Devotees around the world celebrate Sri Krishna’s Govardhan pastime with a yearly festival called Govardhan Puja. A replica of Govardhan is built with prasadam, and a murti of Lord Krishna is placed atop it for the devotees to circumambulate and offer kirtana and sing devotional songs.
Govardhan Puja is celebrated on Pratipada, or the first day of the bright fortnight of Kartik, the day following Diwali. Annakut is also observed. On this day, Krishna lifted the Govardhan mountain in Vrindavan with his little finger and held it so for seven days to protect the cows and people of the town from the deluge sent down by an enraged Indra, the god of heaven and rain.
Even today, people from all over India visit, worship and circumambulate Mount Govardhan on Pratipada. Those who cannot go to the site worship it at home with great devotion and give gifts to Brahmins. Cows and bulls are also decorated and worshipped.
There are far too many wonderful decorations to be made for Govardhan to mention here. Pious people keep awake the whole night and cook fifty-six or 108 different types of food for the bhog (the offering of food) to God Krishna. This ceremony is called ankut which means a mountain of food. Various types of food – cereals, pulses, fruit, vegetables, chutneys, pickles, and salads – are offered to the Deity and then distributed as prasada to devotees.
Send Greeting Card
