Govardhan Puja: Celebrating Faith and Gratitude

The next day of Diwali, cows are adorned, worshipped, offered fruits and sweets, and their dung is used to create an image of Govardhan mountain. Following this, worship with flowers, incense, lamps, and offerings is conducted. On this day, a meal is prepared in one kitchen with various dishes, and after everyone participates in worship, they sit together and have the meal. In the worship of Annakoot, the importance of consuming grains as an offering to God is emphasized; hence onions and garlic should not be included in the food prepared.

On the day of Govardhan Puja, in the morning, apply oil to the body, take a bath, and then create an image of Govardhan mountain at the main entrance of the house using cow dung. Make the Govardhan mountain with cow dung, place cow and calf figures nearby, and place the idol of Lord Krishna amidst them. Then perform worship with 16 items or Panchopchar, offer food and Panchamrit to Lord Krishna. After this, listen to the story of Govardhan Puja, distribute prasad, and have a meal together with everyone. If you reside in the Braj region, you’re fortunate as you can directly go there and perform the worship of Govardhan mountain at the Giriraj Maharaj temple. Otherwise, you should symbolically create the Govardhan mountain and worship it, which will be highly beneficial for you. Remember, Govardhan signifies the expansion of the cow’s lineage; hence special worship of cows should also be conducted on the day of Govardhan Puja. Here’s how: In the morning, after performing worship at your home, go to the cowshed. If possible, bathe the cows there. Then adorn the cows and feed them fruits and sweets by your own hands. After that, if you wish, you can also feed them green fodder with respect. Then take a little soil near the feet of the cow and apply tilak to it. Following this procedure will honor both the tradition and the essence of Govardhan Puja.