Govardhan Puja, falling the day after the main Diwali night, commemorates one of Krishna's most quietly significant acts as a child in Vrindavan — lifting the entire Govardhan Hil…
Govardhan Puja has ancient roots tied to the Krishna-Govardhan legend from the Bhagavata Purana, observed as part of the wider five-day Diwali sequence for many centuries, with particular significance in Mathura and Vrindavan given their direct connection to the events the festival commemorates.
The festival commemorates Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill to protect Vrindavan from Indra's wrath, and celebrates gratitude toward the earth and natural world through the ritual construction and worship of small cow-dung representations of the hill.
When Krishna persuaded the villagers of Vrindavan to redirect their worship from Indra to Govardhan Hill and the land that sustained them, an enraged Indra unleashed torrential rains intended to flood and destroy the village — but Krishna lifted the entire hill on his little finger, holding it aloft for seven days as shelter for the villagers and their cattle until Indra, humbled, relented and acknowledged Krishna's divinity.
Particularly significant in Mathura and Vrindavan given their direct connection to the Govardhan legend, with the actual Govardhan Hill itself remaining a significant pilgrimage site; the festival is also observed as New Year celebrations in Gujarat, where new business account books are traditionally opened on this date.
Devotees build small hill-shaped representations of Govardhan using cow dung, decorated with flowers and small figures representing cattle and villagers, and perform worship (Govardhan Puja) before them; in many households an elaborate array of food offerings, Annakut, is prepared and offered.
A small cow-dung representation of Govardhan Hill is constructed and worshipped, often accompanied by Annakut, an elaborate offering of many different food dishes presented together as a symbolic mountain of abundance.
The cow-dung Govardhan representations are decorated with flowers and small figures, while homes maintain the broader lamp-lit decoration established across the wider Diwali festival period.
Annakut, meaning "mountain of food," involves preparing and offering a large and varied spread of dishes together, symbolically representing the abundance Govardhan Hill provided to the sheltered villagers.
2026 date: November 9 (Monday). Falls the day after the main Diwali night.
