What Govardhan Puja Celebrates
Govardhan Puja is a Hindu festival observed chiefly in North India, falling on the day after Diwali. It honours Govardhan Hill, a sacred site near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh associated with the god Krishna. According to tradition, Krishna lifted the hill on his little finger to shelter the people of Braj from torrential rains sent by Indra, the god of rain and storms. The festival is therefore also known as Annakut Puja, and it expresses gratitude for protection and for the earth's bounty.
Origins
The observance is rooted in the Krishna legends of the Braj region, the area around Mathura and Vrindavan where Krishna is said to have spent his childhood. The story holds that Krishna persuaded the villagers to worship the hill and the cattle rather than Indra alone, and that when Indra retaliated with a great storm, Krishna raised Govardhan Hill as an umbrella. The festival commemorates that act and the humbling of Indra. Over time, the day became associated with the worship of cattle, the hill, and the food offerings known as Annakut.
Customs and Traditions
Celebrations centre on home shrines, temples, and cattle. Common practices include:
- Building small mounds of cow dung or clay to represent Govardhan Hill, which are then decorated and worshipped.
- Bathing and decorating cows and bullocks, garlanding them, and offering them food, since cattle are central to the legend and to rural life.
- Preparing and offering a large variety of vegetarian dishes to Krishna, collectively called Annakut, meaning "mountain of food."
- Circumambulating the representation of the hill or, at pilgrimage sites, the actual hill.
- Reading or reciting the story of Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill.
Food and Drink
Food is the heart of the festival. The Annakut offering traditionally consists of many vegetarian preparations, including grains, pulses, vegetables, sweets, and savoury items, arranged in tiers to resemble a hill. In homes and temples, these dishes are first offered to Krishna and then shared among family members, neighbours, and visitors as prasad. Dairy foods feature prominently because of the association with cows and with Krishna's childhood as a cowherd.
Religious and Civic Observances
Temples hold special services, with the Annakut display as the centrepiece. In some regions, the day is also treated as the beginning of the new year in the traditional calendar, and businesspeople open new account books. In parts of North India, Govardhan Puja is linked with the worship of cattle and with the bond between brothers and sisters, and in some communities it is observed alongside or as part of Bhai Dooj. Civic life includes temple fairs, processions, and public Annakut displays in towns and cities.
Regional Variations
Observance varies across India:
- In Uttar Pradesh, especially around Mathura and Vrindavan, the festival is a major pilgrimage occasion, with devotees circumambulating Govardhan Hill and visiting temples.
- In Gujarat, the day is widely celebrated as Annakut, with elaborate food offerings in temples and homes and the traditional new year accounting.
- In Maharashtra, the day is observed as Bali Pratipada, associated with the return of the king Bali, and is marked by different customs.
- In other parts of India, the day may be known by other names or merged with adjacent Diwali-season observances, and the emphasis on cattle, hill worship, or Annakut varies accordingly.
Significance
Govardhan Puja combines devotion to Krishna, reverence for cattle and the land, and the sharing of food. For many households it marks a fresh start, a thanksgiving for protection, and a reaffirmation of community ties through the distribution of Annakut prasad.