: Mukesh Ambani(India’s richest man) and his family have great faith in ShriNathji. The engagement ceremony of his son Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant also took place in ShriNathji Temple.
Well coming back to my journey, the whole way (from Deograh to shreeNathji) was filled with verdant farms, tranquil ponds, cliffs and beautiful traditional Rajasthani houses.
It was a feast for the eyes!
We had some kachori, khamand, fruits and other snacks in between our journeys. My aunts were singing some spiritual songs throughout the way and just like that enjoying and bunging, soon we reached Nathdwara.
As we came closer to Shrinathji temple, we were stopped by the cops, they asked our driver to park the car. There is a huge parking space outside the temple.
Car Parking Charges: Rs 60
We all stepped out and started walking towards the temple. I saw the street was filled with colourful shops and lots of people coloured with gulal.
Then I realized Holi was near so faag Mahotsav was celebrated in the temple.
Before I could notice other things, a few locals said it was closing time and as soon as we heard that we rushed to the temple.
Shrinathji Temple Main Entrance
I saw a huge ancient door called Lal Darwaza with long spikes on it. Moving ahead, there is a small chock where devotees gather to enter the main temple. Through this chock, another stunning entrance is visible named Priyatam Pol. The grandeur and beauty of the Priyatam Pol is a sight to behold .
At present, entry into the temple is from two sides: Priyatam Pol via Priyatam Path Bazar and another through Nakkarkhana Chock.
According to my observation, Priyatam Pol’s entrance is for special dignitaries because I saw men and women all heading towards Nakkarkhana Chock to get into the queue, and we did the same.
Note: Cell Phones, bags, footwear and photography are strictly prohibited inside the temple.
It’s everyone’s responsibility to maintain the sanctity of the temple therefore we had submitted our cell phones outside the temple. You can also submit a cell phone inside the temple premises.
After submitting our cell phone we got into the long queue for darshan. There is a separate queue divided through barricades for men and women throughout the temple.
Note: There was a constant announcement to stay aware of thieves and chain snatchers. It’s better to avoid gold jewelry.
We kept moving slowly in the queue, passing through a narrow pathway we entered Govardhan Puja Chock. This is the place where Govardhan Annakut festival is celebrated.
Straight ahead was Suraj Pol. Suraj Pol is decorated with beautiful paintings of elephants on both sides. The doorway is painted with attractive motifs of Shree Krishna Leela’s. Men forming a queue enter from Suraj Pol.
On the left side of Govardhan Chouck, there is a Sinh Pol through which women forming the queue enter.
Throughout the walkway, we passed through many chocks. First Ratan chock, then Kamal chowk and atlast Anar chock which brought us to the sanctum sanctorum, Dolti Bari (the main darshan hall of Shreenathji).
Each chock had mesmerizing paintings of Gopies, Shree Krishna Leela, and Bani Thani made up of bright colours like red, green, blue and yellow.
Dolti Bari was extremely crowded but somehow in push and shove, I got the darshan of Shreenathji.
The divine aura in there is extremely hard to describe in words.
We then moved to Shree Navneet Priyaji mandir. Shri Navneet Priyaji is the Bal roop of Shreenathji.
After darshan, we exited to another chock where there was a Prasad counter. We took the receipt for the Prasad from there. you can also buy prasad from shops outside the temple.
Prasad Prices start from 50 to 1100.
A silver rath of Shrinathji was displayed alongside a stunning silver and gold chakki which was once used for grinding.
Then we moved to Shree Krishna Bhandar. From there we grabbed auspicious black thread and a tulsi kanthi.
Afterwards, suddenly we discovered that one of my aunts was missing. We decided to wait there for my aunt.
Note: The temple is extremely crowded during festivals and there is a completely separate path for men and women.To ensure that you don’t get separated from your family members, it’s a good idea to decide on a common meeting point before entering the temple. This way, if someone in your group goes missing, you can easily find them.
After waiting almost for an hour, we decided to move out to find my aunt. While looking for her we saw Prasad Bhandar. All the prasad made in the temple is collected here. Prasad Bhandar has several counters. We picked up the prasad according to the receipt that we had.
Finally, we moved out from Priyatam Pol and retrieved our cell phones from the counter. Thankfully I found my lost aunt there as well.
Finally here comes the most interesting part of my trip, which is shopping.
Street Shopping in Nathdwara
Shrinathji temple is surrounded by an amazing street market where you can’t stop yourself from buying at least a few items.
There are many shops selling clothes, jewelry, home decor, artifacts and amazing paintings of Shrinathji.
I ended up purchasing lots of earrings, a cute little necklace(which you can pair with Indian or Western clothes), short cotton kurtis(which looked stunning with jeans), bangles and of course a Shrinathji painting.
After shopping for almost an hour, now was the time to treat our appetite and there was an abundance of food for the devotees outside Thakur ji’s court.
The array of different food shops and restaurants outside the temple further increased our hunger.
Delicious Food in Nathdwara Shrinathji
Right from the breakfast to the main course, you find tons of options outside Shrinathji Temple. I started with the most famous breakfast here: poha, khamand and pudina kulhad chai.
Not a caffeine person?
Well, no problem you can delight your taste buds with amazing creamy dry fruits rich masala milk, thandai, lassi and lemon soda as options.
I also tried kand pattice, sabudana vada and aloo bhujia which were unique in taste.
In addition, there are many restaurants here where you can try Rajasthani thali, Gujarati thali, and South Indian dishes as well.
Other places to explore near Shrinathji Temple
Lal Baug
Lal Baug is a beautiful lush green garden filled with different trees and flowers near Shrinathji temple. The garden also has a small water pond and Shrimad Vallabh museum.
The museum has some old pictures, palkis, rath and other stuff related to Shrinathji.
If you are a history enthusiast or nature lover then this could be a great place to relax and take some memorable pictures.
Entry Fee after 8:00 am: 10
Entry is fee for kids below age 5
Giriraj Parikrama
Giriraj Parvat Parikrama is a religious hiking site. There is a temple of Lord Shiva on the top of Giriraj mountain. But to reach there, you need to travel a beautiful 5 km long road filled with greenery.
Along the way, you will find 800-year-old Jarkhandi and Barkhandi Mahadev temple, where every Navratri huge fair is also organized.
If you want to enjoy hiking and natural sights then you must go here. The sight of Nathdwara city from the top of Giriraj mountain is breathtaking.
Vrindavan bag(BhulBhulaiya): It is another amazing garden near Shrinathji temple. Old sky touching green trees, flowers, bhool bhulaiya and Vav kund(ancient stepwell) are the charm of the garden.
It is a great place to relax and enjoy time with family. Discovering a way through Bhool Bhulaiya can be a real adventure for kids and youths.
Ganesh Tekri
Ganesh Tekari is a religious site that is full of nature’s splendor. The main attraction is the old Ganesh temple built with white marble. The temple is surrounded by marble cenotaphs, which offer a stunning view of the Aravali mountain range.
Take a stroll down to Ram Bhola, situated in the foothills of Ganesh Tekari, where you can find shops, fountains, and swings for children.
You will also find small ponds and natural waterfalls that will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
If you’re a nature lover or a photography enthusiast, don’t miss to visit Ganesh Tekari.
Shrinathji Gaushala:
Everyone knows how much lord shree Krishna loved his cows. Cows are considered holy in hinduism. As Nathdwara is considered the realm of Shreenathji, it can’t be without his beloved cows.
A visit to a temple is incomplete without visiting Shreenathji gaushala. Watching thousands of cows together is a once in a lifetime experience. You can also give grass for cows and their babies. Every year during gopashtami(during Diwali)
Special festival khekhra is celebrated in Nathdwara. All the cows of Shreenathji are decorated and brought to Shreenathji temple on this day. Thousands of devotees visit to witness this unique festival in Nathdwara.
Vishwas Swaroopam(Statue of Belief)
Vishwas Swaroopam(Statue of belief) is the tallest statue of Lord Shiva situated in Nathdwara.
The most amazing fact is that it is the world’s largest Shiva statue.
The site not only holds architectural marvel but also offers a rare blend of spirituality, nature and technology which again give you a unique and unforgettable experience.
Beautiful surrounding garden, amusement park, thrilling adventure activities, snow park, musical fountain and 3d light and sound show are some other attractions that makes it the top most place to visit in Nathdwara.
Basic ticket Prices 200/person which includes Charan Vandana, exploring the garden, 3d light and sound show. As you indulge in other activities, ticket prices may vary accordingly.
Final Words
My trip to Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara was sudden and unplanned yet the most memorable one.
Enjoying with family, watching the most beautiful roads, visiting the Shreenathji temple, delicious food, shopping, and taking lots of selfies. The trip was a blend of emotions and a bit of drama.
I hope my experience helps you while you plan your visit to Nathdwara and if it does, don’t forget to show some love in the comments section and share the information in the article with your friends as much as possible.
