Doul Govinda Temple (Pron: ˈdaʊl/ˈdu:l/ˈdəʊl gə(ʊ)ˈvɪndə) is one of the important temples of Kamrup,

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is situated on the northern banks, on the foothills of Chandra Bharati hill at Rajaduar,

North Guwahati North Guwahati is northern part of the city of Guwahati and a town area committee in Kamrup Rural district in the Indian state of Assam.This town abounds in historical places and picnic spots. National Highway 27 passes through North Guwahati ...

. The temple is mainly devoted to

Lord Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one of ...

. Besides, there is an Namghar along with the temple within the same premises. The temple is open and accessible all the year round, but one can enjoy the thrill of a river cruise as well as walking on white sands of the beaches of

Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, northeast India, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, Luit in Assamese, and Jamuna River in Bangla. I ...

, from the month of November to April.

History

Several stories exists regarding this deity and how 'He' was brought here by late Ganga Ram Barooah from a place called Sandhyasar near Nalbari. The first structure of Doul Govinda Temple was erected more than one hundred and fifty years ago but it was again renovated in 1966.

Importance

The temple is known for its

Holi Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...

celebrations in the month of February–March. Holi is observed by the local people for five days with various programmes and about five thousand pilgrims are always assembled at the temple premises during this time. Special Ferry service is available to the temple from

Guwahati Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...

to Rajaduar at this time. Daily activities of the Doul Govinda Temple start early, with the opening of the doors at seven in the morning. The priest bathes the idol and then performs the Archana. The worshipers start coming in from an hour after this, which continues till the end of the day. In between that, the temple remains closed during the afternoon. In the evening the Arati is performed by singing devotional songs or 'Kirtaan'. Prasada followed by Bhoga is distributed among the devotees in open hall, during afternoon hours daily. A good number of devotees contribute to the temple Management to offer Bhoga and Thagi (Sarai) on their behalf with or without craving. Such devotees get some amount of Bhoga for taking home from the counter.

Transport

Generally Ferries as well as Steamers are available from Fancy Bazaar Ferry Ghat to Rajaduar, which is the easiest and fastest means, to reach the temple. After landing on Rajaduar, It is a five-minute walk to reach the Temple. Trekkers are available from Kharguli, as well as from

Adabari Adabari is a locality in Guwahati with nearest airport at Guwahati Airport and railway station and junction at Paltan Bazaar and Kamakhya. Surrounded by localities of Jalukbari and Maligaon, it is a busy commercial area of city. The area has been ...

and

Jalukbari Jalukbari is a locality in Guwahati, Assam, India, located between National Highway 31 and National Highway 37. Education Gauhati University, Assam Engineering College, Government Ayurvedic College, Jalukbari Sanskrit School are some of the e ...

References

{{Hindu Temples in Assam Hindu temples in Assam Kamrup district