Shri-Nathaji

Shri-Nathaji, representation of the Hindu god Krishna. It is the major image of devotion for the Vallabhacharya (or Vallabha Sampradaya), a religious sect of India. The image is enshrined in the main temple of the sect at Nathdwara (Rajasthan state), where it is accorded an elaborate service of worship daily.

According to tradition, the image of Shri-Nathaji revealed itself to the sect’s founder, Vallabha, while he was visiting Mount Govardhana, near Mathura. The image has one hand raised, suggestive of Krishna’s lifting of Mount Govardhana to shelter the cowherds from a storm sent by the jealous rain god Indra. It was first worshipped in Mathura, and, while in flight from the Mughals, the chariot carrying the image broke down at Nathdwara, where it was given protection by the local Rajput chief. Representations of Shri-Nathaji, covered with the ornaments and garlands of worship, are commonly seen in the homes and shops of devotees throughout northern and western India.