Govardhan Puja: A Celebration of Nature and Gratitude

Govardhan Puja, also known as Annakut Puja, is celebrated with great devotion in Bihar on the day after Diwali. The festival commemorates the incident from the Bhagavata Purana where Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Hill to protect the villagers of Vrindavan from the wrath of Lord Indra. It is part of the larger Diwali celebrations, which also include Bhai Dooj.,In Bihar, the festival has a distinct rural flavor. People create small effigies of Govardhan mountain from cow dung in their courtyards and worship them. A significant part of the celebration is the worship of cattle, especially cows and bullocks, which are the backbone of the agrarian economy. The animals are bathed, decorated with garlands, and fed special food.,A large variety of vegetarian food is prepared as 'Annakut' (mountain of food) and offered to the deity before being distributed as prasad. Govardhan Puja is a beautiful festival that celebrates gratitude towards nature, honors the bond between humans and animals, and reinforces faith in divine protection. The reverence for cattle is also seen in major fairs like the Sonepur Mela and the Khagra Mela.

Keywords: govardhan puja, annakut, diwali festival, lord krishna, cattle worship, bihar festivals