Govind Dev Ji Temple is located in the city of Jaipur in Rajasthan. It is one of the major tourist attractions of Jaipur. The royal past of Jaipur is exhibited in this temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna known by the other name Govind Dev Ji. It is the principal deity of Amber`s Kachawaha Dynasty. In earlier times, the idol of the Lord resided in the temple of Vrindaban in Uttar Pradesh.
Govind Dev Ji Temple is located in the City Palace complex. The image of Lord Krishna in the temple was brought from Vrindavan by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur. According to popular legend, Lord Krishna`s image in the temple looks exactly like Krishna`s form during his incarnation on Earth. The deity originally belonged to Srila Rupa Goswami who was a disciple of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the sixteenth-century guru who identified the Braj region as the scene of Krishna`s youth. The image was originally installed in the great Govind Mandir in Vrindavan, at the heart of the Braj region, specially built for the purpose by Sawai Jai Singh`s ancestor Raja Man Singh in 1590. The image was removed from that temple, anticipating its partial destruction by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1669. It was subsequently housed at a succession of secret locations and then brought to Amber state in 1714. Finally, it was placed in the present temple that was completed in 1735.
Legend of Govind Dev Ji Temple
There is a legend associated with the idol of the Govind Dev Ji Temple. According to the legend Raja Sawai Jai Singh once saw Govind Dev Ji in his dream. The Raja was asked to bring his idol from Vrindavan to Jaipur. As a result of this, Raja Sawai Jai Singh brought the idol from Vrindavan and placed in the City Palace Complex of Jaipur. Many successors acquired the throne after Raja Sawai Jai Singh, but it is only Raja Man Singh who took the initiative to build the temple in 1890.
Architecture of Govind Dev Ji Temple
The room of the temple is quite huge and airy. The walls of the temple are minutely carved with floral patterns and painted with pink colour. The glow of the sunrays filtering in from small dents in the roof enhances the look and beauty of the temple. The idol of the Lord looks quite and serene. He is adorned with rich clothes and sparkling jewels. Long flower garlands touches the bunch of Tulsi leaves that covers His feet
At seven different times of the day, different `Aartis` and `Bhog` are offered to the deity. The idols appear in different clothes when each time they are revealed to the devotees. The devotees chant `Jai Govind` whenever they get the glance or `darshan` of the deities.
A special event of this temple is the birthday of Lord Krishna also known as Janmashtami. Devotees from different places flock here to offer their worship at the feet of the Lord. It has also become a place of tourist attraction in recent times.