The Govind dev Temple in Vrindavan is the one of seven ancient temples (Sapt devalayas), established by the Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu & holds much significance for devotees.
Vrindavan, often hailed as the city of temples, boasts countless sacred sites, each with its unique story. However, certain temples stand as icon, deeply connected with the very identity of this holy city. The Govind dev Temple in Vrindavan is definitely one such iconic shrine.
Devotees believe that Vrajanabha, Lord Krishna’s great-grandson, installed the original Govind dev ji Deity in Vrindavan over five-thousand years ago. You can read detailed temple history on wikipedia.
History of Govind dev ji Vigraha (Statue)
The statue and temple got lost with time . Around five hundred years ago, Shri Rupa Goswami discovered the deity of Lord Govinda buried in the ground at the site where the majestic temple of Govindaji now stands.
Shri Rupa Goswami used to pray in a small hut near the Shri Radha Damodar temple in Sewa Kunj. Also, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told him to find the Shri Govinda deity that Shri Vajranabha put in place long ago. Every day, Shri Rupa Goswami would walk ten miles around Vrindavan as a form of prayer. One day, while walking, he felt very worried about the Shri Govinda deity. So, he sat under a tree by the Yamuna River and cried because he wanted to see Him.
Govind dev ji discovered again
Just then, a pretty young boy from Vrindavan who was also walking by saw Shri Rupa Goswami crying. The boy asked him why he was sad. At first, Rupa Goswami didn’t say anything. However, when the boy kept asking, he told him what was making him upset. Then, the young boy took Rupa Goswami to a place called Goma-Tila. He said, “Listen. Every day, just before lunchtime, a cow comes to this small hill. She pours milk from her udder onto this spot. I believe you will find what you are looking for here.” After saying this, the boy quickly vanished.
Shri Rupa Goswami thought about how beautiful the boy was and his kind words. Because of this, he fainted. When he woke up, he called the people living nearby. Together, they carefully dug up the ground at that place. There, not far under the surface, was the Shri Govindaji deity. He was more beautiful than anyone could imagine. They washed the deity with a big celebration. News about this spread fast, and many people came to see Shri Govindaji.
History of Radha Rani Vigraha (Statue)
Before Shri Rupa Gosvami came to Shri Dhama Vrindavan, something interesting happened. In the Jagannatha Temple in Puri-dhama, there was a statue of Shri Radhika. People there thought it was Lakshmiji and worshiped it. However, Shri Radhika spoke to Maharaja Prataparudra’s father in a dream. She said, “I am not Lakshmi. I am Radha, the one Shri Krishna loves in Vrindavan. I am waiting for Shri Govindadeva to appear in Vrindavan. When He does, please send Me to Him carefully.”
Later, this statue, along with other statues of Shri Radhika, was sent to Vrindavan with Shri Jahnava Thakurani. The Gosvamis who were there put this statue of Shri Radha on the left side of Shri Govindadeva. After Shri Radha joined Him, Shri Govinda became well-known as Shri Radha-Govinda.
Timings
Morning – 5:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Evening – 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Timings may slightly vary as per seasons.
