Goverdhan Festival is celebrated on the next day of Diwali. In the year 2024, it will be celebrated on 26th October, Pratipad Tithi of Kartik Shukla Paksha. It is celebrated with full faith and devotion. Annakut Festival is also celebrated on this day. Both the festivals are celebrated on the same day and both of them have their own significance. Goverdhan Puja is specially celebrated at the birth place of Krishna or the places linked with him.

It is celebrated in Kashi, Gokul, Vrindavan etc. Goverdhan mountain is created in the courtyard of the house. In Brij, the birth place of lord Krishna, this festival is celebrated with full enthusiasm. Here statue of lord Krishna raising the Goverdhan mountain, cows, calves, Gopies etc are created. And they are decorate with the feathers of peacock.

And lord Goverdhan is worshipped asking him- to protect Gokul, lord Krishna had raised you on his shoulders. Bestow me with wealth and happiness. This day is celebrated as the cow day.It is believed, serving cows on this day gives favorable results. In some areas, cow is made to have bath in the morning and decorated with saffron, Akshatm, garlands etc.

On the festival of Goverdhan, cows and bulls are decorated and a small mountain of cow dung is created for worshipping. On the cow dung, Kheel, Batashe and toys made of sugar are offered.

This festival is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm in Mathura and Vrindavan. Navedy of Chappan Bhog (56 food items) are offered to lord, in the evening.

Goverdhan Fast Story

There is a famous story regarding Goverdhan Puja. Story is of the time when lord Krishna used to take cows for feeding with all the Gopies and Gwals. When lord reached the Goverdhan mountain then Gopies prepared 56 types of food and started singing and dancing. On asking, lord came to know that it was done to worship lord Indra. God Indra shall to the welfare of village on getting pleased. Which will result in the growing of crops. Lord Krishna told them, their mountains were better as they gave food to their cows.

People of Brij followed the words of lord Krishna and started worshipping Goverdhan mountain. God Indra became angry on seeing that the public was worshipping Goverdhan mountain instead of worshipping him. So, he ordered clouds to fall rain on Gokul so that life gets destroyed.

Could followed the order and rained heavily on the land of Brij. Everyone got scared by seeing this. All of them approached lord Krishna, and lord said them to reach the shelter of Goverdhan mountain. Lord Krishna raised the mountain on his little finger. Public of Brij ran and went under the Goverdhan mountain. Not even a single drop fell of the people of Brij. Seeing this, Indra Dev realized his mistake and asked forgiveness from lord Krishna. After 7 days, lord Krishna kept down the mountain and asked the public of Brij to worship Goverdhan and Annakut every year. Since then, Goverdhan festival is celebrated on this day.

Annakut Festival

Annakut festival is also related with Goverdhan festival. This day 56 kinds vegetables are mixed to prepare food which is called 56 Bhog. This day is celebrated as the thanks giving to the nature. It is believed that just by organising and visiting this festival, a person never faces the lack of food. He always has the grace of Annapurna.

Annakut is the day of having collective food or in gathering. In this, whole family and society people prepare offerings for lord in a common kitchen and later take it in form of Prasaad. In almost all the temples of Kashi, there is a tradition of celebrating Annakut in Kartik Masa. In Vishwanath temple of Kashi, delicious food items, Shivalaya of ladoos are made on this day.