Govardhan Puja throughout Braj on Saturday
Throughout Braj, Saturday will be celebrated as Govardhan Puja. After the lighting of lamps on Friday for Diwali and the worshiping of Lakshmi Devi, Brijwasis everywhere will honor Giriraj Maharaj with a huge feast. This is not something that only takes place in temples, but in every home as well.
Temples in Govardhan, Jatipura, and Radha Kund will have special arrangements on this occasion and there will be a large number of pilgrims and local people doing Govardhan Parikrama.
But temples in Vrindavan, Mathura, Baldev, Gokul, Barsana and Nandagaon will also be celebrating this important day in the Vaishnava calendar. In Mathura, a “mountain of food” (anna-kuta) will be offered to the Lord at the Janma Sthan and Dwarkadhish temples.
The anna-kuta offering is usually seen as an opportunity to offer every possible kind of dish to the Lord that one can. In most houses, a miniature Govardhan made of cowdung is fashioned and decorated, and then offered worship in the evening. The worship includes pouring milk over the miniature mountain and then circumambulating it.
At the Dwarkadhis temple, one can have darshan of the Annakut from 4.00 to 8.00 in the evening. This is the only time during the year that ordinary pilgrims can have darshan of the Deity’s bhog, as offerings are otherwise always made behind the curtain. Boiled cereals of various kinds (sakadi samagri) are offered. A hillock of boiled rice is prepared and curry is offereed in huge silver vessels. Rows of sweets in big baskets or dalas decorate the steps of the jagamohan (the veranda in front of the altar). This same picture is repeated in all the temples of Braj, in one way or another.
Due to Smarta/Vaishnava calendar differences, many people will be celebrating Govardhan Puja on Sunday.
Jagadananda Das
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