Since that day Govardhan or Annakut puja is performed with immense passion and eagerness in various states of India such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. On individual level at home people smear their body with oil and take baths in the morning. Thereafter, Govardhan Puja (Annakoot Puja) is done. Govardhan made of grains is called Annakut. It is worshiped with the offerings of paadya arghyay, gandh, pushp, dhoop, deep, naivedya, aachman, taambool and dakshina respectively.
Govardhan Puja is a Hindu festival celebrated primarily in the Northern parts of India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. It usually occurs on the fourth day of Diwali, the day after the main Diwali festival. The festival commemorates the lifting of the Govardhan Hill by Lord Krishna to protect the villagers of Vrindavan from torrential rains and floods caused by Lord Indra, the god of rain.
Significance and Rituals:
-
Mythological Background:
- According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Hill to provide shelter to the villagers and their cattle from the wrath of Lord Indra. This act symbolizes the importance of nature and the duty to protect and honor it.
-
Annakut Festival:
- Govardhan Puja is also known as Annakut, meaning "mountain of food." On this day, devotees prepare a wide variety of vegetarian dishes as offerings to Lord Krishna. The offerings are arranged in the shape of a mountain to symbolize Govardhan Hill.
-
Worship and Offerings:
- Devotees create small mounds of cow dung, which are decorated with flowers and worshipped. These mounds represent the Govardhan Hill.
- People also worship cows on this day, as they are considered sacred in Hinduism. Cows are bathed, decorated, and fed special foods.
-
Community Feast:
- After the rituals, the food prepared for the Annakut is distributed among the community members as prasad (holy offering).
-
Processions and Singing:
- In many regions, processions are held where devotees sing hymns and songs in praise of Lord Krishna and Govardhan Hill.
Celebration in Different Regions:
-
Vrindavan and Mathura:
- The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Vrindavan and Mathura, the birthplace and early home of Lord Krishna. Temples are beautifully decorated, and special prayers and kirtans (devotional songs) are performed.
-
Gujarat:
- In Gujarat, the festival is known as Annakut and is celebrated with elaborate offerings and rituals in temples, particularly the Swaminarayan temples.
Govardhan Puja is a vibrant and joyous festival that emphasizes the relationship between humans and nature, as well as the importance of faith and devotion.
The devotees keep awake the whole night and cook 56 or 108 different types of food for the bhog (the offering of food) to Krishna. In the temples of Mathura and Nathdwara, the deities are given milk baths, dressed in new attire and adorned with ornaments of diamonds, pearls, rubies amd other precious stones and metals. Then they are worshiped and offered various types of food –sweets, cereals, pulses, fruit, vegetables, chutneys, pickles and salads.In some states Govardhan Puja is celebrated by making the hillocks of cow dung which represents the Mount Govardhan. Then it is decorated with flowers. Devotees circumambulate the hillocks and pray to Lord Govardhan to save their life as always. In some places it is celebrated as Padwa and Gudi Padwa.
Padwa
The fourth day of Diwali celebrations is also celebrated as Kartik Shuddh Padwa, which is the day when King Bali came out of the Pataal Lok, the nether land and ruler of the Bhoo Lok, the world as per the blessing given to him by Lord Vishnu. Therefore this day is also known as Bali Padyami or Bali Pratipada. Padwa also marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya. At some places it is enjoyed as a new year because the Vikram Samvat was started from this day. Read more
Gudi Padwa
On the fourth day there is another custom in which the wife applies tilak or tika on her husband s forehead, performs his aarti and prays for his long life. In return the husband gives her a gift to reciprocate her love. Thus, the Gudi Padwa celebrates the bond of love and respect between a married couple. People invite their newly married daughters with their husbands on this day for family meals and shower them with gifts. Read More Here.गोवर्धन पूजा और इसका इतिहास हिंदी में पढ़ने के लिये यहां क्लिक करें