Govardhan Puja Vidhi · गोवर्धन पूजा विधि

How Govardhan Puja and Annakut are done the day after Diwali: making Govardhan of cow dung, the puja, the seven circuits and the offering of many dishes, as the published guides describe them.

How the puja is done

When

Govardhan Puja falls on Kartik Shukla Pratipada, the day after Diwali. Guides give morning and evening muhurats that depend on the city; see the Govardhan Puja page for the date.

Samagri to gather

Cow dung (or clay) to shape Govardhan
Flowers to decorate it
Kumkum or roli, akshat (rice), water and Ganga jal
Diyas, dhoop or incense
Naivedya: sweets, fruits and dishes for the Annakut

Before the puja

Bathe, clean the courtyard or place of worship and sprinkle Ganga jal.

The puja

Shape Govardhan hill from cow dung, or clay, in the courtyard and decorate it with flowers.
At the muhurat, light a lamp and worship Krishna and Govardhan.
Offer kumkum, water, flowers, fruits and naivedya, and show dhoop and the lamp.
Many families place a clay diya or bowl at Govardhan's navel and fill it with milk, curd, Ganga jal, honey and batashe, which is later shared as prasad.

Circling Govardhan

Walk around Govardhan seven times, with the family if you can. In some families water is poured from a lota and barley sown along the way.

Annakut and cows

Offer the Annakut, "a mountain of food": many dishes cooked for the day, then shared as prasad.
Cows, and the animals used in farming, are worshipped on this day too.
You can sing Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki for Krishna.

These steps are written in our own words; each appears in at least two of the published sources linked below, and steps found in only one source are left out. Puja customs differ by family, region and tradition; your family priest or family custom comes first.

About this text

Govardhan Puja, also called Annakut, falls the day after Diwali. It recalls how Krishna persuaded the people of Braj to worship Govardhan hill instead of Indra, and when Indra sent a deluge, lifted the hill to shelter them. The day honours the hill, the cows and the food that sustain life. This page gives the home puja as the published guides listed below describe it. Customs differ by region and community: follow your family's way where it differs.