Govardhan Puja being celebrated with full fervour

Lucknow: The festival of Govardhan Puja is being celebrated. People have started Govardhan Puja in their homes. In most of the houses worship is done with cow dung. After a day, keeping all the material of worship of Govardhan on one side, a lamp is lit on it. Experts say that this is the first time that Govardhan Puja has started after leaving a day after Deepawali. Pandit Suryakant Tiwari, the Mahant of the famous Vindhyachal temple located in Aliganj in Lucknow, told that the festival of Govardhan Puja or Annakoot is celebrated on the day of Kartik Shukla Pratipada, just a day after Deepawali. But this time there has been a solar eclipse on the next day of Deepawali, in which the worship of Govardhan is not proper.

It is believed that on this day the worship of Govardhan mountain (Giriraj ji) and cow in the form of Shri Krishna has special significance. Annakoot Mahotsav is celebrated with great enthusiasm on this day in entire Brij including Govardhan, Vrindavan and Mathura. Annakoot Festival in temples runs from Kartik Pratipada to Kartik Poornima.

Pandit Suryakant told that cow dung is very important in this worship. From this cow dung, a complete scene is made along with all the deities as a symbol. There is also a symbol of Sun, Moon, Cow in it. The view of the field, barn is also worshipped.