Annakuta Is the Fourth Day of Diwali Festival

Prayers Are Offered to Govardhan Hill by Devotees of Krishna

Oct 13, 2009 Harsh Nevatia

56 items of food are prepared and offered to Govardhan Hill in a reenactment of the ritual began by Krishna. Govardhan Hill is associated with many legends.

Annakuta is the fourth day of the Diwali festival, just the day after the main Diwali day. It falls on the first day of the fortnight of the waxing moon, also known as Shukla Paksha, in the Hindu month of Kartik.

This is a very special day for the devotees of Krishna, who celebrate it as the anniversary of the day Krishna instituted the worship of the Govardhan Hill.

The Worshiping of Govardhan Hill

On the day after Diwali the residents of Vrindavan worshiped Indra. Indra was the demi-god in charge of rains and the people believed that unless he was appeased Indra would withhold the rains and ruin the crops.

Krishna claimed that a deity who showered blessings only when appeased was not worth worshiping. He suggested that they worship the Govardhan Hill instead. Govardhan means the nurturer of the cows and this name is most appropriate because the cows graze on the fertile grass that grows on the slopes of the hill. In addition, the hill protects the villages from the adverse winds and the trees on the hill provide various fruits.

All kinds of food were prepared for the celebration. The huge amount of food was taken in bullock carts to Govardhan Hill. Annakuta means “mountain of food” and aptly described the offerings taken to Govardhan hill. It is this ritual that is replicated in celebrations after Diwali day.

The complete story is given in Chapters 24 and 25 in Canto X of the Bhagavata Purana. An enraged Indra tried to inundate Vrindavan; Krishna lifted the Govardhan Hill so that the people of Vrindavan took shelter beneath it and finally a hapless Indra had to apologize.

The Rituals of Annakuta

Annakuta is celebrated privately in homes and also publicly in temples. At home usually 56 different food items are prepared and arranged in a large plate or thali. At around noon the thali is placed before an idol or image of Krishna, who represents the Govardhan Hill. Prayers are said to Govardhan Hill asking for his blessings and bhajans are sung in the deity’s praise. One of the more popular bhajan expresses the sentiment of a maiden who insists on going to the Govardhan Hill, even if no one accompanies her, because that was how Krishna decreed it. The bhajan lists several holy sites associated with Govardhan Hill.

In temples, particularly those around Vrindavan, the celebrations are on a much larger scale. The food prepared is arranged in the form of a hill and after the rituals have been completed the food is distributed to the needy. The event is celebrated even in temples outside India. In the Barsana Dham temple in Austin Texas a replica of Govardhan Hill is created. Devotees perform the “parikrama” or circumambulation around it singing bhajans and dancing with abandon. The food prepared for the occasion is offered to Govardhan Hill and then distributed among the devotees.

Govardhan in Legend and Reality

There are many legends describing how Govardhan Hill came to Braj. The one involving Sage Pulastya is most popular. Originally Giriraj, as Govardhan was then called, lived with his father Dronachala, the king of the mountains off the western coast of India. In Satya Yuga Sage Pulastya wanted to take Giriraj to Kashi. Giriraj agreed on the condition that if the sage put him down anywhere on the way then Giriraj would stay there forever.

While Pulastya was flying over Braj carrying Giriraj, the latter increased his weight manifold forcing Pulastya to put him down. Pulastya angered by this mischief of Giriraj cursed him that he would decrease by a grain the size of a mustard seed every day. But after calming down he blessed the Hill that in Dwapar Yuga Krishna would proclaim that Govardhan would be worshiped from then on.

When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went to Vrindavan in the 16th century Govardhan hill was already a shadow of its former glory. According to legend it was because of Pulastya’s curse but undoubtedly the ravages of time and man were responsible. Since then much has been done to protect it. Such is the faith of the devotees in Govardhan hill that many perform the 40 kilometer long parikrama barefoot on the sweltering tarred road.

Sources:

• Canto X; Bhagavata Purana; Accessed at SrimadBhagavatam.org.
• Sri Govardhan Puja; Accessed at Salagram.net.
• Govardhan Puja; Accessed at Barsanadham.org.

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Annakuta Thali