How to Do Govardhan Puja at Home: A Step-by-Step Guide

Performing Govardhan Puja brings prosperity and strengthens our loving relationship with Lord Krishna. Just like Lord Krishna honours Govardhan Hill by worshiping it, we too can perform Govardhan Puja at home to express our gratitude. This complete puja guide will help you to worship Giriraj Govardhan at your home with simple steps.

Govardhan Puja Samagri for Home Worship

Here is the complete Govardhan Puja Samagri list for home worship. Keep the following items ready before beginning Govardhan Puja. The list covers the puja items with their purpose.

Items	Purpose
Cow dung or clean clay	To make a small Govardhan Hill
Cooked rice or sweets	An alternative for making the hill if cow dung or clay is unavailable
Large tray or wooden board	To place the Govardhan Hill
Lord Krishna’s picture or deity	To offer worship to Krishna
Fresh flowers and garlands	To decorate Govardhan and offer during worship
Green grass and small twigs	To decorate the hill
Small cow and cowherd figures, optional	To place around the hill
Sandalwood paste	To apply tilak to Govardhan
Roli and unbroken rice grains, optional	To offer according to family tradition
Tulsi leaves, if available	To place on the food offered to Krishna
Clean water, a small vessel and spoon	To offer water during worship
Diya, ghee, cotton wicks and matches	To light the lamp and perform aarti
Incense sticks	To offer fragrance during worship
Aarti plate and bell	To perform aarti
Plates and bowls	To serve the bhog
Seasonal fruits and sweets	To offer as bhog
Milk, curd, butter and mishri	To offer as bhog to Krishna
Rice, dal, vegetables, puris or rotis, and kheer	To prepare the Annakut offering
A lota of water, optional	To pour a thin stream during parikrama, according to family tradition
Fresh green fodder	To feed cows during Gau Seva

Prepare a variety of dishes and milk preparations, and offer them to Govardhan Hill. Engage everyone in the Govardhan Puja and worship Lord Krishna with great enthusiasm and love.

Steps to Perform Govardhan Puja at Home

Follow these simple steps to perform Govardhan Puja at home. Perform each step with care and love, and offer it with a feeling of gratitude towards Govardhan Hill and Lord Krishna.

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Step 1: Prepare Yourself and the Worship Space
Wake up in Brahma Muhurat, take a bath, and wear clean clothes. Clean your home altar or courtyard and keep the puja items nearby.
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Step 2: Make and Decorate Govardhan Hill
Make a small Govardhan Hill from clean clay or cow dung and place it on the wooden board in the courtyard. Make sure enough space around the hill for parikrama. Decorate the hill with flowers, grass, small twigs, and place small cowherd figures around it.
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Step 3: Place Krishna and Make a Sankalp
Place Lord Krishna’s picture or deity near Govardhan Hill and express your intention, or sankalp, to perform the worship.
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Step 4: Offer Water, Tilak and Flowers
Offer water and flowers, and apply sandalwood paste tilak on Govardhan Hill. Offer roli and unbroken rice grains if these are used in your family tradition.

Some families place a small bowl within the Govardhan figure and offer milk, curd, honey, Gangajal, and patasha into it. Include this custom only if your family follows it, keeping the bowl’s contents separate from cow dung or clay.
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Step 5: Offer the Annakut Bhog
Cook a variety of dishes without onion and garlic and offer them with Tulsi leaves placed on each item. Annakut food offerings like rice, dal, vegetables, puris, kheer, fruits, and sweets can be prepared.
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Step 6: Offer Incense and Perform Aarti
Offer incense sticks, ghee lamps, and perform Govardhan Aarti while ringing the bell. Sing the bhajans and prayers that glorify Giriraj Govardhan or chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
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Step 7: Perform Govardhan Parikrama
Perform a Parikrama around Govardhan Hill, while chanting bhajans dedicated to Giriraj Govardhan. If your family follows the custom, pour a thin stream of water from a lota during parikrama. Do this where the water can drain without making the walking area slippery.
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Step 8: Offer Closing Prayers and Share Prasadam
Offer respectful obeisances and pray for devotion and shelter at the feet of Lord Krishna and Giriraj Govardhan. After completing the worship, distribute the Annakut prasadam among family members, neighbours and animals.

Gau Seva After the Puja

Visit a nearby goshala to offer service to cows. Offer fresh green fodder and health care to the cows. Feeding cows is an important part of Govardhan worship, mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.24.28.

Conclusion

With the simple household samagri and simple steps, you can perform Govardhan Puja at home with your family. Whether you prepare a few dishes or a large Annakut offering, offer everything with love and devotion. Complete the puja with aarti, parikrama, and prayers to Lord Krishna and Giriraj Govardhan, then share the prasadam with everyone.