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This is Giriaja, a Govardhan Sila from Vrindavan, India. There are actually three Govardhana Silas in this picture. On the left is Giridhari. Giriraja is the main, larger Sila in the middle, and on the right is Chota Giri. This picture was last updated on Saturday, May 31, 2003 from Bhaktivedanta Manor, England. Make this your desktop picture. Click here for 1024x768, or here for 800x600. Then right click on the picture to make it your desktop (Windows 98 - IE 4-5).

These three Govardhan Silas, along with 288 Salagram Silas, are worshipped daily by Vipramukhya Swami.

What is a Govardhan Sila?
A Govardhan Sila is a stone from the hill known as Govardhan, in Vrindavan, India. Once, 5000 years ago, Lord Krishna picked up this hill and held it above His head for 7 days to protect the residents from a devastating rainful sent by Lord Indra. Devotees of Lord Krishna worship Govardhan Silas, or the stones from Govardhan Hill, as deities of Lord Krishna, since Lord Krishna declared that He and Govardhan Hill were non-different. Govardhan Silas are usually brown in color.

What is a Salagram Sila?
A Salagram Sila is a stone from the Gandhaki River bank in Nepal, high in the Himalaya Mountains. The Vedas of India say that Salagram Silas are self-manifested deities of Lord Narayana. They have natural markings and shapes that make them identifiable as specific forms of the Lord.

The Caitanya-caritamrta and Srila Prabhupada on the significance of the Govarhan Silas:

TRANSLATION (CC Adi Lila 6.287-294)

After saying this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu again bestowed His mercy upon Raghunatha dasa by giving him a stone from Govardhana Hill and a garland of small conchshells. Previously, when Sankarananda Sarasvati had returned from Vrndavana, he had brought the stone from Govardhana Hill and also the garland of conchshells. He presented Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with these two items-the garland of conchshells and the stone from Govardhana Hill. Upon receiving these two uncommon items, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was extremely happy. While chanting, He would put the garland around His neck. The Lord would put the stone to His heart or sometimes to His eyes. Sometimes He would smell it with His nose and sometimes place it on His head. The stone from Govardhana was always moist with tears from His eyes. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would say, "This stone is directly the body of Lord Krsna." For three years He kept the stone and garland. Then, greatly satisfied by the behavior of Raghunatha dasa, the Lord delivered both of them to him.Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed Raghunatha dasa, "This stone is the transcendental form of Lord Krsna. Worship the stone with great eagerness."

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya that in the opinion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the govardhana-sila, the stone from Govardhana Hill, was directly the form of Krsna, the son of Maharaja Nanda. The Lord used the stone for three years, and then in the heart of Raghunatha dasa the Lord awakened devotional service to the stone. The Lord then gave the stone to Raghunatha dasa, accepting him as one of His most confidential servants. However, some envious people conclude that because Raghunatha dasa had not taken birth in the family of a brahmana, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not give him the right to worship the Deity directly but instead gave him a stone from Govardhana. This kind of thought is naraki, or hellish. As stated in the Padma Purana, arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih . . . yasya va naraki sah. If one thinks that the worshipable salagrama-sila is a mere stone, that the spiritual master is an ordinary human being or that a pure Vaisnava preaching the bhakti cult all over the world is a member of a particular caste or material division of society, he is considered a naraki, a candidate for hellish life. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed that the govardhana-sila, the stone taken from Govardhana, is nondifferent from the body of Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He indirectly advised such foolish persons that one should not be envious of a Vaisnava who belongs to a different caste or sect. One should accept a Vaisnava as transcendental. In this way one can be saved; otherwise, one is surely awaiting a hellish life.