Govind Deviji Temple
The royal temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, Govind Deo Ji temple is situated in the City Palace complex. Well preserved by the erstwhile royal family, the image of the chief deity Govind Deo Ji (Lord Krishna) is said to have been brought from Vrindavan and was installed here by Raja Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur. Since then, he has been worshipped as the patron deity of the royal family and occupies the sanctum of this spire less temple. 'Aartis' and 'Bhog' are offered to the deity seven times a day, when the idol is unveiled for the benefit of the devotees who come here to pay their homage to the deities. 'Bhog' mostly consists of sweets and is offered in the huge silver wares. Each time, the idols of Lord Krishna and his eternal beloved Radha are unveiled, they are dressed in different styles for the benefit of the devotees who come here to have a glimpse or 'Darshan' of the deities.
History
The temple was built in 1890 with the money donated by Raja Man Singh, the famous general of great Mughal emperor Akbar and is set between Chandra Mahal and Badal Mahal to allow the sighting of the deities of the temple from the royal palace itself. Thousands of devotees visit the temple, especially during Janamashtmi, to commemorate the birth of Lord Krishna. The seven-storied structure was built in the form of Greek cross at an enormous cost of one crore rupees. It is said that Emperor Akbar donated red sandstone meant for building Red Fort at Agra for construction of the temple. The architectural style in which the temple is built is a pleasing amalgamation of Western, Hindu and Muslim architectural traits.
