Govardhan Puja: Look forward to cheery rituals, 56 delicacies!

The festive fervour is growing up fast across India for the Diwali celebrations. But it is not just Diwali that has got people across North India keep a count of the passing days. A day after Diwali, a score of Lord Krishna devotees will wake up to a new day solely dedicated to worship the butter-loving god, and also to perform Govardhan Parikrama or circumambulation of the sacred Govardhan Hill in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh.

Must Read : Diwali Celebration Images Celebrated as Govardhan Puja across mot of North India, especially in the state of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, more so, in Braj Bhoomi that covers Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul and Barsana, the festival marks the auspicious event when, as per the beliefs, Lord Krishna lifted a hillock on his little finger to provide shelter to the dwellers of Gokul from incessant rain and floods. The legend of Shri Krishna mentioned in the holy writ Srimad Bhagavatam gives a detailed account of this incident and how the Hindu deity of rain, Indra, had to finally accept his defeat and humbly surrender his ego at Krishna’s lotus feet when the former failed to drown the village of Gokul and its residents by wreaking havoc.

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Traditionally, Govardhan Puja is celebrated by making a structure of Lord Krishna holding the sacred hillock Govardhan, by using fresh cow dung. The structure could be big or small depending upon whether it is a communal worship or an individual one. The cow dung structure of Krishna is further beautified with sweet dried rice, colourful powder, jewellery etc.

The festivity begins by offering worship and prayers to Krishna according to the Vedic rites. Devotees circumambulate the cow dung image clockwise and offer flowers, incense and other ritual objects. As a mark of devotion to the deity, a minimum of 56 delicacies, also known as ‘Chappan Bhoga’, are cooked from scratch by the people as a sacrament to be offered to him.

Popular Krishna temples across Uttar Pradesh and the rest of India will deck up to celebrate Govardhan Puja a day after Diwali. Needless to say, the celebrations will be every bit worth looking forward to.

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