Celebrating the Powerful Bond with God and Nature

The holy occasion of Govardhan Puja is a unique celebration. On this day, devotees celebrate their powerful bond of faith, devotion, and care with God. It is the day to seek Lord Krishna’s blessings and show our gratitude towards Him. Moreover, the festival also illustrates the importance of worshipping nature and the environment. The beautiful festival denotes how false pride shatters ultimately after facing the Higher Power. And such inspiring lessons are based on an interesting tale related to Lord Krishna on which Govardhan Puja is based.

Lord Krishna- the Saviour of Devotees

Govardhan is a small hill situated near Mathura. In ancient days, people of Gokul used to worship Lord Indra blindly by following irrational rituals and offering sacrifices to please Him. The villagers believed it is just Lord Indra who sends rain to the earth for their welfare and there is no contribution of nature in the phenomenon. People also believed if they displease Lord Indra, He will get angry and there will be no rain leading to droughts and famines.

The Rational Thinker-Lord Krishna

Lord Krishna was against this blind faith. He asked villagers not to follow the rituals without any rationale. He explained the contribution of the Govardhan Parvat and nature in bringing rain. He pursued villagers to worship the mountain as well since it plays a significant role in maintaining the balance in nature.
Now people started worshiping the Govardhan Mountain and this made Lord Indra furious. He started venting anger upon the villagers with relentless heavy rains and thunderstorms. The life of villagers came under severe threat due to heavy floods. They prayed to Lord Krishna, and He came forward to ensure the safety of His devotees.

Mighty Mountain on God’s Little Finger

He lifted the mountain on the little finger of His right hand effortlessly and asked all the villagers to gather under the mountain. The villagers took shelter under it and saved their lives. He lifted the mountain for seven days and seven nights. Now Lord Indra realized his false pride and acknowledged that Nature is equally important. He sought forgiveness from Lord Krishna and also offered His reverence to nature and the Govardhan Mountain, and since then, the tradition of Govardhan Puja came into existence.

Worship Nature and God

So, the Govardhan Puja inspires everyone to worship nature and God in order to be safe and healthy. Moreover, when someone wants to get close to nature, he embarks on a journey to the mountains. This is because no place can provide respectable environs and fresh air like a mountain does. The mountains represent good health and closeness to nature. So, celebrate the importance of hills on this day. Offer a ‘mountain’ of fresh food, representing a high hill, to Lord Krishna. Include a variety of vegetarian dishes, cereals, sweets and other savory foods of your choice in the offering. Typically, devotees offer 56 varieties of food to The Lord. The festival is also known as ‘Annakuta Puja’. Prepare ‘Annakut ki Sabzi‘on the occasion and offer it to God.

Winters are approaching. Increase your intake of greens and other fresh produce. Try to prepare greens in an iron pot as it enhances the iron and hemoglobin level in your body. By adopting healthy diet and cooking methods you can prepare yourself for the changing season.

Serve the Needy

Finally, worship Mother Cow on this auspicious day and do not forget to serve the needy. Understand that Govardhan Puja is not just a ritual. It is the acknowledgment that along with Gods and Goddesses, Nature should also be revered. So, celebrate the day soulfully seeking good health and riches from Lord Krishna and nature.
Wishes for a fulfilling Govardhan Puja!