Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj described how Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu had given some hint of the high position of Giriraj Govardhan. In the Upadesamrita (Nectar of Instruction) it is stated:
vaikuṇṭhāj janito varā madhu-purī tatrāpi rāsotsavād
vṛndāraṇyam udāra-pāṇi-ramaṇāt tatrāpi govardhanaḥ
rādhā-kuṇḍam ihāpi gokula-pateḥ premāmṛtāplāvanāt
kuryād asya virājato giri-taṭe sevāṁ vivekī na kaḥ
Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
The holy place known as Mathura is spiritually superior to Vaikuntha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathura Puri is the transcendental forest of Vrindavana because of Krishna’s rasa-lila pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vrindavana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Sri Krishna and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent Sri Radha-kunda stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Sri Krishna. Where, then, is that intelligent person who is unwilling to serve this divine Radha-kunda, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?
He also explained that Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj preferred Govardhan. So when Srila Govinda Maharaj came to Govardhan, to look for some land, he was considering that this would be a spiritually safe place for the devotees to reside.
Plowing the garden in Govardhan
At the time, it was almost impossible to find any place there, but by a divine arrangement, some land became available and he considered that Giriraj happily gave that land to him for service.
Then Srila Govinda Maharaj instructed Srila Acharya Maharaj to plow the land and cultivate wheat. So they started plowing the land with a big tractor and suddenly a Giriraj Shila came out of the land. A very large Giriraj!
Srila Govinda Maharaj called the local Brahmin priests and they examined the Giriraj and found some red marks on the Shila that indicated that this Govardhan Shila was previously worshiped. Giriraj Govardhan miraculously came out of the land, and this gave Srila Govinda Maharaj so much inspiration. Normally after purchasing a property and building a temple, the Deity of the Supreme Lord would be invited to come to the new temple. But in this case, the Deity was hidden there all the time and when the devotees came, then He revealed Himself!
Sri Sri Anu Giriraj
Remembering the incident, Purnandanda Prabhu compared it to when the Gopal Deity revealed Himself in a dream to Sri Madhavendra Puri in the jungle on Govardan hill, hundreds of years earlier.
Then at the same place where He was found, Srila Govinda Maharaj made a small tin shed and started worship there. Later, in 2002, Srila Gurudev made a large, beautiful temple for Sri Giriraj.
The Beautiful Temple Built for Sri Anu Giriraj
Srila Govinda Maharaj gave the name of the Deity as Anu Giriraj. Anu is sometimes translated as small. Srila Govinda Maharaj did not want to be in competition with the main Giriraj temple. Giriraj has been in Govardhan for thousands of creations, so he gave the name Anu because Anu Giriraj means Junior Giriraj. So, to both give respect to all the other Girirajs and also to express some transcendental humor because He is very, very big!
Srila Govinda Maharaj in Govardan with many of the devotees.
Sri Anu Giriraj kijay!
Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj kijay!