Govardhan Puja, Govardhan hill, Uttar Pradesh

Govardhan Puja (Govardhana-pūjā), also known as Annakut or Annakoot (meaning a “mountain of food”), is a Hindu festival celebrated on the first lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartika, on the fourth day of Diwali. Devotees worship Govardhan Hill and prepare and offer a large variety of vegetarian food to Krishna as a mark of gratitude. For Vaishnavas, this day commemorates the incident in the Bhagavata Purana when Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill to provide the villagers of Vrindavan shelter from torrential rains. This incident symbolizes God offering protection to devotees who take singular refuge in him. Devotees offer a mountain of food, metaphorically representing the Govardhan Hill, to God as a ritual remembrance and to renew their faith in taking refuge in God. The festival is observed by most of Hindu denominations all over India and abroad.

It is an important festival in Vaishanava sects, such as the Pushtimarg Sampradaya, Gaudiya Sampradaya and Swaminarayan Sampradaya.

Govardhan Hill (Sanskrit: गोवर्धन पर्वत; Govardhana Parvata; Pronunciation: [ɡoʋəɾdʱən]), also called Mount Govardhana and Giriraj, is a sacred Hindu site in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India on an 8 km long hill located in the area of Govardhan and Radha Kund, which is about 21 kilometres (13 mi) from Vrindavan. It is the sacred centre of Braj and is identified as a natural form of Krishna, the Govardhana Shila.

Etymology
The name ‘Govardhana’ has two primary translations. In the literal meaning, ‘Go’ translates to ‘cows’, and ‘vardhana’ translates to ‘nourishment’. Another meaning of ‘Go’ is ‘the senses’ and ‘vardhana’ can also mean ‘to increase’ – thus the name is also translated by devotees of Krishna as ‘that which increases the senses’ in their attraction to Krishna. In this connection, it is believed that the personality of Govardhan blesses the devotee by increasing his devotion (bhakti).

Geography
Govardhan Hill, stretching from Radha Kund to south of Govardhan, is a long ridge that, at its highest, stands 100 feet (30 m) above the surrounding land. At the southern end of the hill is the village of Punchari, while at the crest stand the villages of Aanyor and Jatipura. The parikarma path of Govardhan hill is intersected by some part of district Bharatpur of Rajasthan.

Background
Govardhan Hill is considered a sacred site because it is the setting for many legends relating to the life of Lord Krishna, the deity believed to be embodied in the earth of the hill. Krishna and his brother Balarama are said to have spent many happy hours roaming among its shade providing groves, pools, caves and lush cow-pastures. An Eden-like sanctuary, the area’s waterfalls, garden-grove (van), arbour (nikunj), water tank (kund), and flora are depicted in scenes of Krishna’s adventures with Radha.