Offerings of food are made in large quantities, with families and organizations setting up street-side stalls to offer food in large quantities as a form of charity to everyone and anyone who wishes to have it. The festival is celebrated on the first lunar day of the Shukla Paksha of the month of Kartik. This day and the offering is also called ‘annakoot’. The devotees offer ‘a hill’ of food to the Lord which is a figurative representation of the Govardhan hill. The incident is from the Bhagavata Purana and is considered a symbolic representation of how God will always protect his devotees, come what may. It is believed that Lord Indra’s wrath rained on the village and the day also marks the victory of Krishna over Indra. One of the most important festivals for Vaishnavas and Hindu denominations globally, the festival commemorates the incident where Lord Krishna lifted a hill called Govardhan to protect his devotees from torrential rains that could destroy the village of Vrindavan and its people. Govardhan Puja, however, falls on the same day and is associated with a tale from Hindu mythology that revolves around Lord Krishna. The self-manifested God is worshipped on this day, especially by workers and craftsmen who directly engage in this field of work. The great city of Dwarka over which Krishna ruled is also believed to have been constructed by him.
He is believed to have created great weapons for the Gods and the palace of Indraprastha for the Pandavas. Also known as ‘Vishwakarman Day’, it celebrates the eponymous God who is considered to be the divine architect, the creator of our world, and is often associated with the term ‘swayambhu’ meaning self-manifested. The most rarely talked about festival that is a part of the five days long Diwali celebrations is Govardhan Puja. While most people associate Diwali with crackers, sweets, Lakshmi Puja, and the homecoming of Lord Rama, there are other aspects to it which people seem to miss.