Govardhan Puja – Faith, Gratitude and Nature Worship

Govardhan Puja is also known as Annakut or Annakoot. It is a Hindu festival celebrated on the first lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Diwali. The festival occurs on the fourth day of Diwali. People worship Govardhan Hill and offer a variety of vegetarian food to Lord Krishna as an expression of their gratitude. It is an important festival for Vaishnavas, who relate this festival to Lord Krishna’s lifting of Govardhan Hill.

Origin

In the region of Braj where Sri Krishna spent most of his time, is a low hill named Govardhan. According to the Bhagwata Purana, forest-dwelling cowherds used to worship Lord Indra, the God of rain and storm, believing that his favor ensured timely harvest and rains.

Sri Krishna questioned the practice and explained that it was the Govardhan hill that provided the sustenance. He went ahead to break the ego of Lord Indra, so he asked the villagers to stop worshipping him. Sri Krishna was respected by everyone due to his intelligence and power, so everyone agreed with him.

Indra was angered upon seeing the devotional shift of the villagers. He initiated thunderstorms and rain on the villagers due to his anger. Sri Krishna lifted the Govardhan Hill on his little finger to protect the villagers from Indra’s wrath. He held the hill for seven days and nights and provided shelter to the people. Eventually, Indra realized Sri Krishna’s supremacy and withdrew the storms.

Symbolic Origin

The hill represents the ecosystem and nature. It is the real source of livelihood.

The act of lifting the hill represents divine protection. Lord always shields his devotees from negative powers, calamity, and the arrogance of lesser gods.

By shifting the worship to the hill, the story emphasizes that we should honor the foundational supporting elements of the earth.

Significance

• We should not take the basic elements of nature, like earth, vegetation, water, and air, for granted. We should thank them.
• Sincere devotion to the divine can protect us from the fiercest storms.
• Even the mighty Gods must realize that they need to exercise caution with ego and pride.
• Annakut and Prasad emphasize community building and sharing.
• Livestock like cow is a part of the community. They must be respected.
• Respect nature, maintain humility, and live sustainably.

Rituals and Celebrations

Sri Krishna is made out of cow dung in a horizontal position. Earthen lamps, seenkh, and candles decorate the structure. People feed the structure with food, and they often fast.

Vegetarian food is prepared and arranged as a pile in front of the deities. The people put sweets near the deity and add other food like dal, vegetables, and fried savory food as the pile goes down.

Bathe the cows, decorate them, feed them, and honor them.

Some craftsmen pay tribute to their tools and machinery and celebrate this day as Vishvakarma Puja.

Govardhan Puja is about acknowledging our dependence on nature. It is about offering our gratitude, sharing our bounty, and recognizing the divine presence in the elements of life. The festival inspires you to deepen your connection with nature, act with humility.