Monday, November 19, 2012

Govardhana Puja and 500 Kg Cake Annakoot at Iskcon Bangalore

Govardhan Puja
This festival is celebrated to commemorate the pastime of the Lord lifting the Govardhana Hill on His little finger, in order to protect the residents of Vrindavan from torrential rains sent by Indra. The Supreme Personality of Godhead performed this pastime as a seven year old boy in order to crush the pride of Indra, the Lord of the heavens.

Lord Krishna forbade the residents of Vrindavana from worshipping Indra. He induced them to worship Govardhana Hill instead. The Govardhana Hill is not an ordinary hill. It is actually very dear to the Lord. On this day Govardhana Hill is worshipped in a small replica form, made of cooked rice and other edibles in temples all over Vrindavan. This replica of the Govardhana Hill is generally known as ‘annakoota’. Huge quantities of food are prepared in this ceremony and are very extensively distributed.

Govardhan Annakuta at ISKCON BANGALORE
Devotees worship a hill made of 100% vegetarian cake, cookies, fruits & milk sweets weighing about 600 kilograms!

Details of Annakuta
1. ‘Govardhan plum cake’ (weighing 500Kgs)
Made of refined flour, mixed fruit jam, dates, cherry, cashew nuts, raisins & butter cream icing.
2. Cookies (2000 numbers)
Three different flavors – Fresh coconut cookies, Kesar cookies, & Nan Kati biscuit.
3. Milk sweets (30 kgs)
Two hundred lotuses made of sweetened khova.
4. Fruits (15 kgs)
Bananas, apples & oranges.
The cake, cookies & sweet’s are prepared at the temple’s bakery by devotees. At the end of the ceremony the cake is distributed as prasadam to all those who are present.
The Govardhana cake is offered to the Krishna Balarama Deities. Then the Govardhana Puja pastime is narrated to the devotees. After this an arati is performed for Krishna Balarama accompanied with the singing of a song which describes Lord Krishna’s various pastimes in Vrindavan.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

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