Govardhan pooja is celebrated on the fourth day of Diwali. This pooja is performed with great zeal and enthusiasm in North India, in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Govardhan pooja 2009 falls on 19th October 2009.

Story of Govardhan

Govardhan is a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura. This mountain was lifted by Lord Krishna to protect the denizens of Gokul and Vrindavan from terrific rains caused by Indra’s anger. The story goes like this:

In Srimad Bhagvatam and Vishnu Puran there is description that Lord Krishna appeared on the earth in Dwapar Yuga as the Son of Devaki and Vasudev but Yashoda and Nanda Maharaj fostered Him. Once Lord Krishna observed that His Father Nanda Maharaj and cowherd men were preparing themselves for a sacrifice to pacify Indra, the King of heaven, who is responsible for supplying rains. Lord Krishna inquired and Nanda Maharaj answered that the sacrifice is the annual worship of Indra, which is a tradition to do otherwise there can be scarcity of water and thus of grains and fodder.

However, Krishna convinced his father to forgo the sacrifice to Indra and instead worship Govardhan Hill. Krishna explained that all the cattle graze on Govardhan Hill and the rains due to Govardhan and not because of Indra. One should not be blindly ritualistic and at the same time should not refrain from doing the right thing. So Krishna encouraged all of them to worship Govardhan, Who bestows the bounties, rather than Indra who is in heaven and nothing to do with people on the earth.

This convinced Nanda Maharaj and he and all cowherd men performed the sacrifice to please Govardhan. When Indra came to know about this he became very angry. He vented his anger upon the inhabitants of Vrindavan by inundating the whole area with torrents of rain and flood. Indra became puffed up and challenged Lord Krishna.

Lord Krishna then picked up Govardhan Hill with one hand, exactly as a child picks up a mushroom from the ground and lifted it up with His left hand little finger. All the cowherd men and cattle assembled under the hill and were safeguarded. Krishna lifted the hill for seven days and seven nights continuously. This gave Krishna the epithet: Govardhandhari or Giridhar.

Finally Indra came to senses and surrendered to Lord Krishna saying that Krishna is the Supreme Person and all the demigods are subordinate to Him. And from that day Govardhan pooja is performed to please the Supreme Lord Krishna.

Govardhan Pooja Celebrations:

Govardhan pooja can be celebrated in home by observing the Annakoot festival. Fifty-six or one hundred and eight types of preparations are made on this day and are placed as mountain representing Govardhan. These are offered as Bhog to Lord Krishna and taken as prasadam after the pooja.

In temples, especially in Mathura and Nathadwara, the Deities of Lord Krishna are given milkbath, dressed in shining attires with ornaments of dazzling diamonds, pearls, rubies and other precious stones. Mountains of Bhog are offered and taken after chanting Vedic Hymns and Holy Names of the Lord.

At the site of Giri Govardhan, Mathura, thousands of devotees accumulate and offer poojas. They do parikrama or circumambulate Govardhan hill while joyously dancing and chanting the Holy Names in praise of Govardhan Dhari, Krishna.