Nathdwara is a small town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Situated at a distance of 48kms in the north-east of Udaipur, Nathdwara is sited on the right bank of Banas River. Nathdwara is famous for its 17th century temple that is dedicated to Lord Shrinathji (Lord Krishna). The term 'Nathdwara' suggests the 'gate of the lord'. Shrinathji Temple is also known as 'Haveli of Shrinathji' and makes a prominent pilgrimage of the Hindus / Vaishnavas.
Nathdwara, a popular dham is located amidst idyllic hills on the left bank of the Banas river, where one can see devotees in large numbers flocking for worship. It is about 48 kms from Udaipur. Nathdwara is well known for its holy Vaishnava temple of Lord Shrinathji, the manifestation of Lord Krishna. Sri Nathdwara or the gateway leading to the Shrinathji is also the centre of the Pushtimarg Sampradaya which is a doctrine created by Jagat guru Sri Vallabhacharya. In a small shrine near Mathura one can find the idol of Srinathji which was first installed by Sri Vallabhacharya and belongs to the 12th century. The little town is a honeycomb of lanes and alleys leading to the hub of activity, the Srinathji temple. The Haveli of Srinathji was once the royal palace of the Rajput rulers. Every day in the early morning over 1000 devotees reach the temple to serve the Lord. Darshans of Srinathji can be sought 8 times in the day. Sir Nathji resides in royal splendour here and regularly in the early morning devotees assemble here for his darshan. The 8 darshans are Mangala, Shrungar, Gwal, Rajbhog, Uthhapan, Bhog, Sandhaya Aarti and Shayan which are together known as Ashtaya. Leela of Lord are described with his daily routine. In each of the darshans. Devotees assemble flush into the temple in groups, they push and pull each other and sometimes they also hurt in the process. This Darshan is a matter of life and death for them.
By Rail: Udaipur is well connected by rail. It is linked from some important cities such as Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer and Chittorgarh.
By Road: Udaipur is also connected by road. A network of bus services connect Udaipur from various cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer, Indore, Ahmedabad, Chittorgarh, Kota, Mumbai and Mount Abu.
By Air: The nearest airport from Udaipur is Dabok Airport which is about 24 km far away. Udaipur is also connected by daily Air Service from Jaipur, Jodhpur, New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Aurangabad.
lmost at every week atleast three festivals are celebrated in Nathdwara, so one can visit Nathwara throughout the year.
