Celebrate India Govardhan Pooja with Yatra.

.com Every traveller has at least one destination that keeps calling him back over and over again. It isnt about the destination, its tourist spots, the local people or even ones past experiences in that destination. Its just like losing your heart to someone, but not knowing why. All you know is that in that place, you never need to try hard and you are all that you truly are. For me that destination is Vrindavan. Visiting Vrindavan is similar to taking out rechargeable batteries from an electronic device and putting them into a charger; replenishing all that which has been depleted by excessive use and abuse. However, visiting the same place so frequently does raise a few eyebrows at home. The key to avoid those un-pleasantries and embarrassments is furnishing innovative and believable excuses. Like my last times excuse - Govardhan Puja. Lord Krishnas life is definitely the most eventful, when compared with the other gods in the Indian mythology.Govardhan Puja too owes its origins to one of these events. It is a festival, which is celebrated on the next day of Diwali, to worship Lord Krishna and Govardhan Parvat or Mount Govardhan. It is widely celebrated in the northern part of India. Located in Braj, near Mathura, Govardhan Parvat is a small hillock. Govardhan Puja or also called Annakut, is celebrated as the day, LordKrishna defeated Indra. The legend has it that- Upon realizing that the God of rain and thunder, Indra had become vain, Lord Krishna decided to teach him a lesson in humility. He convinced all the villagers that it was the mountain and the nature that provided nourishment to all, not Indra. Therefore they should all worship Govardhan Mountain instead of Indra. The convinced villagers offered all the sacrifices intended for Indra toGovardhan Mountain. By doing so, they invited the wrath of Indra, who punished them by sending life-threatening torrents of rain. The frightened villagers asked help from Lord Krishna, their savior. In response to this, Lord Krishna prayed to the Govardhan Mountain and then picked it up on the little finger of their right hand as an umbrella, under which all the villagers took refuge. Thus, Indra was taught a lesson and the tradition of annual Govardhan Puja was established. Since this event, Lord Krishna has also been known by another two names- Giridharand Govardhandhari. The term Govardhana has two meanings. The word Go means cows, and vardhana means nourishment. Another meaning of Go is senses and also vardhana means to increase the attachment of the senses towards Lord Krishna.To celebrate this festival, people prepare a small hillock with cow-dung and decorate it with flowers. This small hillock represents Lord Govardhan Parvat and is worshipped.

Followed by this puja, the devotees perform the Govardhana Parikrama. It is a form of worship to walk around Govardhan Hill. In theAdi Varaha Purana it is said, Anyone who performs Govardhan Parikrama will never have to take birth in this world again.It is a sacred ritual performed by many believers as spiritual purification. There is no time limit for performing this Parikrama, but for those who perform theDandavata Parikrama, an arduous form, which may take weeks and sometimes even months to complete. Dandavata Parikrama is performed by standing in one spot, offering obeisance like a stick by lying flat on the ground and then continuing, contiguously, till the entire route is covered. It is also said that some sadhus perform 108 obeisances in one spot before moving to the next. This can take a number of months to complete. This ritual of Parikrama is considered to be even better if is it done with milk. A clay pot filled with milk, with a hole at the bottom, is carried by the devotees in one hand and a pot filled with dhoop in another. An escort continuously fills up the pot with milk till theparikrama is completed. Another ritual performed on this day is called Annakut means Mountain of Food. In temples, especially in Mathura and Nathadwara, the deities are given milk bath, dressed in shining attires with ornaments of astounding diamonds, pearls, rubies and other precious stones. On this day, farming equipments and animals are also worshipped. The animals like cows and oxes are given bath and then worshipped with flowers, garlands, dhoop, sandalwood etc. After the prayers and traditional worship, innumerable varieties of delicious sweets are ceremoniously raised in the form of a mountain before the deities as Bhog and then the devotees take Prasad from it and distribute it. Govardhan Puja is a major event in Mathura and Vrindavan. Vrindavanis around 10kms from Mathura and then further 6kms inside the highway. Since time immemorial, Vrindavan has been one of the major pilgrimage destinations for all Hindus. It is believed that the location, where the city is situated today, is that very jungle in which Lord Krishna (during his childhood) and the Gokulvasis (residents of Gokul village) used to hide. A visit to Vrindavan during Govardhan Puja, could be an amazing experience. I always start my each trip with a visit to the Bihari ji temple. It is the most popular temple in Vrindavan. Lord Krishnas idol called Thakur-Ji is placed inside and it is believed that the idols eyes are truly mesmerizing. Therefore, the idol is kept hidden behind a curtain and is shown only for a few moments after regular intervals. Its quite fascinating, especially for the first timers, so do not miss it. However,Kesi Ghat on the banks of river Yamuna is my favorite spot. Most peoples idea of a good outdoor evening is either a romantic date or a visit to the coffee shop with a book or something on similar lines. You get the gist, right? However, if Delhi had a Ghat as beautiful as the one in Vrindavan, trust me, I would spend most of my evenings there. The Sandhya Aarti, held at the Ghat, is the most spellbinding religious ritual I have ever witnessed.

The illumination that emanates from the countless lamps at twilight always has a hypnotic effect on me and the chanting of the prayers is the icing on the cake. Another temple where a spectacular Sandhya Aarti takes place is the ISKCON temple. It is very popular, especially with the foreign tourists and unlike the rest of the city is very well maintained. There are so many other temples and places in Vrindavan, which are worth visiting. Celebrating Govardhan Puja at a place with religious significance and that too which has its connection with Lord Krishna, was really a memorable experience for me. I would suggest you to visit Vrindavan, to watch the splendid festivities during this festival and to feel the pious presence of Lord Krishna. Connect with Yatra.com on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as well.