Govardhan, which means “Hill of Food” in Hindu mythology, is associated with Lord Krishna’s devotion and is also known as Anakoot or Anakut. Lord Krishna is adored by serving delectable (Chappan Bhog) Satvik meals made by Indian ladies at home on this fortunate day, which falls on the second day of Deepawali. According to Hindu traditions, Govardhan is a mountain that was raised by Lord Krishan with one hand and is still present in the state of Uttar Pradesh. On the first day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik, the celebration and worship with complete devotion are held to thank Lord Krishna for all of his love and blessings to the people of India.
When is Govardhan Puja Celebrated?
Govardhan Puja is celebrated in the Hindu religion in order to worship Lord Krishna and Govardhan Hill. This holy festival occurs on the first day of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik or just after the second day of Diwali.
According to this, the Govardhan Pooja 2023 will be celebrated on the 13th of November on Monday.
How is Govardhan Puja Celebrated?
On the occasion of the Govardhan festival, the people of India make a tiny hill from cow manure which represents the Govardhan Parvat. Then devotees place the idol of Lord Krishna in the worship place, decorate him with flowers, new garments, and jewelry, then serve him a variety of meals of 56 different foods. After the completion of Puja, devotees pray to Lord Krishna and Govardhan Parvat to protect villagers from the anger of Lord Indra and help them in the case of heavy rainfalls and floods.
Why is Govardhan Puja Celebrated?
According to the Hindu religious text, once villagers were cooking various dishes and sweets to offer Lord Indra. Seeing all these, Lord Krishan questioned his mother about why villagers offered food to Indra Dev. She replied that if they will not do this worship then they will be cursed by Lord Indra and have to face Lord Indra’s anger. Lord Krishna asked villagers not to get involved in all these things which made Lord Indra angry. This incident caused heavy rainfall and storms in the villages, then villagers requested Lord Krishna to protect them from the anger of nature.
Thus, Lord Krishna lifted the mountain named Govardhan in order to save the lives of villagers and provided shelter and food to them. Thus, Lord Krishna saved the village of Vrindavan and since then villagers did not face any problems with food and rain. So, in order to say thanks to Lord Krishna, people worship Govardhan mountain and Lord Krishna on the second day of Diwali in the Hindu religion.
Significance of Govardhan Puja
Worshippers worshiped Lord Krishna on the occasion of Govardhan Pooja, honoring Lord Krishna’s triumph over Lord Indra. Worshiping cows is also a part of Govardhan Puja because it is considered that adoring cows impresses Lord Krishna.
In the state of Maharashtra, Bali Pratipada is conducted on the day of Govardhan Puja and devotees worship Lord Krishna by offering Satvik meals and sweets as prasad. Govardhan refers to a hill of food where the residents of Vrindavan never go hungry, and it also served as a sanctuary for the villagers during Lord Indra’s disaster. By elevating Govardhan parvat, Lord Krishna saved people from nature’s hatred and provided them shelter. This represents God’s constant protection of his people, which is why Govardhan Pooja is so important to Hindus.
Legend of Govardhan Puja
In order to honor the legend of Lord Krishna and Govardhan Hill, the people of India celebrate Govardhan Puja. According to mythology, the local people in Gokul were devout followers of Lord Indra and used to passionately adore and highly respected him. But one day, Lord Krishna asked a question to the locals: why do you all people revere Lord Indra? The villagers answered that Lord Indra is the God of Rain, so they worship him.
Lord Krishna encouraged them to worship the Govardhan hill rather than Lord Indra because the hilltop shielded them from rainfall and other environmental catastrophes. Thus, on the recommendation of Lord Krishna, the people of Gokul began to respect and revere Govardhan Hill, which irritated Lord Indra, who struck Gokul with severe rain. Lord Krishna came forward and saved all the locals from the heavy rainfall and storm by lifting the Govardhan hill on his single finger. This is the legend behind the celebration of Govardhan Puja.