Vaishnavism (वैष्णव धर्म)

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Vaishnavism (वैष्णव धर्म)

Is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God.

Vaishnavas commonly follow a process of initiation (diksha), given by a guru, under whom they are trained to understand Vaishnava practices. At the time of initiation, the disciple is traditionally given a specific mantra, which the disciple will repeat, either out loud or within the mind, as an act of worship to Vishnu or one of his avatars. The practice of repetitive prayer is known as japa. The system of receiving initiation and training from a guru is based on injunctions throughout the scriptures held as sacred within the Vaishnava traditions but is not mandatory.

Shrinathji is a deity form of Krishna situated in the temple town of Nathdwara near Udaipur in Rajasthan,( also known as : shreenathji ni haveli )

According to myths, the Srinathji deity self-manifested from stone and emerged from the Govardhan Hills. Historically, the idol of Shrinathji was first worshipped at Govardhan hill, near MathuraThe 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 anti-Hindu iconoclastic Islamic policies of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. Subsequently, the idol was transferred further south on a chariot to a safer place to protect it from barbarian destruction unleashed by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.It is believed that when the idol was being transferred to an unapproachable place, the wheel of the cart sank deep down in the mud at a particular place. The escorting priest perceived that this place has been chosen by the Lord himself. Consequently, the temple was constructed on the same spot ( Nathdwara  - @ Udaypur – Rajasthan ). The temple is built in simple terms of architecture, yet the divine aura of this temple is eternal.

The striking idol of Shrinathji gets the major attraction and is actually worth seeing. A glimpse of Lord makes one to feel the aesthetic world. Shrinathji represents the form of Lord Krishna, when he raised the 'Govardhana' (a hill). Made out in black stone, the image of the Lord appears majestic with his left hand raised and the right hand confined in a fist. The Lord's chin is adorned with a dazzling diamond, which is visible from a distance.

Darshans or glimpses of Srinathji can be sought 8 times in the day. Individually known as Ashtaya, the 8 darshans are Mangala, Shrungar, Gwal, Rajbhog, Uthhapan, Bhog, Sandhaya Aarti and Shayan. In each of them the leelas (divine manifestations) of the Lord are described and harmonized with His daily routine. Millions of devotees come here every year, to make their wish and pray to the almighty Lord Krishna.

Shrinathji Temple is one amongst the richest temples of India. It receives millions of rupees as offering to the Lord. The temple authorities possess approximately 500 cows and the milk of these cows, is used for the preparation of sweets and milk products. Among these cows, there is one cow that is considered as Shrinathji's cow. This cow is believed to have come from the lineage, which served the Lord from ages.

Formerly, the temple used to receive wagon-loads of food and these were whispered to be consigned by and consigned to Lord Shrinathji. The temple has food-grinders made of gold and silver. It is also said to have four wells of 'Desi Ghee'. The huge temple complex is divided into many sections, like the main shrine, food, Prasad, Priests' lodges and stiching department, where tailors stitch marvelous dresses of Shrinathji.

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