⚙️Annakut Festival - अन्नकूट उत्सव

❀ Annakut means anna (food) + kuta (mountain). According to the Bhagavata Purana, the villagers of Gokul used to worship Lord Indra for rain. Krishna advised them to worship Mount Govardhan, which nourished their cattle and crops.
❀ Enraged, Indra sent heavy rains to punish them. Krishna lifted the entire Govardhan mountain on his little finger for seven days, sheltering the people and animals beneath it.
❀ Realizing his mistake, Indra bowed to Krishna. Since then, devotees celebrate this triumph of faith and humility over pride.
❀ The festival highlights Krishna's teaching that faith in God and nature is greater than rituals performed out of pride (as demonstrated when he stopped people from worshipping Indra and instead worshipped Mount Govardhan).

❀ Morning Ritual: Devotees perform Govardhan Puja by creating a symbolic mountain (Govardhan) from cow dung, mud, or grains.
❀ Food offering: Hundreds of dishes – sweets, snacks, fruits, and cooked dishes – are prepared and arranged in mountain-like layers. They are offered to Lord Krishna or Govardhan Maharaj as a symbol of gratitude.
❀ Aarti and Bhajans: Devotees sing Krishna hymns and perform aarti of Lord Krishna and Govardhan Hill.
❀ Prasad Distribution: The offered food (Annakut Bhog) is later distributed among the devotees as Prasad.
❀ In Swaminarayan temples and ISKCON centers, the Annakut Darshan is particularly grand, with hundreds to thousands of dishes offered to the deities.

❀ Mathura and Vrindavan – traditional centers of Krishna worship.
❀ Mount Govardhan (Braj region) – devotees perform the Govardhan Parikrama (circumambulation of the hill).
❀ SwaminarayanAkshardham Temple (in Delhi, Ahmedabad, London, etc.) – Grand Annakut performance.
❀ ISKCON temples worldwide – Organize Govardhan Puja and Annakut Prasadam with Kirtan and Prasadam distribution.