Govardhan Puja

Common card · No. 311921

Govardhan Puja (IAST: Govardhana-pūjā) or Annakut (meaning a “mountain of food”), is a Hindu festival celebrated on the first lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartika, on the fourth day of Diwali. Devotees worship an image of Govardhan Hill made out of cow dung and prepare and offer a wide variety of vegetarian food to Krishna as an expression of gratitude. For Vaishnavas, this day commemorates the incident in the Bhagavata Purana when Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill to provide the villagers of Vrindavan shelter from torrential rains. Peoples of Vrindavan used to worship Indra for rain. This incident symbolizes God offering protection to devotees who take singular refuge in him. Devotees offer a mountain of food, metaphorically representing the Govardhan Hill, to God as a ritual remembrance and to renew their faith in taking refuge in God. The festival is observed by most Hindu denominations all over India and abroad. It is an important festival in Vaishanava sects, such...

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