Govardhan HillGovardhan Hill (गोवर्धन पर्वत; ; Pronunciation: [ɡoʋəɾdɦən]), also called Mount Govardhana and Giriraj, is a sacred Hindu site in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India on an 8 km long hill located in the area of Govardhan and Radha Kund, which is about from Vrindavan. It is the sacred centre of Braj and is identified as a natural form of Krishna, the Govardhana Shila. The name 'Govardhana' has two primary translations. In the literal meaning, 'Go' translates to 'cows', and 'vardhana' translates to 'nourishment'.
KrishnaismKrishnaism is a term used in scholarly circles to describe large group of independent Hindu traditions—sampradayas related to Vaishnavism—that center on the devotion to Krishna as Svayam Bhagavan, Ishvara, Para Brahman, who is the source of all reality, not an avatar of Vishnu. This is its difference from such Vaishnavite groupings as Sri Vaishnavism, Sadh Vaishnavism, Ramaism, Radhaism, Sitaism etc. There is also a personal Krishnaism, that is devotion to Krishna outside of any tradition and community, as in the case of the saint-poet Meera Bai.
GolokaGoloka (गोलोक) or Goloka Vrindavan () is the celestial abode of the Hindu god Krishna and his chief consort goddess Radha. In the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna is portrayed as the highest person who resides in Goloka. Goloka is often represented as the celestial realm containing flowing streams and lovely gardens, and is inhabited by cows and enchanting maidens - Gopis. According to Gaudiya Vaishnava philosopher Jiva Goswami, Goloka, also called Vrindavan, is the highest spiritual planet and can be further manifested into three abodes, called Mathura, Dvārakā and Gokul, according to the difference in the pastimes and associates of Krishna.
Ekasarana DharmaEkasarana Dharma (literally: Shelter-in-One religion) is a neo-Vaishnavite monolithic religion propagated by Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th-16th century in the Indian state of Assam. It reduced focus on Vedic ritualism and focuses on devotion (bhakti) to Krishna in the form of congregational listening (shravan) and singing his name and deeds (kirtan). The simple and accessible religion attracted already Hindu as well as non-Hindu populations into its egalitarian fold.
Brahma SampradayaIn Hinduism, the Brahma Sampradaya () is the disciplic succession (sampradaya) of gurus starting with Brahma. The term is most often used to refer to the beliefs and teachings of Madhvacharya, his Dvaita Vedanta philosophy and Sadh Vaishnavism, Vaishnavism section founded by Madhvacharya. The longer-term Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya (), or simply Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya, is used to refer to the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his Gaudiya Vaishnava theology.
MayapurMayapur () is a neighbourhood of Bamanpukur, in the Nabadwip CD block in the Krishnanagar Sadar subdivision of the Nadia district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is situated adjacent to Nabadwip, at the confluence of two rivers, where the waters of the Jalangi River mix with the Bhagirathi, a tributary of the Ganges. It is located about 130 km north of Kolkata. Along with Nabadwip, it is considered a spiritual place by the adherents of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
NabadwipNabadwip (ˌnæbəˈdwi:p), also spelt Navadwip, anciently Nadia or Nudiya, is a heritage city in Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is regarded as a holy place by Hindus, and is the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Famous for Rass festival where city is illuminated with lights, dieties of God and goddesses are made on each corner of Nabadwip town. Hundreds of people gather to this small town on the occasion of raas utsab.
UddhavaUddhava (उद्धव) is a character from the Puranic texts of Hinduism, described to be the friend and counsellor of Krishna. He plays a significant role in the Bhagavata Purana, being taught the processes of yoga and bhakti directly by Krishna. The principle of these discussions is often referred to as the Uddhava Gita, similarly to the Bhagavad Gita wherein Krishna instructs Arjuna. According to some texts Uddhava was also Krishna's cousin, being the son of Devabhaga, who was the brother of Vasudeva, Krishna's father.
JapaJapa (जप) is the meditative repetition of a mantra or a divine name. It is a practice found in Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism, with parallels found in other religions. Japa may be performed while sitting in a meditation posture, while performing other activities, or as part of formal worship in group settings. The mantra or name may be spoken softly, loud enough for the practitioner to hear it, or it may be recited silently within the practitioner's mind.