Introduction: Nathdwara town, situated in the Aravali mountain range and on the banks of the river Banas is an important pilgrimage centre for the vaishnavas because the main thakorji of Pushtimarg – Shrinathji – resides here.About 500 years ago Shrinathji used to reside in a haveli built on mount Giriraj about 30 kms. from Mathura. History At that time there was a vaishnav called Ajabkunvar bai whom Shrinathji had promised that He will one day come to her village. So in order to fulfill his promise, after residing for 174 years on mount Goverdhan Shrinathji created a pretext to leave Vraj, rumour spread that the Muslim emperor Auranzeb is planning a n attack on Mathura and it’s surrounding areas. The people of these areas were terrified and started shifting to safer areas. The then Tilkayat (The Balak who is responsible for the sewa of Shrinathji is known as the Tilakyat, he is the head Acharya of Pushtimarg) decided to shift Shrinathji to Gujarat. On the way to Gujarat in the then state of Mewar the wheels of the chariot suddenly immersed into the ground at a village called Nathdwara (The village of Ajabkunvar bai!!). When all the efforts to get the wheel out were in vain the Tilakayat concluded that it was Shriji’s wish to stay at Nathdwara. It was decided to build a temple at the very place where the wheel was stuck. The sewa of Shrinathji was started at Nathdwara when haveli was completed in 1671 A.D. Since then the sewa of Shrinathji is being done at Nathdwara. Till the year 1803 A.D. the haveli at Nathdwara became so rich & famous that the then ruler of Indire, Holkar, decided to invade Mewar to loot the valuables at Nathdwara. It was decided to shift Shriji from Nathdwara to Ghasiyar (a village about 30 kms. from Nathdwara). The sewa of Shrinathji was carried on for a year at this village. Holkar was not successful in reaching Nathdwara, he was defeated and had to return back from Udaipur. Places worth seeing at the temple in Nathdwara Besides the darshan of Shrinathji there are many places and things to which historical and bhavnatmak importance is attached, the vaishnavas must see these places and things whenever they visit Nathdwara. Some of the well-known things and places are wells of ghee & tel, bells of gold & silver, the chariot in which Shrinathji came to Nathdwara, Rath-shala, Ashva-shala, Gaj-shala, Dhruv bari, Sudarshan charka, The seven dhwjajis (flags), Dholi patiya, Shri Navnitpriyaji’s mandir & Moti Mahal. The Parikrama of the temple There are two parikramas – on from the inside and one from the outside of the temple. Both begin from the “Govardhan chowk”. The route of the shorter parikrama passes through the garden of Shri Navnitpriyaji, Pankha gali, Aadi gali, mala gali, anar chowk, kamal ckowk and ends at the Govardhan chowk. The longer (outside) parikrama also goes through other temples such as Dwarikadhishji, Kalyanraijiji and Vanmaliji. It also passes through the main market of Nathdwara. Kalash, Sudarshan and Dhvjaji There is a tiled roof atop the Nij-mandir (garbha-griha) at Nathdwara. This tiled roof is the house of Ajabkunvar bai, the very place where Shriji used to come to play chopad all the way from mount Govardhan in Vraj. Atop this roof there are two kalash on the head of our lions. On these kalash there is the Sudarshan charka. On this sudarshan cahkra there is a seven coloured dhvajaji. Only at the temple in Nathdwara can one see a dhvajaji, all the other temples are built like houses of Shri Nandraiji. Any vaishnav can offer the dhvajaji to Shrinathji. The dhvajaji can also comes as a substitute of Shrinathji to the village or city on the manorath of the vaishnavas. Other Pushtimargiya temples of Nathdwara In Nathdwara, there are many other temples of Pushtimarg over and above the temple of Shrinathji and Shri Navnitpriyaji. A list of these temples is given here : • Shri Vitthalnathji • Shri Mathureshji • Shri Mukundraiji • Shri Vanmaliji • Shri Madanmohanji • Shri Kalyanraiji • Shri Dwarikadhishji • Shri Gopallalji • Temple of Shri Govinddas baba • Bethaks of Shri Mahaprabhuji & Shri Hariraiji