Govardhan has since become a major pilgrimage site in
Braj for devotees of Krishna. On the day of Annakut, devotees circumambulate the hill and offer food to the mountain—and old ritual in Braj, established by
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The circumambulation consists of an eleven-mile trek dotted along the way with several shrines, before which devotees place flowers and other offerings. Others may circumambulate the mountain by offering
dandavats (full body prostrations) which can take ten to twelve days. Families create an image of Govardhan Hill from cow dung, adorning it with miniature cow figures as well as grass as twigs, representing trees and greenery. In the days leading up to Annakut, fifty-six food items (
chappan bhog) are typically prepared and offered in the evening. A member from the cow-herding caste officiates the ritual, circling the hill with a cow and a bull, followed by families in the village. They partake in the sanctified food after offering the food to the hill. The festival often draws a large crowd, including the
Chaube brahmins of
Mathura.
Govardhan Puja Govardhan Puja is a principal ritual performed during Annakut. Although some texts treat Govardhan Puja and Annakut as synonymous, the Govardhan Puja is one segment of the day-long Annakut festival. There are many variants of how Govardhan Puja is performed. In one variant of the ritual Krishna is made out of cow dung in horizontal position. After completing the structure, it is decorated by earthern lamps (
deepak or
diya),
seenkh (a material used for broom chaffs), and candles. After worshipping, the structure of the god is fed by devotees, and women fast. Prayers are also made to Govardhan.
Annkut Festival After Rajbhog preparations are done for Govardhan Puja. Offer tilak to Girirajji After Govardhan puja God comes to consume AnnaKut. Samagri can be offered as per capacity. (Pustimarg Sampradaya) Vast array of vegetarian foods is traditionally arranged in tiers or steps in front of the deities. Usually, the sweets are placed nearest to the deities. As the tiers descend, other foods such as
dal, vegetables, pulses, and fried savory foods are arranged. A mound of cooked grains, symbolic of Mount Govardhan, is placed in the center. In Swaminarayan shikharbaddh mandirs, sadhus begin to arrange the Annakut in the morning and finish before noon. Many Hindus throughout the world celebrate Annakut as a part of Diwali and, most frequently, pair the Annakut celebration with the Govardhan Puja performed on fourth day of Diwali celebrations. Many distinct food items, sometimes numbering in the hundreds or thousands, are offered to deities during Annakut. Although Annakut is most often associated with Krishna, other deities are also focal points. At the Shree Mahalakshmi Mandir in Mumbai, India, 56 sweets and food items are offered to Mataji and then distributed as
prasad to more than 500 devotees. The Annakut festival at BAPS mandirs is often the largest festival of the year. Visitors learn about Hinduism, offer prayers for the new year, partake in the
prasad, or sanctified food, and engage in other devotional activities. The Guinness World record for the largest Annakut ever held was on October 27, 2019 (Diwali) in BAPS Atladra Mandir in Gujarat with over 3500 vegetarian dishes.
Thaal In all
Swaminarayan mandirs, sadhus and devotees then sing
thaal -
kirtans or devotional hymns composed by the poet paramhansas of Swaminarayan. These
kirtans describe the food items, and are about praying to the deities to accept the food. The singing lasts for about an hour, and is followed by a grand
arti. In some mandirs, arti is performed several times in the day as long as the annakut offerings remain before the deities. In the evening, devotees take portions of the Annakut as
prasad, sanctified food, that has been offered to God and is received as his mercy.
Vishvakarma Puja Some craftsmen pay reverence to their tools and machinery on the day of Annakut. ==See also==