12th February 2014 (Day 4) (Vrindavan #4)

We went on a short journey from Vrindavan to Govardhan where we saw the Kusum Sarovar temple complex which was built in the eighteenth century.
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The area round Govardhan is on Govardhan Hill, which I also heard described as the Sacred Mountain.  It is a gently uplift over four or five kilometres that you only really notice from a distance.

Krishna is said to have encountered villagers preparing to sacrifice to Indra, the God of Rain, and he told them to stop the sacrifice and go about their business.  When Indra sent torrential rain, Krishna lifted up Govardhan Hill to protect the villagers and their cattle.  The legend represents leaving behind old practices of sacrifice to concentrate instead on dharma, the way of living one’s life to generate most beneficial karma.

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People are actually not supposed to bathe in the waters but there is no way of stopping them.

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Inside the domes there are ancient frescoes which are sadly in need of restoration.

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