govardhan puja celebration

Govardhan Puja Celebration

Govardhan Puja, also called Annakut (meaning a heap of grain), is celebrated as the day Krishna defe
21. Govardhan Poojan Katha
The Fourth day of diwali festival is Govardhan or Bali Pratipada also known as Varshapratipada which marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya and Vikaram Samvat (Hindu Calendar) was started from this Padwa day.Govardhan Pooja is performed on this day. As the legend goes the people of Gokul used to celebrate a festival in honor of Lord Indra and worshipped him after the end of every monsoon season but one particular year the young Krishna stopped them from offering prayers to Lord Indra who in terrific anger sent a deluge to submerge Gokul. But Krishna saved his Gokul by lifting up the Govardhan mountain and holding it over the people as an umbrella.Govardhan is a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura and on this day of Pratipada people of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar build cowdung, hillocks, decorate them with flowers and then worship them.
22. Mythological Significance of Govardhan Puja
According to mythological descriptions in Vishnu Puran, the people of Gokul worshipped Lord Indra, the God of Rains, for providing them with ample rain for their crops. Indra became very proud at that time. Lord Krishna told the people of Gokul that it was not Indra but the Govardhan Mountain (parvat) that caused rain in Gokul and that they should worship the Govardhan parvat instead of Lord Indra. This infuriated Lord Indra and he caused excessive rainfall with thunder and lighting and flooded Gokul. Lord Krishna, in order to ensure the safety of the people of Gokul prayed, worshipped and offered puja to the Mount Govardhan and lifted it on the little finger of his right hand. People of Gokul along with their cattle took shelter under it and thus were saved from the calamity. It is to remember this occasion that Govardhan Puja is still done in India.
23. Govardhan Puja Celebrations and Interesting Facts
  • To represent the Govardhan parvat, a heap of grains, is worshiped by decorating it with flowers and garlands. This is called Annakut, meaning heap of grains. After the worship, the grain is looted as part of the festival tradition.
  • Go or gau means cow and vardhan means growth and nourishment. Cow is believed to be the most sacred animal in the Hindu tradition. People in some part of India, especially in Haryana, make small hillocks of cow dung to represent the Govardhan Mountain which is then decorated and worshiped by moving in circles around it.
  • In the rural parts of India, along with the worship of the effigy of the Govardhan Parvat, farmers as well as the cattle owners offer gratitude towards their fields, cattle and the tools of their trade by worshiping them. They decorate their cattle with colors, flowers, garlands, beads, bells and other decorations. It is believed that this worship brings better crops and thus prosperity and happiness in their lives.
  • Another community ritual that is followed is preparing of Annakut at temples and homes a meal with Baajre ki khichdi, Kadhi and Mixed vegetables. People offer ingredients like wheat flour, rice, baajra, sugar, vegetables, besan, etc. at the temples. Ladies of the neighbourhood join in preparing the Annakut, which is then distributed at Prasad after the Puja. People gather at temples or join their extended families at a relative home to worship Govardhan parvat (made out of cow dung). Men, women and children take rounds of the constructed Govardhan parvat, and sing, Govardhan Mahu tuhi bada, tujhse bada na koi. You are the greatest of all, nobody is greater than you!
  • There is a lesser known yet deeper spiritual meaning behind the word Govardhan. According to it, go means our five senses and vardhan means the diversion of these senses from the worldly desires towards Lord Krishna.
    • 24. How to perform Govardhan Puja at Home
  • Govardhan Puja is generally performed in the morning.
  • Make a model of Govardhan parvat (mountain) using garden soil.
  • Decorate it as if you are decorating lord Krishna.
  • Use mukut, bansuri, flower, tilak etc to form and image of Lord krishna.
  • Offering 2 sticks of sugarcane, curd, unboiled milk and sweets.
  • Light the lamp and offer roli, chawal.
  • Perform parikrama around the model of mountain i.e. Govardhanji.
  • Read the story of Lord Krishna and Govardhan parvat.
  • Perform Aarti of Giriraj govardhan.
    • 25. The Gift and flowers for Govardhan pooja
    The main part of Govardhan pooja is the decoration for the pooja to lord Krishna. To make the cow dung hill that symbolizes the Govardhan hillock, it is decorated with food and flowers. For that decoration we need a large quantity of flowers. So people have to choose flowers on a wholesale deal. Then, they need to decorate the mandap where the pooja is being carried out. So, seasonal flowers in large quantities are chosen for the pooja. Along with that, animals like cows and ox are cleaned and they are worshipped with garlands and flowers. Flowers are also required for the Gudi Padwa ceremony.