Nathdwara

The lovely town of Nathdwara, one of the top places to visit in Udaipur, is in the Aravalli Hills. Its name, 'The Gateway of the Lord,' comes from its location. Situated in the middle of Rajasthan, on the banks of the Banas River, Nathdwara is a beautiful, untouched place.

It is also a holy place for Hindus; thousands of people see it yearly. Nathdwara is also famous for its "Pichwai Paintings," which are paintings and clay work done in the traditional style of Rajasthan. People consider it the centre of traditional arts, crafts, and artefacts.

What is Nathdwara famous for?

It is most famous for the Shrinathji Temple, a shrine to Shrinathji, the physical manifestation of Lord Krishna. Many visitors stop here on their Udaipur tour package while visiting this place as part of their annual celebrations given Janmashtami, Holi, and Diwali. In the Aravalli Hills, Nathdwara means 'Lord's Gateway' in the local tongue.

What is the history of Nathdwara Temple?

Nathdwara has a past that goes back to 1665. Back then, the statue of Shrinathji, an incarnation of Lord Krishna as a 7-year-old baby in the 14th century, was first placed in Vrindavan, Mathura. People in charge of the city decided it was time to move the idol to a safer place when Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb started to cheat on his wife. They did this to protect it from the king's anger and damage. The image stayed in Agra for about six months before it went on another trip. 

It is thought that the ox carts carrying Lord Krishna's idol stopped moving through Nathdwara and wouldn't go any further. The priest thought this meant that Lord Krishna wanted to stay there. So, a temple was erected there, and over time, a town grew around it: Nathdwara, meaning "Gateway to Lord's Abode."

What are the best places to visit near Nathdwara?

On the off chance, the city of Nathdwara contains a lot of historical places and areas, including churches and a historic walking zone. Not to forget, the fourth-tallest statue in the whole world is found here:

•    The Vishwas Swaroopam statue is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and is the fourth biggest in the world.

•    Eklingji Temple is a temple from the 1400s.

•    The Charbhuja Temple is a peaceful Hindu temple.

•    Shrinathji Temple is a holy place for Hindus to worship.

•    Temple of Dwarkadheesh: A place of worship that is quiet

•    Rakht-Talai (Haldighati) is a famous place to walk.

•    Giriraj Parvat is a hill with a temple to Lord Shiva that is best seen in the morning.

The best time to visit

The best time to visit Nathdwara would be from September to February, during the winter season. During this period, the climate remains good; hence, walking makes it easy to view the entire city. For the remaining part of the year, the climate is pretty extreme. In particular, it would run up to 42 degrees during summertime, which is too hot to stand.