Govardhan Pooja is celebrated the next day after Diwali. This festival is celebrated as a win of Lord Krishna over Lord Indira. There are many legends about the history of this festival. It is however celebrated majorly in North Indian states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, and eastern state Maharashtra. It is celebrated under different names in different parts of the country.
There are many legends that suggest to the origin of Govardhan Puja. The most popular of these, states that Govardhan is a small hill that is located near Mathura at a place called Braj. According to the Vishnu Puraan, that the town of Gokul used to worship Lord Indira because of their belief that he was the one who provided them with rains. The rains were important because their life and livelihood depended on it. However, Lord Krishna told the people that it wasn’t Indra but Govardhan Parvat that brought the rains and therefore the latter should be worshipped and prayed to. When the people followed this ordinance, Lord Indira’s wrath on the people resulted in heavy rains. Lord Krishna then saved the people of Gokul by first praying to Govardhan Parvat and then lifting it on his little finger under which the people took shelter from the rains.
This day is also known as ‘Padwa’ in Maharashtra because of the victory of Vamana, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, over King Bali. It is also marking the day King Vikramaditya was coroneted and is known as the Vikram Samvat.
Often, this day coincides with the beginning of the Gujarati New Year. However, it is possible that the Govardhan Puja to occur a day before or after the beginning of the new year.
- 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 then ‘looted’ as part of the festival tradition.
- ‘Go’ or ‘gau’ means cow and ‘vardhan’ means growth and nourishment. A cow is believed to be the most sacred animal in the Hindu tradition. People in some parts of India, especially in Haryana, make small heaps 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.
- Decorating cattle with colours, flowers, garlands, beads, bells and other decorations is believed that it brings better crops and thus prosperity and happiness in their lives.
- The effigy made of cow dung is crushed to the soil by the hooves of their cattle in the evening when the festival is over.
- 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’s home to worship Govardhan parvat-made out of cow dung. Men, women, and children take rounds of the constructed Govardhan parvat.
- There is a unknown but 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.
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Jai Shri Krishna ! Radhey-Radhey !