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Mathura, Oct 21 (IANS) The holy festival of Govardhan Puja was celebrated with traditional enthusiasm and devotion in the holy city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. A special puja was organized at the city’s famous Dwarkadhish temple, where a large number of devotees gathered since early morning to participate in the rituals.
Govardhan Puja has special significance in Mathura, the land associated with the divine pastimes of Lord Krishna, as it commemorates the day when he lifted Mount Govardhan on his little finger to protect the people of Braj from the wrath of rain god Indra. As per tradition, devotees devoutly made a replica of Govardhan Mountain from cow dung and worshiped it with rituals in the Dwarkadhish temple complex.
The puja is an important Hindu festival that falls a day after Diwali. It celebrates the ‘child form’ of Lord Krishna and is also known as Annakoot or Annakoot, meaning “mountain of food”. On this day, devotees worship Govardhan Parvat (hill) as an expression of gratitude and devotion and offer 56 types of vegetarian food and sweets, known as ‘Chhappan Bhog’.
This festival symbolizes the powerful bond of trust, protection and divine grace between the Gods and the devotees. The story of Govardhan Puja teaches people to respect the forces of nature and to remember that, as mortals, we are deeply dependent on nature and should be grateful for her blessings. Lord Krishna’s act of lifting the mountain and saving the villagers shows that devotion is the purest way to connect with divinity.
According to the legend, Lord Krishna gave shelter to all the living beings of Gokul by lifting them under the huge Govardhan mountain. The importance of Govardhan Puja lies in the devotees’ unwavering faith in their Lord, trusting that He will protect them in every crisis and against all odds.
According to Vishnu Purana, once young Krishna asked his mother Yashoda why the villagers worshiped Lord Indra. He explained that Indra was the god responsible for bringing rain to the earth. Krishna disagreed and urged the villagers to stop worshiping Indra and instead respect Mount Govardhan, as it provided them with the resources they needed for their daily lives. The villagers agreed with Krishna, who was highly respected for his wisdom and divine power.
Angered by this, Indra ordered Varun Dev (God of Rain) to rain torrentially for seven days to punish the villagers. Facing severe floods, the people of Gokul turned to Krishna for help. In response, Krishna uprooted Mount Govardhan and raised it on his little finger, providing shelter to all humans, animals and birds.
After seven days of continuous storms, Indra realized the divine nature of Krishna and accepted defeat. He accepted that the young boy was none other than the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Since then, Govardhan Puja is celebrated as a celebration of nature, humility and divine protection.
‘Govardhan Parvat’ has now become a major pilgrimage site for devotees of Lord Krishna. On the day of Annakoot, thousands of devotees perform ‘Parikrama’, an 11-mile sacred circumambulation around the mountain, and offer flowers, lamps and food at various temples along the way.
–IANS
JK/DPB