By Niti Panchal Om Ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya

By Niti Panchal Om Ajnana timirandhasya, jnananjana salakaya Caksur unmimiltam yena, tasmai sri gurave namah

� Known as Govardhan or Giriraj it is the sacred center of Virdavan � He is a devotee form of Krishna � Please keep the following questions in mind �How tall was Govardhan 5, 000 years ago ? �How high is highest point now ? �The two eyes are what ? �The two kundas at his tail are what ? �How high will he be at the end of the kali yuga ? �What kunda and town are at his waist ? �What creature does he resemble ?

� � One day in Goloka Virdavan lord Krishna informed srimati Radha Rani that it was time for her to appear in the material world so they perform their eternal pastimes. Radha Rani said she will only go on one condition. She said I will only if Vraja dham, Yamuna and Govardhan hill were present there. Many years before that happened in the land of Salmali dvipa, the wife of the great mountain Oronacal gave birth to a son named Govardhana. At the time of Govardhana's birth all the demigods appeared in the sky. and showered flowers upon him. The great mountains, led by the Himalayas and Sumeru, came there to offer their respects. They then performed parikrama of Govardhan and accepted him as their king.

� � � They offered very nice prayers praising Govardhan for having descended from Goloka Virdavan, describing him as the "crown jewel of Vraja. " Some years later at the begging of satya-yuga, the great sage Pulastya Muni paid a visit to Salmali dvipa. Upon seeing Govardhan flowers, creepers , caves , chirping birds , flowing rivers, the sage felt that this mountain was cable of giving liberation. So he immediately went Oroncal who immediately offered pranmas. Pulastya Muni told Govardhan father that’s he was from Kalii (Benares)and said he was going on a pilgrimage to arl the holly places. And he said that even though the scarred river Ganges flows through kali there is no beautiful hill so he could sit and perform his austerities.

� On hearing the sages request he could not just part with his son Govardhan, and started to shed tears due to his separation from his son. � Not wanting to see Pulastya Muni become angry and curse his father, Govardhan asked the sage how he would carry him all the way to Kalil. � The sage replied that he would carry him in his right hand. Govardhan then agreed to go with the sage on one condition - that if the sage put him down anywhere during the course of the journey, he would not be able to lift him again. Pulastya. Muni agreed. Carrying Govardhan in his right hand he left for Kais.

� � By the will of providence Pulastya Muni passed through Vraja on his way to Kais. On arriving in Vraja, Govardhan thought that now he was here he should remain in the holy dham. By his mystic power he was able to influence Pulastya Muni to attend to the call of nature. Unmindful, the sage put Govardhan down and went off to answer the call. But when he returned he was unable to again lift Govardhan. Trying with all his might, using both hands, he could not lift Govardhan. In great anger Pulastya Muni cursed Govardhan to sink into the ground by the measurement of one mustard seed every day. When Govardhan first came to Vraja in the beginning of Satya-yuga, he was eightyojanas long (64 miles); five yojanas wide (40 miles} and two yojanas high (16 miles). It is said that after ten thousand years of the Kali-yuga, Govardhan will have completely disappeared.

• • � • • He was 3 miles high The highest point now is 25 meters He was 115 km (64 miles) long before He is now only 11 km long. His shape resembles a peacock. Eyes are Radha-kund & Syama-kund Waist: Manasi-Ganga & Govardhan town Tail: Apsara-kund & Nava-kund At end of Kali Yuga he will be gone!

� How tall was Govardhan 5000 years ago ? � He was 3 miles high � How high is highest point now ? � 25 meters � The two eyes are what ? � Radha kund & shyama kund � The two kundas at his tail are what ? � Apsara-kund & Nava-kund

� How high will he be at the end of the kali yuga ? � At end of Kali Yuga he will be gone! � What kunda and town are at his waist ? � Manasi-Ganga & Govardhan town � What animal does he resemble ? � His shape resembles a peacock