Govardhan Puja is a significant Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Krishna, commemorating the victory of Lord Krishna over Lord Indra. The day falls on the Pratipada date of "Shukla Paksha" on Kartik, while it is also the first day in the Vikram Samvat calendar.

Govardhan Puja or Annakut Puja comes after the festival of Diwali or Deepawali, the festival of lights. On this day, people worship by making an idol of Govardhan Parvat from cow dung.

On this day, Lord Krishna ordered the residents of Gokul to perform Govardhan Puja to diminish Indra Dev’s igo. On Govardhan Puja, devotees prepare a variety of food such as wheat, rice, gram flour curry and leafy vegetables which are then offered to Lord Krishna.

When is Goverdhan Puja 2024 celebrated?

Govardhan is usually celebrated one day after Diwali, i.e. on the 4th day of 5 days, but depending on the lunar cycle, there can be a gap of 1 day between Diwali and Govardhan Puja.

According to the Hindu calendar, the day falls on the first lunar day called 'Ekam' of the Shukla Paksha (bright moon fortnight) in Kartik (October–November).

As per Hindu texts, it has also been suggested to celebrate Govardhan Puja during the Pratipada tithi of Kartik month.

Due to the start time of Pratipada, the day of Govardhan Puja may sometimes coincide with Amavasya (New moon) on the Hindu calendar. Therefore, in 2024, Govardhan Puja will be celebrated on Saturday, 2nd November.

What is the story of Goverdhan Puja?

According to Hindu texts, as per the behest of Lord Krishna, the people of Brijwasi stopped worshipping Lord Indra, the rain god, and as a result of this, Lord Indra unleashed his wrath on the Brijwasi.

Then, to shelter the people of Vrindavan from the wrath of Lord Indra, Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan mountain effortlessly on his little finger for seven consecutive days.

Then on the seventh day, Lord Krishna put down the mountain and ordered the people of Brijvasi to celebrate this day by worshipping Govardhan every year.

Meanwhile, Lord Indra sought forgiveness from Lord Krishna, and from then, this day is celebrated as Annakut.

Since then, people started worshipping Govardhan parvat with utmost devotion, and hence, Lord Krishna is also called 'Goverdhandhari' or 'Giridhari'. The festival is also celebrated to express gratitude towards Lord Krishna, who never fails to help his devotees in times of need.

Where is Goverdhan Puja celebrated?

Govardhan Puja is celebrated enthusiastically all over India, including Haryana, Punjab, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. In some states of India, Govardhan Puja is marked as 'Kartik Shuddha Padwa' and is celebrated right after the festival of Diwali.

In Maharashtra, this day is celebrated as Bali Pratipada or Bali Padwa. The day marks the victory of Vamana, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, over King Bali and banishing him to Patal Lok (underworld). It is said that due to a boon given by Lord Vamana, the demon king Bali ascended from Patal Lok to Prithvi Lok on this day.

In Gujarat, Govardhan Puja mostly aligns with the Gujarati New Year's Day or Vikram Samvat, which is observed on the Pratipada of the Shukla Paksha of the month of Kartik.

Depending on the start time of Pratipada, the day of Govardhan Puja may fall a day before Gujarati New Year's Day. In Haryana, considering hillocks as the symbol of Govardhan mountain, people prepare a mound decorated with cow dung and flowers and also worship it.

While in Maharashtra and certain western states of India, Govardhan Puja is celebrated as ‘Padwa'. Here, wives garland their husbands, apply tilak on their foreheads and perform aarti for their longevity and prosperity.

In return, the husband gives them gifts; thus, the festival signifies the bond of love and devotion between wife and husband. Apart from this, the festival of Govardhan Puja is also celebrated with great grandeur in Nathdwara, Mathura and Vrindavan.

The idols of Krishna are adorned with dazzling attire and precious ornaments made of pearls, rubies, diamonds and other gemstones. Special prayer and bhajan ceremonies are organised where a large number of people gather to celebrate the day.

All the festivities related to Govardhan Puja can be witnessed in all Lord Krishna temples across the country. Many people also visit Uttar Pradesh, as Govardhan Parvat is located in the Mathura district of UP, to seek the blessings of Lord Krishna and express their gratitude.

How is Goverdhan Puja celebrated?

The rituals of Goverdhan Puja exhibit regional variations across different regions of India. On the day of Govardhan Puja, people wake up early, bathe, wear clean clothes, and prepare a mound of cow dung, representing Mount Govardhan.

The mound is decorated with flowers and worshipped with vermilion and akshat. People also perform 'parikrama' (ritual of taking rounds) around the mound, after which barley is sown in the ground.

People bathe their bulls and cows and worship them by decorating them with garlands and saffron because they are considered dear to Lord Krishna.

Along with this, the idols of Lord Krishna are also bathed in milk and decorated with beautiful shiny clothes and jewellery. Later the deity is reverentially offered 'Annakoot' as bhog and performing aarti.

‘Annakut’ is an essential part of Govardhan Puja, where devotees prepare 108 or 56 different dishes to offer to Lord Krishna, and at the end, the bhog is distributed among all.

Lord Vishwakarma, the god of skilled craftsmen, is also revered on this special day, where poojas are performed especially for machines in industries and factories. On this day, a huge feast called 'Bhandara' is also organised for the devotees in every temple in India.

Conclusion

Govardhan Puja is known by different names in different regions of India as 'Annakut Puja', 'Bali Pratipada', 'Padwa' or even 'Gujarati New Year'. The festival is joyously celebrated by Hindus in both India and abroad and is one of the important festivals for Vaishnavas.

On Govardhan Puja, people fervently worship Lord Agni, Indra, and Varuna, the gods of Fire, Thunder, and the Oceans. Annakut is a symbolic representation of a "mountain of food" on this auspicious day.

Govardhan Puja is celebrated as the day Lord Krishna defeated Lord Indra and King Bali's return, also known as 'Bali Padyami'. Govardhan Puja is an important part of the Diwali celebration, symbolising the victory of good over evil. 

This is all about Govardhan Puja. We wish you a happy Govardhan Puja. If you have any queries or thoughts, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We appreciate our reader's valuable comments. 

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