A Quick Halt at The Shrinathji Mandir

On our Jaipur to Udaipur stretch of the Rajasthan road trip, Nathdwara (351 KMS from Jaipur) turned out to be an impromptu halt. On a whim, we turned inside from the highway to bow our heads to Shrinathji (a form of Lord Krishna). We write the key points from our visit here.

1     But First – What’s Unique About The Temple?

Shrinathji Temple is known as Haveli (mansion) of Shrinathji. The haveli itself is fortified & was the Mewar royalty’s palace at one point of time. Interestingly, the haveli has amenities/ rooms for different purposes – chariot, betel storeroom, flower storeroom, jewelry chamber, horse stable, gold & silver grinding wheel etc.

Shrinathji is not seen as a God but as the Lord of the Mansion. So, the form of worship is unusual – service to the living image. The Lord is attended with daily functions like bathing, meals etc. Moreover, as He is a form of Lord Krishna as a child, special care is taken. (Shrinathji has a nap time, play time etc.)

Now, as Shrinathji is a living image, He can be met (seen) only a finite number of times a day. Thus, devotees & visitors can do the darshan only eight times a day when His aarti & shringar (dressing up & beautifying) take place. The darshan timings, according to the official website, are:

Aarti	Timings
Mangal Aarti	5:15 am to 6:00 am
Shringar Aarti	7:15 am to 7:45 am
Gwal Aarti	9:15 am to 9:30 am
Rajbhog Aarti	11:15 am to 12:05 pm
Uthapan Aarti	3:30 pm to 3:45 pm
Bhog Aarti	4:45 pm to 5:00 pm
Sandhya Aarti	5:15 pm to 6:00 pm
Shayan	6:50 pm to 7:30 pm

1.1   We Recommend –

1. Plan to spend a night at Nathdwara. The different darshans have different meanings. Try to see more than one.
2. If you cannot spend a night, time your visit appropriately. It would be heartbreaking to reach all the way here only to find out that you cannot see the Lord.
3. As mentioned above, there are multiple parts in the haveli. Try to see them all.

2     Finding The Temple

Once we turned in from the highway, we kept going around in circles trying to find the temple. GPS was of no help. We must have maneuvered through multiple narrow alleys before a kind traffic policeman advised us to ditch the car & run as it was almost time for the Shayan, our last chance to see Shrinathji.

Unfortunately, there was no parking in sight. We did not want to leave our vehicle on the road either. Finally, another kind soul told us the way to a gaushala (cow shelter). There was space to park & a shortcut through the gaushala to the temple, though uphill.

2.1   We Recommend –

1. If you are staying at Nathdwara, take local transport to the temple.
2. If you are just visiting, there is a parking lot on the highway itself. Park your vehicle there & use public transport to get to the temple.
3. If, like us, you are lost in the lanes, ask locals. Do not rely on GPS.

3     Darshan

We literally ran up the incline to be just in time for the last darshan of the day. Like mentioned above, the idol of Shrinathji is open for public viewing only eight times a day. As we did not have a plan to stay in Nathdwara, we had to make it to the last viewing.

Luckily, we reached in time, even after depositing our cameras, phones, shoes & wallets at the storeroom. People were still scattered around.

The curtains were drawn within a few minutes. It seems the entire place came alive as soon as that happened. The crowd thronged towards the viewing queue, separate for men & women. We did not have to make any effort to move forward; the crowd carried us along! 😀

The darshan time is small as all the devotees need to be accommodated in the 45-minute window. So, do not expect to get a leisurely time to pray. And, do not even think of getting distracted, as it could be a blink-and-you-miss-it situation. 😊

The atmosphere was emotionally charged with devotees getting overwhelmed. We believe people from far & wide come to catch a glimpse of the Lord.

3.1   We Recommend –

1. Keep time available for the security checks & for depositing your belongings.
2. Photography is prohibited inside the temple. Leave your camera behind.
3. Keep your balance in the crowd. You would not want to fall down & be trampled upon, would you?
4. Keep your eyes focused to see the Shrinathji idol. It is a small time-frame. Do not get distracted.
5. It is, after all, a crowded place. Keep your wits about you. Do not hesitate to ask for help if you feel the need.

4     Getting Out

Outside the temple, there are scores of small shops selling idols & photographs of Shrinathji as well as material for worship. We bought a few memorabilia & had cups of tea.

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We then used the earlier route & climbed down the incline towards our vehicle. It was now that we realized we were essentially walking between houses. At one spot, we saw the sun going down. At another, we came across a group of men huddled around a fire, right under a sign that read – “Do not idle around”! 😀

(As we clicked the signboard, the men began to laugh. We turned out, grinned & clicked them as well. Nothing breaks barriers as humor does. Do not leave your sense of humor behind when you go sightseeing!)

We made our way back to the highway & started towards Udaipur. Just then, we spotted a large Shiva statue, under construction, by the highway. A little googling told us it is called Statue of Belief. It was expected to complete in August 2019. We, unfortunately, do not have an update if it is open to public now. But, once it is, it will be worth visiting as it will be the second tallest statue in India.

HAVE YOU VISITED NATHDWARA?