Govardhan Puja: An Important Part of the Celebrations of Diwali

Goverdhan puja it is also known as Hindu festival in which devotees prepare and offer a large variety of vegetarian food to the murtis of Paramatma(God) as a mark of gratitude. Devotees offer a mountain of food, metaphorically representing the Govardhan hill, to God as a ritual remembrance and to renew their faith in taking refuge in God. There are many variants of how Govardhan Puja is performed. One ritual involves making small mounds of cow dung or dirt symbolizing Mount Govardhan, which are then adorned with flowers and later worshiped by circumambulating around them. As described in the Bhagavata Purana , Govardhan Puja is chiefly identified with Krishna lifting the Govardhan Hill on his finger to protect those who sought his refuge from Indra’s torrential rage.