The Celebration of Govardhan Pooja 2016 (Annakoot)
Govardhan Pooja will fall on 31st October, 2016 this year. The festival of Goverdhan is also called as Annakoot.
Every year, this puja is performed by the devotees on the first lunar day of bright fortnight in the month of Kartik. This festival is celebrated on the larger scale by the city of Gokul residents. On the basis of the ritual, Annakoot is prepared on this day by cow’s dung and then God Shri Krishana is worshiped along with his milkman friends and cows. Different type food items are made and offered to the deities in temples.
The Legend of Govardhan Pooja 2016 (Annakoot)
One day Lord Krishna noticed that all the Gokul residents are busy in making many types of foods and dishes. Out of curiosity, he asked to them that why they are preparing several types of foods, they answered that they are making all this for the Lord Indra because this is the only way to make him happy so that Gokul residents will get the rain and livelihood problems would be ended. By hearing this, God Krishna censured Indra and alleged him.
Also, he said to the people of Gokul that they should do the worship of God, who is perceptible to them and he will come to acknowledge the offerings made by them. Milk mans said to the God Krishna that you should not condemn Indra in this manner as he is the one, who will help Gokul residents to survive. Then, Lord Krishna replied, “Which kind of power Indra is having which is going to help us for raining?
The Goverdhan hill is more beautiful and strong than Indra, so we must do the worship of this mount as it is visible too. The residents of Gukal impressed by his ingenuity of speech and agreed to do the worship of Goverdhan Parvat. For worshipping Goverdhan, they gathered around this mount.
As Lord Indra not worshiped by the people, he felt degraded and angrily gave an order to his clouds to visit the Gokul village and destroy it completely by the holocaustic torrential rain. Villagers became worried when they saw mount size holocaustic clouds, they called Shri Krishna and asked him, “Now what will we do as Lord Indra wants to sink our Gokul village in rain?” Lord Krishna made them peaceful and said that you go in the shelter of mount Goverdhan along with your cows and he will take care of all of you.”
All residents followed the Lord Krishna’s directions and gathered around Goverdhan Parvat. The Goverdhan hill is lifted up by the Lord Shri Krishna just on his little finger and all the people of Gokul came down under the Goverdhan and they happily stayed over there for seven days and rain could not touch them. It was a big surprise for Indra, now he realized the fame of the God and he went to the shelter of God Shri Krishna by leaving his egoistic attitude and apologized. On seventh day, God Shri Krishna re-placed the Goverdhan hill and since then Goverdhan pooja is celebrated by numerous devotees every year by remembering that day.
