Govardhan Puja
The hill Krishna lifted, the Annakut of many dishes, and thanks for the cows
Common way — most homes
Govardhan Puja, Kartika Shukla Pratipada, the day after Diwali, usually in the morning or afternoon. Muhurtha shows the day on the festival card.
About 30 minutes, plus cooking
Krishna lifted Govardhan hill to shelter Braj from Indra's rain. Families shape a small hill, offer a spread of dishes called Annakut, and walk around it. If a mantra is hard, "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" can stand in for any of them.
Prayers in this puja
Shubham Karoti ›Vakratunda Mahakaya ›Shuklambaradharam ›Mushikavahana ›Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya ›
Get ready
The day before
- Plan the Annakut: as many simple vegetarian dishes as you can manage.
- Collect cow dung if your family uses it, or clean soil or dough for the hill.
In the morning
- Shape the small hill on a clean board in the courtyard or puja place.
- Cook the dishes without tasting them first.
What you need
For Govardhan
- 1Small hill of cow dung, soil or dough
- 1Picture of Krishna
- As many as you canAnnakut dishes
- A little of eachMilk, curd and honey
- A handfulTulasi leaves and flowers
- 5Small lamps
For the altar
- 1Clean cloth to place it onRed or yellow is traditional.
- 1Puja plate (thali)
On the plate
- 1Oil lamp (diya) with a cotton wickGhee or sesame oil.
- 2Incense sticks (agarbatti)
- A pinch eachKumkum and haldi
- A littleSandal paste (chandan)No chandan? Use kumkum.
- 1 tablespoonAkshat — unbroken rice grains mixed with a little kumkum
- A handfulFresh flowers
- 1Small vessel of clean water with a spoon
- 1Small bellOptional.
To offer
- A littleFruit, jaggery, sugar crystals (mishri) or anything cooked fresh at home
- 1 or 2 piecesCamphor for the aartiOptional; the lamp can be used instead.
The puja
Settle in
Sit facing east or north before the deity on a mat or folded cloth. Keep the plate on your right. Take a breath and let the day wait for a few minutes.
Light the lamp
Light the lamp and place it to the right of the deity. Fold your hands to it.
śubhaṁ karōti kalyāṇamārōgyaṁ dhanasampadaḥ. śatrubuddhivināśāya dīpajyōtirnamō'stu tē.I bow to the flame of the lamp, which brings good fortune, well-being, health and wealth, and destroys ill will.Remember Ganesha
Every puja begins with Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Fold your hands and say the verse once.
vakratuṇḍa mahākāya sūryakōṭisamaprabha. nirvighnaṁ kuru mē dēva sarvakāryēṣu sarvadā.O Ganesha of the curved trunk and mighty form, radiant as a crore suns, keep my every work free of obstacles, always.Sankalpa — state your intention
Hold a little water, akshat and a flower in your right palm. Say your name, today's date in the Hindu calendar, and why you are doing the puja — for example, for the well-being of the family. Then let the water fall on the ground or into a plate. Tap "Make sankalpa" to read today's full sankalpa.
Dhyana — invite the deity
Close your eyes and picture the deity before you. Offer a pinch of akshat as you invite them to be present.
ōm namō bhagavatē vāsudēvāya. dhyāyāmi, āvāhayāmi.Decorate the hill
Press flowers and small twigs into the hill, and set the lamps around it. Place Krishna's picture on or beside it.
Annakut
Place all the dishes before the hill, with a tulasi leaf on each. Sprinkle water around them and offer them with folded hands.
Parikrama
Walk around the hill clockwise seven times if there is room, pouring a thin line of milk or water as you go, while chanting his name.
ōm namō bhagavatē vāsudēvāya.Deepa — the lamp
Lift the lamp and show it to the deity, circling it clockwise three times.
ōm namō bhagavatē vāsudēvāya. dīpaṁ darśayāmi.Kshama prarthana — ask forgiveness
With folded hands, ask forgiveness for anything done wrong or left out. This closes every puja.
āvāhanaṁ na jānāmi na jānāmi visarjanam. pūjāṁ caiva na jānāmi kṣamasva paramēśvara. mantrahīnaṁ kriyāhīnaṁ bhaktihīnaṁ surēśvara. yatpūjitaṁ mayā dēva paripūrṇaṁ tadastu mē.I do not know how to invite you, nor how to send you off, nor even how to worship; forgive me, O Lord. Whatever I have offered — lacking in mantra, in action or in devotion — may it be made whole.Share the food
Serve the Annakut to the family, neighbours and anyone in need. Where there are cows, offer them fresh grass and jaggery.
Fasting
No fast is required.
Good to do
- Cook extra and give it away; the day is about plenty shared.
- Thank those who feed you: farmers, cooks and cattle-keepers.
Tradition avoids
- Do not waste the food; serve only what will be eaten.
- Do not use plastic decorations on the hill.
Krishna asked people to honour what actually sustained them. A shared meal and a thought for the land are the whole puja.
Traditions vary. Follow your own family's way.