In the town of Nathdwara in Rajasthan, on the bank of the Banas river, stands the temple of Shrinathji — the most revered shrine of the Pushtimarg, the path of grace founded by Sri Vallabhacharya. Here Krishna is worshipped as Shrinathji, a form of the Lord as a seven-year-old child lifting the Govardhan hill upon his little finger to shelter the people of Braj from Indra's storm.
Tradition holds that the sacred image was brought from Govardhan near Mathura to protect it, and enshrined at Nathdwara — the gateway to the Lord. The temple is run in the intimate manner of a royal household (haveli), the deity lovingly attended through eight daily darshans (ashtayam seva), dressed and adorned differently for each. Shrinathji is beheld with deep devotion as the beloved child-Lord of Braj.
