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103-640: Shrinathji is a form of Krishna , manifested as a seven-year-old child. The principal shrine of Shrinathji is the Shrinathji Temple in the temple city of Nathdwara , 48 kilometres north-east of Udaipur city in Rajasthan , India. Shrinathji is the central presiding deity of the Vaishnava sect known as Pushtimarg ( the way of grace ) or the Vallabha Sampradaya, established by Vallabhacharya . Shrinathji

206-432: A jyoti (flame or light). It is performed up to eight times daily, depending on the many Hindu traditions and temples. It is performed during most Hindu liturgies and occasions, and often involves circling a diya (lamp) clockwise before a murti or icon of a deity, accompanied by hymns. After waving the lamp before the deity, it is brought to the devotee, who then briefly places the palmar surface of both hands above

309-552: A Brahmi script inscription, was discovered by colonial era archaeologists in Besnagar ( Vidisha , in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh ). Based on the internal evidence of the inscription, it has been dated to between 125 and 100   BCE and is now known after Heliodorus – an Indo-Greek who served as an ambassador of the Greek king Antialcidas to a regional Indian king, Kasiputra Bhagabhadra . The Heliodorus pillar inscription

412-565: A cumulative total of between 16,000 and 18,000 verses depending on the version. The tenth book of the text, which contains about 4,000 verses (~25%) and is dedicated to legends about Krishna, has been the most popular and widely studied part of this text. Krishna is represented in the Indian traditions in many ways, but with some common features. His iconography typically depicts him with black, dark, or blue skin, like Vishnu . However, ancient and medieval reliefs and stone-based arts depict him in

515-768: A dancing child, or an innocent-looking child playfully stealing or consuming butter ( Makkan Chor ), holding Laddu in his hand ( Laddu Gopal ) or as a cosmic infant sucking his toe while floating on a banyan leaf during the Pralaya (the cosmic dissolution) observed by sage Markandeya . Regional variations in the iconography of Krishna are seen in his different forms, such as Jaganatha in Odisha, Vithoba in Maharashtra, Shrinathji in Rajasthan and Guruvayoorappan in Kerala. Guidelines for

618-422: A day. During festive days like Janmashtmi , Holi and Diwali , the icon wears dresses which are woven by gold wires and diamond studded embroidery. Once worn, the clothes are not re-used, but given to devotees. The Shrinathji temple at Nathdwara celebrates, on an average, three festivals in a week. As regards to daily routine, the inner sanctum is opened 8 times a day for the devotees undertake sacred darshan of

721-400: A form of respect when performed to elders, prayers when performed to deities, or hope when performed for homes or vehicles. Emotions and prayers are often silent while doing arti , but this is determined by the person carrying out the ritual or the holiday involved. It's also believed that goodwill and luck can be taken through symbolic hand movements over the flame. When arti is performed,

824-416: A metaphor where each of the eight wives signifies a different aspect of him. Vaishnava texts mention all Gopis as wives of Krishna, but this is understood as spiritual symbolism of devotional relationship and Krishna's complete loving devotion to each and everyone devoted to him. In Krishna-related Hindu traditions, he is most commonly seen with Radha . All of his wives and his lover Radha are considered in

927-490: A model lover, a divine hero, and the universal supreme being. His iconography reflects these legends and shows him in different stages of his life, such as an infant eating butter, a young boy playing a flute , a young boy with Radha or surrounded by female devotees, or a friendly charioteer giving counsel to Arjuna . The name and synonyms of Krishna have been traced to 1st   millennium   BCE literature and cults. In some sub-traditions, like Krishnaism , Krishna

1030-662: A navigable river named the Jobares. According to Edwin Bryant , a professor of Indian religions known for his publications on Krishna, "there is little doubt that the Sourasenoi refers to the Shurasenas, a branch of the Yadu dynasty to which Krishna belonged". The word Herakles, states Bryant, is likely a Greek phonetic equivalent of Hari-Krishna, as is Methora of Mathura, Kleisobora of Krishnapura, and

1133-522: A poetic masterpiece, full of imagination and metaphors, with no relation to the realism of pastoral life found in the Harivamsa . Krishna's life is presented as a cosmic play ( Lila ), where his youth is set as a princely life with his foster father Nanda portrayed as a king. Krishna's life is closer to that of a human being in Harivamsa , but is a symbolic universe in the Bhagavata Purana , where Krishna

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1236-469: A poor herder but weaves in poetic and allusive fantasy. It ends on a triumphal note, not with the death of Krishna. Differing in some details, the fifth book of the Vishnu Purana moves away from Harivamsa realism and embeds Krishna in mystical terms and eulogies. The Vishnu Purana manuscripts exist in many versions. The tenth and eleventh books of the Bhagavata Purana are widely considered to be

1339-460: A saint from Gaudiya Vaishnava school , who described Krishna theology in terms of Bhakti yoga and Achintya Bheda Abheda . Krishna theology is presented in a pure monism ( Shuddhadvaita ) framework by Vallabha Acharya , the founder of Pushti sect of Vaishnavism. Madhusudana Sarasvati, an India philosopher, presented Krishna theology in nondualism-monism framework ( Advaita Vedanta ), while Adi Shankara , credited with unifying and establishing

1442-405: A store room for betel ( Paanghar ), a store room for sugar and sweets ( Mishrighar and Pedaghar ), a store room for flowers ( Phoolghar ), a functional kitchen ( Rasoighar ), a jewellery chamber ( Gahnaghar ), a treasury ( Kharcha bhandaar ), a stable for horses of chariot ( Ashvashala ), a drawing room ( Baithak ), a gold and silver grinding wheel ( Chakki ). Nathdwara is known as the " Vraj " of

1545-618: A student of the sage Ghora of the Angirasa family. Ghora is identified with Neminatha , the twenty-second tirthankara in Jainism , by some scholars. This phrase, which means "To Krishna the son of Devaki ", has been mentioned by scholars such as Max Müller as a potential source of fables and Vedic lore about Krishna in the Mahabharata and other ancient literature – only potential because this verse could have been interpolated into

1648-547: A temple there under the rule and protection of the then Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar. No other Hindu ruler was ready to take the image in his kingdom as it would mean to oppose Aurangzeb, who was the most intolerant man in India at that time. In the anomical environment of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the temple of Shrinathji was attacked by the Medas and the Pindaris . Accordingly,

1751-404: Is a general layout. Over the centuries, different Goswamis have interpreted the "bhavas" and "lilas" differently, resulting in a mixture of oral and ritual traditions followed by the various havelies of Pushti Marg. For example, Shrinathji, having left His beloved Vraj, misses it so dearly, that for six months of the year, He runs back to Vraj for the shayan darshan. So, from Mangala to Sandhya arti,

1854-524: Is a major deity in Hinduism . He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is widely revered among Hindu divinities. Krishna's birthday is celebrated every year by Hindus on Krishna Janmashtami according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar , which falls in late August or early September of

1957-516: Is a private religious dedication of Heliodorus to " Vāsudeva ", an early deity and another name for Krishna in the Indian tradition. It states that the column was constructed by "the Bhagavata Heliodorus" and that it is a " Garuda pillar" (both are Vishnu-Krishna-related terms). Additionally, the inscription includes a Krishna-related verse from chapter   11.7 of the Mahabharata stating that

2060-520: Is a type of arti recited by first guru , Guru Nanak in either 1506 or 1508 at Jagannath Temple, Puri , during his Udaasi (journey) to the east of the Indian subcontinent . Amritsar Sikhs sing Arti kirtan , which comprise a few shabads from Guru Nanak , Ravidas and other Bhagats and Gurus. According to them, it is the arti of divine wisdom in the form of the Guru Granth Sahib – Sikhism’s eternal Guru and chief scripture. It

2163-650: Is being sung. Devotees only watch the arti being done and do not get to take a major part in it. During bhajan or utsavs (festivals) celebrated at home, "Jai Jai Shree Yamuna" is sung while devotees perform arti . It is said that Sandhya arti is done to see if Lord Shrinathji had gotten hurt while playing outside because it is performed after sundown. During the Bengali festival Durga puja ritual drummers – dhakis, carrying large leather-strung dhak 's , show off their skills during ritual dance worships called arti or Dhunuchi dance . In Sikhism , Gagan mai thaal

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2266-549: Is celebrated as Krishna Janmashtami . The legends of Krishna's childhood and youth describe him as a cow-herder, a mischievous boy whose pranks earn him the nickname Makhan Chor (butter thief), and a protector who steals the hearts of the people in both Gokul and Vrindavana. The texts state, for example, that Krishna lifts the Govardhana hill to protect the inhabitants of Vrindavana from devastating rains and floods . Other legends describe him as an enchanter and playful lover of

2369-748: Is considered the equivalent of bowing on one’s knees before the Guru Granth Sahib . This arti does not employ ritual items, but is instead sung after the daily recitation of the Rehraas Sahib and Ardās at Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar , and most Gurdwaras worldwide. An exception is the Nihang order, whose members first recite Aarta (prayers derived from banis in the Dasam Granth and Sarbloh Granth – scriptures of secondary and tertiary importance in

2472-559: Is derived from the Sanskrit word आरात्रिक ( ārātrika ) which means something that removes rātrī , “darkness”. A Marathi language reference says it is also known as Mahānīrāñjanā ( Sanskrit : महानीराञ्जना ). According to Steven Rosen, arti means "before night" or symbolic end of the night to the worshipper's "material sojourn - he or she is now situated in the light of God's devotion." Aarti ranges from simple acts of worship to extravagant rituals, but almost always includes

2575-575: Is listed as the 57th name in the Vishnu Sahasranama . Based on his name, Krishna is often depicted in idols as black- or blue-skinned. Krishna is also known by various other names, epithets, and titles that reflect his many associations and attributes. Among the most common names are Mohan "enchanter"; Govinda "chief herdsman", Keev "prankster", and Gopala "Protector of the 'Go'", which means "soul" or "the cows". Some names for Krishna hold regional importance; Jagannatha , found in

2678-415: Is moved and says his heart will not allow him to fight and kill others. He would rather renounce the kingdom and put down his Gandiva (Arjuna's bow). Krishna then advises him about the nature of life, ethics, and morality when one is faced with a war between good and evil, the impermanence of matter, the permanence of the soul and the good, duties and responsibilities, the nature of true peace and bliss and

2781-401: Is thrashing around, and at the other end a person seemingly holding a basket over his head. The earliest text containing detailed descriptions of Krishna as a personality is the epic Mahabharata , which depicts Krishna as an incarnation of Vishnu. Krishna is central to many of the main stories of the epic. The eighteen chapters of the sixth book ( Bhishma Parva ) of the epic that constitute

2884-408: Is treated like a living image, and is attended with daily normal functions, like bathing, dressing, meals called "Prasad" and the resting times in regular intervals. Since, the deity is believed to be a child form of Krishna, special care is taken and attention is given to the deity, the same way a mother would to her child. Shrikrishna Janmashtami , the birth anniversary of Krishna is celebrated with

2987-508: Is unrelated to the later Hindu god of the Bhagavad Gita fame. For example, Archer states that the coincidence of the two names appearing together in the same Upanishad verse cannot be dismissed easily. Yāska 's Nirukta , an etymological dictionary published around the 6th   century   BCE, contains a reference to the Shyamantaka jewel in the possession of Akrura , a motif from

3090-434: Is waving light in a spirit of humility and gratitude, wherein the faithful become immersed in a God's divine form. All accoutrements used for aarti symbolize the five elements : Aarti may also be performed at shrines within a business or home. Traditional Arti is a expression of many aspects including love, benevolence, gratitude, prayers, or desires depending on the object it is done for. For example, it can be

3193-564: Is within the universe and beyond it, as well as the universe itself, always. The Bhagavata Purana manuscripts also exist in many versions, in numerous Indian languages. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is considered as the incarnation of Krishna in Gaudiya Vaishnavism and by the ISKCON community. The date of Krishna's birth is celebrated every year as Janmashtami . According to Guy Beck, "most scholars of Hinduism and Indian history accept

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3296-558: Is worshipped as the Supreme God and Svayam Bhagavan (God Himself). These sub-traditions arose in the context of the medieval era Bhakti movement . Krishna-related literature has inspired numerous performance arts such as Bharatanatyam , Kathakali , Kuchipudi , Odissi , and Manipuri dance . He is a pan-Hindu god, but is particularly revered in some locations, such as Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, Dwarka and Junagadh in Gujarat;

3399-523: Is worshipped mainly by the followers of Bhakti Yoga and the Vaishnavas in Gujarat and Rajasthan , and Bhatias amongst others. Vitthal Nathji , son of Vallabhacharya institutionalised the worship of Shrinathji at Nathdwara. On account of the popularity of Shrinathji, Nathdwara city itself is referred to as ‘Shrinathji’. People also call it Bava's (Shreenathji Bava) Nagri. Initially, the child Krishna deity

3502-542: The Bhagavad Gita can be considered, according to Friedhelm Hardy , as the first Krishnaite system of theology. Ramanuja , a Hindu theologian and philosopher whose works were influential in Bhakti movement , presented him in terms of qualified monism , or nondualism (namely Vishishtadvaita school). Madhvacharya , a philosopher whose works led to the founding of Haridasa tradition of Vaishnavism, presented Krishna in

3605-445: The Bhagavad Gita contain the advice of Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield. During the ancient times that the Bhagavad Gita was composed in, Krishna was widely seen as an avatar of Vishnu rather than an individual deity , yet he was immensely powerful and almost everything in the universe other than Vishnu was "somehow present in the body of Krishna". Krishna had "no beginning or end", "fill[ed] space", and every god but Vishnu

3708-584: The Bhagavad Gita . Around the 4th century CE, another tradition, the cult of Gopala-Krishna of the Ābhīras , the protector of cattle, was also absorbed into the Krishna tradition. Around 180 BCE, the Indo-Greek king Agathocles issued some coinage (discovered in Ai-Khanoum , Afghanistan) bearing images of deities that are now interpreted as being related to Vaisnava imagery in India. The deities displayed on

3811-696: The Mahābhārata , the Harivamsa , the Bhagavata Purana , and the Vishnu Purana . The scenes from the narrative are set in ancient India, mostly in the present states of Uttar Pradesh , Bihar, Rajasthan , Haryana, Delhi, and Gujarat . The legends about Krishna's life are called Krishna charitas ( IAST : Kṛṣṇacaritas). In the Krishna Charitas , Krishna is born to Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva , of

3914-552: The Govardhan Hill . Historically, the image of Shrinathji was first worshipped at Govardhan hill, near Mathura . The image was initially shifted from Mathura in 1672 A.D. along river Yamuna and was retained at Agra for almost six months, in order to safeguard it from, according to legend, the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb , who wished to keep the prestigious deity with him in Agra. Subsequently,

4017-576: The Gregorian calendar . The anecdotes and narratives of Krishna's life are generally titled as Krishna Līlā . He is a central figure in the Mahabharata , the Bhagavata Purana , the Brahma Vaivarta Purana , and the Bhagavad Gita , and is mentioned in many Hindu philosophical , theological , and mythological texts. They portray him in various perspectives: as a god-child, a prankster,

4120-873: The Jagannatha aspect in Odisha , Mayapur in West Bengal; in the form of Vithoba in Pandharpur , Maharashtra, Shrinathji at Nathdwara in Rajasthan, Udupi Krishna in Karnataka , Parthasarathy in Tamil Nadu and in Aranmula , Kerala, and Guruvayoorappan in Guruvayoor in Kerala. Since the 1960s, the worship of Krishna has also spread to the Western world and to Africa, largely due to

4223-562: The Puri Hindu temple, is a popular incarnation in Odisha state and nearby regions of eastern India . The tradition of Krishna appears to be an amalgamation of several independent deities of ancient India, the earliest to be attested being Vāsudeva . Vāsudeva was a hero-god of the tribe of the Vrishnis , belonging to the Vrishni heroes , whose worship is attested from the 5th–6th century BCE in

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4326-626: The Yadava clan in Mathura . Devaki's brother is a tyrant named Kamsa . At Devaki's wedding, according to Puranic legends, Kamsa is told by fortune tellers that a child of Devaki would kill him. Sometimes, it is depicted as an akashvani announcing Kamsa's death. Kamsa arranges to kill all of Devaki's children. When Krishna is born, Vasudeva secretly carries the infant Krishna away across the Yamuna, and exchanges him with Yashoda 's daughter. When Kamsa tries to kill

4429-417: The arti " Sukhakarta Dukhaharta " is popular in Maharashtra. In Swaminarayan Mandirs, Jay Sadguru Swami is the arti that is sung. In most temples in India, arti is performed at least twice a day, after the ceremonial puja , which is the time when the largest number of devotees congregates. In Pushtimarg Havelis, arti is performed by a sole mukhiyaji (priest) while "Haveli Sangit" ( kirtan )

4532-780: The 2nd century BCE with the coinage of Agathocles and the Heliodorus pillar, but the name of Krishna appears rather later in epigraphy. At the Chilas II archaeological site dated to the first half of the 1st-century CE in northwest Pakistan, near the Afghanistan border, are engraved two males, along with many Buddhist images nearby. The larger of the two males held a plough and club in his two hands. The artwork also has an inscription with it in Kharosthi script, which has been deciphered by scholars as Rama-Krsna , and interpreted as an ancient depiction of

4635-525: The Central Asian trade routes. In the United States , there are eleven Shrinathji temples; New Haven , Connecticut , Parlin, New Jersey , Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania , Phoenix, Arizona , one in the midwest, Florida and California , Houston ( Texas), Lowell, Massachusetts Atlanta, Georgia Charlotte, North Carolina Baltimore, Maryland . In 2013 the first Shrinathji haveli was inaugurated under

4738-566: The Hindu tradition to be the avatars of the goddess Lakshmi , the consort of Vishnu. Gopis are considered as Lakshmi's or Radha's manifestations. According to the epic poem Mahabharata , Krishna becomes Arjuna's charioteer for the Kurukshetra War , but on the condition that he personally will not raise any weapon. Upon arrival at the battlefield and seeing that the enemies are his family, his grandfather, and his cousins and loved ones, Arjuna

4841-522: The Jobares of Jamuna . Later, when Alexander the Great launched his campaign in the northwest Indian subcontinent , his associates recalled that the soldiers of Porus were carrying an image of Herakles. The Buddhist Pali canon and the Ghata-Jâtaka (No.   454) polemically mention the devotees of Vâsudeva and Baladeva. These texts have many peculiarities and may be a garbled and confused version of

4944-600: The Krishna legends. The texts of Jainism mention these tales as well, also with many peculiarities and different versions, in their legends about Tirthankaras . This inclusion of Krishna-related legends in ancient Buddhist and Jaina literature suggests that Krishna theology was existent and important in the religious landscape observed by non-Hindu traditions of ancient India . The ancient Sanskrit grammarian Patanjali in his Mahabhashya makes several references to Krishna and his associates found in later Indian texts. In his commentary on Pāṇini's verse 3.1.26, he also uses

5047-649: The Lord is reckoned to be in Nathadwara. After the arti, He rushes over, in His spiritual form, to play with the gopis of Vraj. Hence, Shayan arti takes place at Mount Govardhan for the warm half of the year. During the cold months, running over to Vraj is not such a practical option, and hence the shayan darshan takes place at Nathadwara. Here the bhava of gopijan's viraha and Raasa-Rasika's unique lila are of paramount importance. Shrinathji followers have significant influence on Hindu art in

5150-513: The Nandamahotsav, that is, by affirming 'Nand Gher Anand Bhayo, Jai Kanhaiya Lal ki’ in the presence of Tilakayat Maharaj Shree and his family, Brajvasi Sevakgan (Brigadian staff), Mukhiyaji (Headman), and Shrinathji along with spattering of milk and curd while dancing in front of them. The gopies of Vraj used to love the Lord so much, they would be at Yashoda's door at all hours, finding any excuse to see their beloved Nanda Gopal. Mother Yashoda

5253-638: The Sanskrit canon". Some scholars believe that, among others, the detailed description of Krishna's peace mission in the 5th Book of the Mahabharata (Udyogaparvan) is likely to be based on real events. The epic's translator J.A.B. van Buitenen in this context assumes “that there was some degree of verisimilitude in the Mahabharata’s depictions of life.” A wide range of theological and philosophical ideas are presented through Krishna in Hindu texts. The teachings of

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5356-558: The Yadavas to the newly built city of Dwaraka . Thereafter Pandavas rise. Krishna befriends Arjuna and the other Pandava princes of the Kuru kingdom. Krishna plays a key role in the Mahabharata . The Bhagavata Purana describes eight wives of Krishna that appear in sequence as Rukmini , Satyabhama , Jambavati , Kalindi , Mitravinda , Nagnajiti (also called Satya), Bhadra and Lakshmana (also called Madra). This has been interpreted as

5459-519: The air to "steal" butter or buttermilk, spilling it all over the group. Krishna legends then describe his return to Mathura. He overthrows and kills the tyrant king, his maternal uncle Kamsa/Kansa after quelling several assassination attempts by Kamsa. He reinstates Kamsa's father, Ugrasena , as the king of the Yadavas and becomes a leading prince at the court. In one version of the Krishna story, as narrated by Shanta Rao, Krishna after Kamsa's death leads

5562-436: The bottom (6–8 o'clock position), the performer waves it backwards while remaining in the bottom (4–6 o'clock position) and then continues waving it in clockwise fashion. The idea here is that arti represents our daily activities, which revolves around god, a center of our life. Looking at god while performing arti reminds the performer (and the attendees of the arti ) to keep god at the center of all activities and reinforces

5665-555: The coins appear to be Saṃkarṣaṇa - Balarama with attributes consisting of the Gada mace and the plow , and Vāsudeva-Krishna with attributes of the Shankha (conch) and the Sudarshana Chakra wheel. According to Bopearachchi , the headdress of the deity is actually a misrepresentation of a shaft with a half-moon parasol on top ( chattra ). The Heliodorus Pillar , a stone pillar with

5768-440: The court of Chandragupta Maurya towards the end of 4th   century   BCE, made reference to Herakles in his famous work Indica . This text is now lost to history, but was quoted in secondary literature by later Greeks such as Arrian , Diodorus , and Strabo . According to these texts, Megasthenes mentioned that the Sourasenoi tribe of India, who worshipped Herakles, had two major cities named Methora and Kleisobora, and

5871-451: The culture. This is exemplified by performer of the arti waving arti to all the devotees as the arti comes to the end – signifying that everyone has a part of god within that the performer respects and bows down to. It is also a common practice to perform arti to inanimate objects like vehicles, electronics etc. at least when a Hindu starts using it, just as a gesture of showing respect and praying that this object would help one excel in

5974-427: The deity. Very elaborate and complex rituals have emerged around the worship of Shrinathji due to confluence and inter-mixing of bhakti of Krishna as well as that of Pushti Margi Shri Vallabhacharya. The main attractions of Shrinathji are the Aartis and the Shringar , i.e. the dressing and beautifying of the icon of Shrinathji, treating it as a living child, adorning it with the appropriate dresses commensurate with

6077-520: The different types of yoga to reach this state of bliss and inner liberation. This conversation between Krishna and Arjuna is presented as a discourse called the Bhagavad Gita . It is stated in the Indian texts that the legendary Kurukshetra War led to the death of all the hundred sons of Gandhari. After Duryodhana's death, Krishna visits Gandhari to offer his condolences when Gandhari and Dhritarashtra visited Kurukshetra, as stated in Stree Parva. Feeling that Krishna deliberately did not put an end to

6180-433: The events that led to the Bhagavad Gita  – a scripture of Hinduism. In these popular depictions, Krishna appears in the front as the charioteer, either as a counsel listening to Arjuna or as the driver of the chariot while Arjuna aims his arrows in the battlefield of Kurukshetra . Alternate icons of Krishna show him as a baby ( Bala Krishna , the child Krishna), a toddler crawling on his hands and knees,

6283-406: The festival. The entire city of Nathdwara reverberates owing to the melodious sound of drum, trumpet, and clarinet at the main entrance of the temple. A series of congratulatory exchanges began pouring in a month earlier from the Ashtami of Shravan of the Krishna. According to the confirmation order, Shri Krishna Janmotsav is not celebrated as a public exhibition in the night, but on the second day, as

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6386-406: The figural sculpture on 17th–19th century terracotta temples of Bengal. In many temples, the stories of Krishna are depicted on a long series of narrow panels along the base of the facade. In other temples, the important Krishnalila episodes are depicted on large brick panels above the entrance arches or on the walls surrounding the entrance. This summary is an account based on literary details from

6489-418: The form of the Pichhwais , which are intricate and colourful paintings on cloth, paper, walls and temple hangings which portray Shrinathji. These are devotional textiles that centre on the image of Shrinathji. Nathdwara is the hub of the pichhwai art, Nathdwara Paintings . Nathdwara is known for the Rajasthani style of the city, which is called "pichhwai Paintings" These pichhwai paintings have been painted on

6592-464: The founder of this deity's icon at Govardhan hill, near Mathura . Presently, Shrinathji is worshipped by priests from this kul (genealogical descendants) of Vallabh Acharya. In the rest of the world, a Gurjar of a special sect who has initiation and agya (permission) perform the worship of Shrinathji. Devotees throng to the shrine in large numbers during occasions of Krishna Janmashtami , Radhashtami , Sharad Purnima , Holi and Diwali . The deity

6695-404: The framework of dualism ( Dvaita ). Bhedabheda  – a group of schools, which teaches that the individual self is both different and not different from the ultimate reality – predates the positions of monism and dualism. Among medieval Bhedabheda thinkers are Nimbarkacharya , who founded the Kumara Sampradaya (Dvaitadvaita philosophical school), and Jiva Goswami ,

6798-449: The gopis (milkmaids) of Vrindavana, especially Radha . These metaphor-filled love stories are known as the Rasa lila and were romanticized in the poetry of Jayadeva , author of the Gita Govinda . They are also central to the development of the Krishna bhakti traditions worshiping Radha Krishna . Krishna's childhood illustrates the Hindu concept of Lila , playing for fun and enjoyment and not for sport or gain. His interaction with

6901-415: The gopis at the rasa dance or Rasa-lila is an example. Krishna plays his flute and the gopis come immediately, from whatever they were doing, to the banks of the Yamuna River and join him in singing and dancing. Even those who could not physically be there join him through meditation. He is the spiritual essence and the love-eternal in existence, the gopis metaphorically represent the prakṛti matter and

7004-547: The guidance of Shri Dwarkeshlalji (kadi kalol) in Melbourne Australia. Vrajdham Haveli located in Margao, Goa was inaugurated in 2013 for the benefit of all the Vaishnavas residing in Goa. There is a Shrinathji Temple in Bahrain , which was constructed in 1817 and is used by the Hindu community of Bahrain. There is a shrine dedicated to Shrinathji in the Hindu Temple complex in Dubai , UAE . Krishna Traditional Krishna ( / ˈ k r ɪ ʃ n ə / ; Sanskrit : कृष्ण, IAST : Kṛṣṇa [ˈkr̩ʂɳɐ] )

7107-477: The haveli, his own version of the Nandalay (House / Palace of Nanda, foster father of Krishna), at specific times of the day only. Acharya set aside eight times of the day when the doors of the inner sanctum would be left open for the people to catch a glimpse ("jakhi") of the Lord. Rest of the time, the Lord was allowed to go out and play with His friends—gopas and gopies of Vraj. The sequence of eight darshans are set out below. The outline of darshans given above

7210-401: The historicity of Krishna – that he was a real male person, whether human or divine, who lived on Indian soil by at least 1000 BCE and interacted with many other historical persons within the cycles of the epic and puranic histories." Yet, Beck also notes that there is an "enormous number of contradictions and discrepancies surrounding the chronology of Krishna's life as depicted in

7313-413: The icon was shifted again and was protected at Udaipur and Ghasiyar under the patronage of Maharana Bheem Singh of Mewar. The Nathdwara temple was built in the 17th century. The temple is popularly called Shrinathji ki Haveli (House of Shrinathji). Like a regular mansion, it has a chariot for movement (the original chariot in which Shrinathji was brought to Singhar), a store room for milk ( Doodhghar ),

7416-508: The image was transferred further south on a chariot to a safer place to protect it from the iconoclasm of Aurangzeb. When the icon reached the spot at village Sihad or Sinhad in Mewar , the wheels of the chariot are said to have sunken into mud and could not be moved any further. The accompanying priests realised that the place was the Shrinathji's chosen spot and, accordingly, the icon was installed in

7519-501: The impermanent body. This Lila is a constant theme in the legends of Krishna's childhood and youth. Even when he is battling with a serpent to protect others, he is described in Hindu texts as if he were playing a game. This quality of playfulness in Krishna is celebrated during festivals as Rasa-Lila and Janmashtami , where Hindus in some regions such as Maharashtra playfully mimic his legends, such as by making human gymnastic pyramids to break open handis (clay pots) hung high in

7622-404: The life of the deity. The most commonly sung arti is that which is dedicated to all deities called Om Jai Jagdish Hare , known as "the universal arti ". Other arti's are used for other deities as well such as Om Jai Shiv omkara, Om Jai Lakshmi mata, Om Jai Ambe gauri, Om Jai Adya Shakti, Om Jai Saraswati Mata, Om Jai Gange Mata, Om Jai Tulsi Mata and Om Jai Surya Bhagvaan. In Ganesha worship,

7725-455: The location where Krishna is believed to have died. It is also known as Dehotsarga , states Diana L. Eck , a term that literally means the place where Krishna "gave up his body". The Bhagavata Purana in Book 11, Chapter 31 states that after his death, Krishna returned to his transcendent abode directly because of his yogic concentration. Waiting gods such as Brahma and Indra were unable to trace

7828-501: The main currents of thought in Hinduism , mentioned Krishna in his early eighth-century discussions on Panchayatana puja . The Bhagavata Purana synthesizes an Advaita, Samkhya, and Yoga framework for Krishna, but it does so through loving devotion to Krishna. Bryant describes the synthesis of ideas in Bhagavata Purana as: Aarti Aarti is thought to have descended from Vedic fire rituals or yajna . Aarati

7931-400: The natural color of the material out of which he is formed, both in India and in southeast Asia. In some texts, his skin is poetically described as the color of Jambul ( Jamun , a purple-colored fruit). Krishna is often depicted wearing a peacock-feather wreath or crown, and playing the bansuri (Indian flute). In this form, he is usually shown standing with one leg bent in front of

8034-459: The newborn, the exchanged baby appears as the Hindu goddess Yogamaya , warning him that his death has arrived in his kingdom, and then disappears, according to the legends in the Puranas. Krishna grows up with Nanda and his wife, Yashoda , near modern-day Mathura . Two of Krishna's siblings also survive, namely Balarama and Subhadra , according to these legends. The day of the birth of Krishna

8137-547: The other in the Tribhanga posture. He is sometimes accompanied by cows or a calf, which symbolise the divine herdsman Govinda . Alternatively, he is shown as a romantic young boy with the gopis (milkmaids), often making music or playing pranks. In other icons, he is a part of battlefield scenes of the epic Mahabharata . He is shown as a charioteer, notably when he is addressing the Pandava prince Arjuna , symbolically reflecting

8240-439: The path Krishna took to leave his human incarnation and return to his abode. There are numerous versions of Krishna's life story, of which three are most studied: the Harivamsa , the Bhagavata Purana , and the Vishnu Purana . They share the basic storyline but vary significantly in their specifics, details, and styles. The most original composition, the Harivamsa is told in a realistic style that describes Krishna's life as

8343-447: The path to immortality and heaven is to correctly live a life of three virtues: self- temperance ( damah ), generosity ( cagah or tyaga ), and vigilance ( apramadah ). The Heliodorus pillar site was fully excavated by archaeologists in the 1960s. The effort revealed the brick foundations of a much larger ancient elliptical temple complex with a sanctum, mandapas , and seven additional pillars. The Heliodorus pillar inscriptions and

8446-461: The performer faces the deity of god (or divine element, e.g. Ganges river) and concentrates on the form of god by looking into the eyes of the deity to get immersed. The flame of the arti illuminates the various parts of the deity so that the performer and onlookers may better see and concentrate on the form. Arti is waved in circular fashion, in clockwise manner around the deity. After every circle (or second or third circle), when arti has reached

8549-543: The preparation of Krishna icons in design and architecture are described in medieval-era Sanskrit texts on Hindu temple arts such as Vaikhanasa agama , Vishnu dharmottara , Brihat samhita , and Agni Purana . Similarly, early medieval-era Tamil texts also contain guidelines for sculpting Krishna and Rukmini. Several statues made according to these guidelines are in the collections of the Government Museum, Chennai . Krishna iconography forms an important element in

8652-439: The ritual is that arti serves as a reminder to stay vigilant so that the forces of material pleasures and desires cannot overcome the individual. Just as the lighted wick provides light and chases away darkness, the vigilance of an individual can keep away the influence of the material world. Arti is not only limited to god. Arti can performed not only to all forms of life, but also inanimate objects which help in progress of

8755-400: The salute of cannons and guns at Nathdwara temple of Shrinathji in Rajasthan. People not only from the internal regions of Rajasthan but also from Gujarat and Maharashtra, visit Nathdwara to witness Krishna's seraphic festival. Here, important arrangements are made by the temple trust for security at the police and administrative level. The temple is decorated with attractive light decoration for

8858-524: The sanctified flame to receive its warmth. The devotee may then raise their hands in supination , bringing both palms toward to their forehead in a gesture of self-purification, and connection with the Divine. The diya (lamp) used for aarti is most often made of brass, or other materials, and holds a cotton wick soaked in camphor, ghee, or oil. The aarti plate may contain other offerings like flowers, incense, and akshata (rice). The purpose of aarti

8961-671: The supreme deity Narayana . These four inscriptions are notable for being some of the oldest-known Sanskrit inscriptions. A Mora stone slab found at the Mathura-Vrindavan archaeological site in Uttar Pradesh , held now in the Mathura Museum , has a Brahmi inscription. It is dated to the 1st   century   CE and mentions the five Vrishni heroes , otherwise known as Saṃkarṣaṇa, Vāsudeva, Pradyumna , Aniruddha , and Samba . The inscriptional record for Vāsudeva starts in

9064-435: The temple are among the earliest known evidence of Krishna-Vasudeva devotion and Vaishnavism in ancient India. The Heliodorus inscription is not isolated evidence. The Hathibada Ghosundi Inscriptions , all located in the state of Rajasthan and dated by modern methodology to the 1st   century   BCE, mention Saṃkarṣaṇa and Vāsudeva, also mention that the structure was built for their worship in association with

9167-593: The text, or the Krishna Devakiputra, could be different from the deity Krishna. These doubts are supported by the fact that the much later age Sandilya Bhakti Sutras , a treatise on Krishna, cites later age compilations such as the Narayana Upanishad but never cites this verse of the Chandogya Upanishad. Other scholars disagree that the Krishna mentioned along with Devaki in the ancient Upanishad

9270-495: The time of day or night. The formal prayers are offered with diya , flowers, fruit and other offerings, with local instruments and devotional songs of the Shrinathji, according to the demand of the time and occasion. The view of the icon after the parda (curtain) is removed is called jhakhi . The gadipatis and acharyas in the Havelis of Shrinathji are believed to be from the kul (descendants) of shri mahaprabhuji, Vallabhacharya ,

9373-454: The two brothers, Balarama and Krishna. The first known depiction of the life of Krishna himself comes relatively late, with a relief found in Mathura , and dated to the 1st–2nd century CE. This fragment seems to show Vasudeva , Krishna's father, carrying baby Krishna in a basket across the Yamuna . The relief shows at one end a seven-hooded Naga crossing a river, where a makara crocodile

9476-504: The understanding that routine worldly activities are secondary in importance. This understanding gives the believers strength to withstand the unexpected grief and keeps them humble and remindful of god during happy moments. Apart from worldly activities arti also represents one's self - thus, arti signifies that one is peripheral to godhead or divinity. This would keep one's ego down and help one remain humble in spite of high social and economic rank. A third commonly held understanding of

9579-476: The wall around the Nathdwara temple by famous contemporary artists of Nathdwara. Preachers have founded Shrinathji temples in present-day Pakistan (Dera Ghazi Khan), earlier a part of undivided India and not far from Nathdwara. This was done by Shri Lalji Maharaj who was sent to Sindh by Shri Vithalnathji to spread Pushti Marg. Shrinathji is also worshipped at Russia (in the lower Volga region) and other places on

9682-643: The war, in a fit of rage and sorrow, Gandhari said, "Thou were indifferent to the Kurus and the Pandavas whilst they slew each other. Therefore, O Govinda, thou shalt be the slayer of thy own kinsmen!" According to the Mahabharata , a fight breaks out at a festival among the Yadavas, who end up killing each other. Mistaking the sleeping Krishna for a deer, a hunter named Jara shoots an arrow towards Krishna's foot that fatally injures him. Krishna forgives Jara and dies. The pilgrimage ( tirtha ) site of Bhalka in Gujarat marks

9785-443: The well-known Puranic story about Krishna. Shatapatha Brahmana and Aitareya-Aranyaka associate Krishna with his Vrishni origins. In Ashṭādhyāyī , authored by the ancient grammarian Pāṇini (probably belonged to the 5th or 6th   century   BCE), Vāsudeva and Arjuna , as recipients of worship, are referred to together in the same sutra . Megasthenes , a Greek ethnographer and an ambassador of Seleucus I to

9888-535: The western India. Over 100,000 Hindus visit Nathdwara in a year. The icon is carved in bas-relief out of a monolithic black marble stone, with images of two cows, one lion, one snake, two peacocks and one parrot engraved on it and three sages placed near it. The icon of Shrinathji wears exquisitely worked jewels, some dating back to pre-Mughal period. Shrinathji is adorned with intricately woven shaneels and silk clothes having original zari and embroidery works. The icon changes its clothes ( vastra ) eight times

9991-492: The word Kamsavadha or the "killing of Kamsa", an important part of the legends surrounding Krishna. Many Puranas tell Krishna's life story or some highlights from it. Two Puranas, the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana , contain the most elaborate telling of Krishna's story, but the life stories of Krishna in these and other texts vary, and contain significant inconsistencies. The Bhagavata Purana consists of twelve books subdivided into 332   chapters, with

10094-483: The work of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The name "Krishna" originates from the Sanskrit word kṛṣṇa , which means "black", "dark" or "dark blue". The waning moon is called Krishna Paksha , relating to the adjective meaning "darkening". Some Vaishnavas also translate the word as "All-Attractive", though it lacks that meaning in Sanskrit. As a name of Vishnu , Krishna

10197-506: The work one would use it for. It is similar to the ritual of doing auspicious red mark(s) using kanku ( kumkum ) and rice. Hinduism has a long tradition of songs sung as an accompaniment to the ritual of arti . It primarily extols the virtues of the deity that the ritual is being offered to, and several sects have their own versions of the common arti songs that are often sung on chorus at various temples, during evening and morning artis. Sometimes they also contain snippets of information on

10300-510: The writings of Pāṇini , and from the 2nd century BCE in epigraphy with the Heliodorus pillar . At one point in time, it is thought that the tribe of the Vrishnis fused with the tribe of the Yadavas , whose own hero-god was named Krishna. Vāsudeva and Krishna fused to become a single deity, which appears in the Mahabharata , and they started to be identified with Vishnu in the Mahabharata and

10403-427: Was referred to as Devadāman (" the conqueror of Gods " referring to the over-powering of Indra by Krishna in the lifting of Govardhan hill). Vallabhacharya named him as Gopala and the place of his worship as ‘Gopalpur’. Later, Vitthal Nathji named the deity as Shrinathji. Shrinathji's seva is performed in 8 parts of the day. According to the legend, the icon of Shrinathji self-manifested from stone and emerged from

10506-557: Was seen as ultimately him, including Brahma , "storm gods, sun gods, bright gods", light gods, "and gods of ritual." Other forces also existed in his body, such as "hordes of varied creatures" that included "celestial serpents." He is also "the essence of humanity." The Harivamsa , a later appendix to the Mahabharata, contains a detailed version of Krishna's childhood and youth. The Chandogya Upanishad (verse III.xvii.6) mentions Krishna in Krishnaya Devakiputraya as

10609-460: Was very protective of her darling child. Concerned that with all these adoring gopis, hanging around her house at all hours of the day, her darling child will never get any time to rest or play properly with his friends. So she decided that all those who wish to visit her beloved Bala Gopal, could do so after He had finished a snack or a meal, and was resting before going out again. Taking a legend as his cue, Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya decided to open

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