Govind Dev Ji Temple

Sitting on the laps of the very town where the Hindu God, Lord Krishna is believed to have spent his childhood, the Govind Devji Temple stands as an architectural marvel for the past five centuries. The temple, built of red sandstone, is dedicated to Lord Krishna in his childhood home. Vrindavan is a twin town to Mathura, where Sri Krishna was born, and adjacent to Gokul, where he is believed to have spent the initial years of his childhood.

The Govind Devji Temple is a shrine revered as one of the holiest in the said place, set amongst the many other sanctums dedicated to the Lord. Although the original idol no longer exists in the temple, it is said that the idol of Lord Krishna in Govind Devji Temple resembled the face of the lord when he was born.

The magnificent temple is a wonder for the Hindu pilgrims as one can witness the purity of the place where the Lord was once believed to have resided and performed all his miracles. James Hastings points out in the Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics; that the Govindvind Devji Temple is one of the four temples of particular interest among the thousand within the periphery of Vrindavan town.

History of Govind Dev Ji Temple

The famous Govind Dev temple in Vrindavan dates back to the late 16th century. It was Raja Man Singh I who constructed the temple in the year 1590. To construct the temple, red stones were used to provide fine detailing to the architecture of the shrine. Originally, the temple consisted of seven stories. Later, during the reign of Aurangzeb - the sixth Mughal emperor, the top four floors were demolished. As a result of that, the temple today has only three floors. This was the time when the original deity of the temple was shifted to Jaipur.

Architecture of Govind Dev Ji Temple

Standing proudly as a specimen of medieval Indian architecture, the Sri Govind Devji Temple is a seven-storied temple made of red sandstone that resembles a European Cathedral. Considered one of the most exquisite temples of North India, it has an altar inside which is a blend of marble, silver, and gold with a sculptured lotus flower decorating the central hall ceiling.

Raja Man Singh is known to have spent about one crore rupees on the construction of the temple, and Akbar himself donated the red sandstone. The architecture is an amalgamation of Islamic and Hindu architecture constructed in the Dravidian style and is one of Raja Man Singh’s great projects. It took about five years to complete this monument.