How did Sri Krishna Get the name Giridhar?

Giridhar is one of Sri Krishna’s many names. Giridhar means “one who raised the mountain,” and Giri means “mountain.”  The Govardhana was the mountain that Sri Krishna lifted.  He raised it on his finger. It is Indra’s misplaced pride that led to Sri Krishna’s raising of the Govardhan Mountain.

Story goes like this ..

The peasants of Gokul, led by Nanda, Sri Krishna’s foster father, offered sacrifices to Indra, the deity of showers. Indra was a powerful God who utilised thunder and rain to compel humans to worship him. People feared him and admired him. Indra, instead of doing his job, exploited his abilities for personal gain.

Sri Krishna, seeing that Indra was a power monger, urged that the village should worship Govardhana instead of Indra since he was the one who protected us from natural catastrophes and also stopped the clouds, bringing rain to Vrindavan.

People realised that this rationale was correct and began doing Govardhana pooja. This enraged Indra, who responded by dumping heavy rain on the Braj area.

Sri Krishna was blamed by the people for the incident. Sri Krishna requested asylum at Govardhana. The holy hill would protect us since we had worshipped it.

When Sri Krishna approached the mountain, he raised it with his little finger and offered sanctuary to all living creatures in Braj underneath it.  Sri Krishna was given the name Giridhar for this great deed.

After the incident, Indra felt humiliated, and from that day on, people ceased worshipping him.

This holy deed symbolises mankind refusing to submit in the face of disaster.