గోవర్ధన పూజా

In the Dvapara age, the people of Braj held a grand worship of Indra, god of rain, every year. Once young Krishna asked his mother Yashoda, “Mother, whose worship are we preparing for?” She said Indra sends the rain that grows the grass and grain, so he is worshipped.

Krishna said, “Mother, our cows graze on Govardhan hill; it is the hill that gives us grass, fruit and water. Sending rain is Indra’s duty. We should worship Govardhan and our cows.” The people of Braj agreed, worshipped Govardhan instead of Indra, and offered an Annakut of many dishes.

Indra’s pride was wounded. In anger he ordered the clouds to drown Braj. Torrential rain fell, storms raged, and the people and their cows trembled in fear. Everyone ran to Krishna.

Smiling, Krishna lifted Govardhan hill on his little finger like an umbrella and called everyone beneath it. For seven days and seven nights the rain poured, but under the hill all were safe — no one got wet, no one went hungry.

At last Indra understood that this was no ordinary child but the Lord himself. He stopped the rain, came to Krishna, begged forgiveness and bathed him with the milk of the wish-fulfilling cow Kamadhenu. From then on Krishna was called Govinda and Giridhari.

In memory of this, on the day after Diwali, a Govardhan is made of cow dung and circled, cows are worshipped, and an Annakut of fifty-six dishes is offered to the Lord. The day teaches respect for nature and animals, and that pride always falls. Glory to the lifter of Giriraj!