Govardhan
town in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India
Govardhan also called Giriraj, is a key pilgrimage centre in India and a municipal town; a nagar panchayat; seat of an MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) of Uttar Pradesh; a Tehsil, in Mathura district in India in the state of Uttar Pradesh. About 23 kilometres from Mathura, the town is on the road link between Mathura and Deeg.
Geography
Govardhana is located at 27.5°N 77.47°E / 27.5; 77.47. It has an average elevation of 179 metres (587 feet). Govardhana has been made Tehsil in Mathura District by the Uttar Pradesh government.
Demographics
In the 2011 Indian Census, Govardhana had a population of 22,576. Males constituted 55% of the population and females 45%. Govardhana has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 70%, and female literacy is 52%. In Govardhana, 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Govardhan Hill
Pilgrimage
Each year Hindus and other people make pilgrimage to Govardhan, and its sacred Govardhan Hill, from different places in India and other parts of the world.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Govardhan” is town in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Govardhan, town and Mathura, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “town in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1707255. VIAF identifies the subject as 130308254. The Library of Congress control number is n89275385. Authority coordinates are 27.496, 77.463. None of the 3 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2011.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Govardhan”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Govardhan primary sources, Govardhan archive and Govardhan research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Govardhan”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Govardhan” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.