Govardhan Puja One of the many Indian Hindu festivals is Govardhan Pooja/Puja. Annakut or Annakoot is also called this special festival. In various parts of India, in different ways, it is celebrated. The Braj Bhumi region (in Uttar Pradesh, India), which includes Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, Gokul, and Barsana, celebrates Govardhan Pooja with fervour, as all these places are connected to Lord Krishna. This is Lord Krishna’s thanksgiving day the Govardhan Hill and the Godhan (Cow). The devotees, particularly the Vaishnava sect, are preparing and offering Govardhan Hill a large variety of delicious vegetarian food, a representation of Lord Krishna’s divinity as a sign of thanksgiving.
Thus, Lord Krishna and nature are worshipped on the day of Govardhan Pooja, and it is said that those who worship Govardhan Hill (Giri) and the favourite of Lord Krishna are favoured, Cows, on this day, get Lord Krishna’s blessings.
This day is celebrated in the state of Maharashtra as Bali Pratipada or Bali Padva, which is the storey of the Vamana avatar of Lord Vishnu and King Bali. Shri Krishna Govardhan Puja Day also coincides with the New Year in Gujarati.
In the Hindu month of Kartik (October-November), on the first day of Shukla Paksha, Govardhan Pooja is celebrated. Generally, the next day after Diwali, Govardhan Pooja falls and is observed to mark the day when Lord Krishna chastened the King of Heaven, Lord Indra.
Govardhan Puja Story
Lord Krishna once asked Mother Yashoda the reason for adoring God Indra, referring to Vishnu Puran. In order to obtain satisfactory rain for planting, foddering cows or to obtain cereals from cultivated lands, Mother Yashoda clarified that people worship God Indra. Young Kanha disagreed with Maa Yashoda and asked the villagers not to worship God Indra, but instead asked them to worship the mountain of Govardhan, as the mountain would help the villagers bring adequate rain. Lord Krishna ended the rituals to give God Indra large quantities of food and further instructed the villagers to use it to feed their families.
The act of the young boy made God Indra furious and he decided to take revenge in the form of torrential rain and storm. The people of Gokul were stranded due to the heavy rains and asked Lord Krishna to interfere. Young Krishna immediately took the villagers to Govardhan Hill, where his little finger uprooted the peak. Together with their dogs, the villagers took refuge from Govardhan Peak. Lord Krishna lifted the mountain for seven days straight and the villagers were unharmed, even after extremely poor weather conditions. God Indra soon realised that the young boy was Lord Vishnu’s incarnation. On this auspicious day, performing Vishnu Puja helps to add positivity to your home Let our expert Pandit perform Vishnu Puja for you if you are not aware of Vedic Puja rituals. Before Lord Krishna, God Indra kneeled and begged forgiveness for his wrong deeds. This is how the rituals of adoring the Govardhan mountain, known as Govardhan Puja, took place.
Why is Govardhan Puja celebrated?
Govardhan Pooja celebrates Lord Krishna’s triumph over Lord Indra in which with the aid of Govardhan Parvat, Lord Krishna rescued the people of Gokul from the wrath of Lord Indra.
As the legend states, the people of Vrindavan worshipped Lord Indra for a bountiful harvest in the rainy season. In his home, Lord Krishna taught all the value of conserving nature for ample rainfall and fought against Lord Indra who brought heavy rains to the village And they sheltered everyone under the mighty mountain of Goverdhan. Thus, Govardhan puja’s importance also depends on the devotees’ trust in their lord and how God will protect them against all odds and under all circumstances.
This day in Gujarat calls for the celebration of the Gujarati New Year while Govardhan Pooja is celebrated as ‘Bali Padva’ or ‘Bali Pratipada’ in Maharashtra. Legends say that Vamana, Lord Vishnu’s incarnation, defeated Bali and pushed him to Patala Loka, so it is believed that on this day, King Bali would visit the planet. In many parts of the country, where people worship their instruments and equipment, this festival is also celebrated as ‘Vishwakarma Day’.
How to Celebrate
Govardhan Puja forms an important part of the Diwali celebrations.
It is celebrated in Maharashtra as Padva or BaliPratipada. King Bali is commemorated on this day. On this day, men present presents to their wives.
The New Year is celebrated in Haryana, Gujarat, as Vikram Samvat begins on this day.
Vishwakarma Puja is also observed in many parts of India on the day after Diwali, the first lunar night of the Shukla paksha of the Hindu Kartik month. For the majority of manufacturing and primary sector units, the day, called Vishwakarma Day, is observed as an official holiday, with people taking leave from factories, schools, farms and other workplaces. This day is celebrated by worshipping the instruments one uses in everyday life; hammer, sickle, tractors, etc for example, and has no religious restrictions.
As legend has it, Vishwakarma was the legendary builder of the gods, and was the chief engineer of kingdoms such as Krishna’s Dwarka, Kubera’s Lanka, and Swarg, or Indra’s Heaven. He is the architects and engineers’ patron God.
How to do Govardhan Puja Vidhi?
Govardhan pooja celebrations are associated with several rituals and traditions.
- The puja starts with devotees making heaps of cow dung in the form of a hill which represents Mount Govardhan and decorating it with flowers and kumkum.
- It is then followed by devotees performing ‘Parikrama’ (rounds) around the cow dung hillocks and worshipping Govardhan parvat to pray for the protection and happiness of their family.
- Govardhan Puja Vidhi also entails people giving a bath to their cows or bulls and worshipping them with saffron and garlands.
- Annakut Puja is also an integral part of Govardhan Puja where Chappan Bhog’ is offered to Lord Krishna followed by Govardhan Aarti post which this ‘Annakut Prasad’ is shared with the family and friends.
Annakoot for Govardhan Puja
Annakoot is organised in the temples on the occasion of the Govardhan Pooja. Annakoot means the mixture of different cereals used to worship Lord Krishna as an offering. In certain areas, pearl millet khichdi is prepared and Puri is prepared in addition to this. Sweets made from milk and various delicacies are ready to be offered to Lord Krishna as ‘bhoga‘ along with Annakoot. These delicacies are distributed amongst the devotees after the Puja. In different temples, all night vigil, songs & dance are also performed during the occasion of Annakoot, and the adoration of Lord Krishna yearns for a prosperous life.
