It is said that in the times when Krishna was still a
child, cowherd men used to worship Indra as the God of Rain and
performed sacrifices to appease him. When Krishna came to know this, he
refused to participate in the event saying that there is only one
Supreme God and if it is necessary to worship someone, it is indeed
Govardhana Hill, for it fulfils many of their necessities. The convinced
villagers offered all the sacrifices intended for Indra to Govardhana
Hill. Krishna impersonated as the Govardhan Himself and began consuming
whatever was offered to him. The villagers rejoiced to see their new
deity being so king to them and eager to accept their worshipping. Even
today, devotees take rocks from Govardhana Hill and worship them as Lord
Krishna.
When Indra came to know of the event, he was infuriated. He sent
torrents of rain upon Vrindavana. The frightened villagers asked help
from Krishna, their savior. Krishna easily lifted Govardhana Hill with
his little finger and held it over the residents of Vrindavana like an
umbrella, where they lived comfortably for a week. The baffled Indra's
pride was shattered and he understood his mistake. Hestopped the rain
and humbly came to Krishna to ask his forgiveness, bringing Surabhi cow
as a gift to him. Since then, Govardhana Hill is worshipped on the day
after Diwali, known as Govardhan Puja. This day is also known as
Annakuta because of the large amounts and varieties of food prepared on
this day. In Vrindavan, all the temples prepare huge quantities of food
on this day and distribute it to general public.
Govardhana/Govardhan Puja is an important
religious event in Mathura city of India.