Govardhan Puja - Day Four of Diwali

Govardhan Puja, also called Annakut (meaning a heap of grain), is celebrated as the day Krishna defeated Indra by lifting the Govardhan hill.This is the fourth day of Deepawali (Diwali), the Hindu festival of lights.

On this day the inhabitants of Vrindavan  would hold a harvest festival in honor of  Indra, who provided the rains essential for the harvest.
Krishna convinced the inhabitants of Vrindavan to honor Govardhan Hill instead, whose fertile soil provided the grass upon which the cows and bulls grazed, and to honor the cows and bulls who provided milk and tilled the lands. Outraged, Indra retaliated with terrifying thunderstorms. Krishna, calmly lifted Govardhan Hill with the little finger of his left hand. For seven days and seven nights Krishna held up Govardhan Hill, providing a giant umbrella to shelter the inhabitants of Vrindavan from the torrential rain. Realizing the futility of his actions, Indra bowed down before Krishna and offered prayers of supplication.

To celebrate this festival, devotees build a replica of Govardhan Hill made of various opulent foods, worship Lord Krishna as the lifter of Govardhan Hill, worship the hill as His incarnation, and worship the cows and bulls who are dear to the Lord.

At the end of the festival, the hill ofbhog is distributed to the public.

On this auspicious day the people prepare fifty-six (chhappan bog) or one hundred and eight different varieties of delicious dishes to offer Krishna as 'Bhog'. In the temples, specifically in Mathura , the deities are given milk bath, dressed in new shining attires and decorated with ornaments of dazzling diamonds, pearls, rubies and other precious stones and metals. Then they are worshiped, offered prayers and bhajans and also offered delicious sweets, fruits and eatables that are ceremoniously raised in the form of a mountain before the idols. This is also the day when the King Bali is supposed to come and greet his subjects. While Kerala celebrates this as Onam on a different date, in other parts of the country, this day is also known as 'Bali Padyami'.

There is a custom in which on this holy day the wife applies the 'Tilak' on the forehead of her husband, garlands him, performs his 'Aarti' and also prays for his long life. Then the husband gives her a gift in appreciation of all the tender care that his wife showers on him. This is called Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and is festival of celebrations and respect of love and devotion between the wife and the husband. People invite their newly married daughters with their husbands on this day of Gudi Padwa for special meals and give them gifts.

Some people consider this day as the appearance day of the earth in the form of a cow. So, it is celebrated as birthday or as a special day of cows.  As a mark of respect, we worship cow and offer them fresh grass and food on this day.