Govardhan
is situated 26 kilometers west of Mathura. The place had a great
importance in the life and the times of Lord Krishna. The place is a
very famous Hindu Pilgrimage in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The place
is actually located atop a 9 Kilometers Hill named Giriraj. Legend has
it that Lord Krishna held the Govardhan or Giriraj hills on his finger
tip for 7 days and 7 nights in a stretch to save the people from the
being drown in rainwater. It is said that the deluge was the work of
Lord Indira who was upset with them because of some reason. Govardhan is set along the edge of a large masonry tank known as the Mansi Ganga. Legend has it that Mansi Ganga have been brought into existence by the operation of the divine will by Lord Krishna. Many rulers initiated further constructions and preservation works but the most important among these was the addition of the enclosures by Raja Bhagwan Das of Amer in the year 1637. Raja Man Singh, who also built a long flight of steps leading up from the end of the tank, later embellished it.
Close by is the famous red sandstone temple of Haridev and the Kusum Sarovar with exquisitely carved cenotaphs of the members of the royal family of Bharatpur, who perished whilst fighting against the British in 1825. Towards the south is the beautiful cenotaph of Raja Surajmal of Bharatpur. There are some fine frescoes too that illuminates the life of Surajmal. Among others, it depicts Durbar, Hunting scenes, Royal processions and Wars.
