Goverdhan Pooran ( Worshipping of Mt. Goverdhan)

Goverdhan Pooran  ( Worshipping of Mt. Goverdhan)

Painting from Bhagwat Puran by Fattu, Kangra School,18th Century CE

           Lord Krishna was surprised to see that the people of Vrindavan prayed to Lord Indra, the God of rain. Instead of praying for rain, it is better to pray to the mountain which with its green cover invites the rain. He taught the people to worship the Goverdhan hill. 

           Here Fattu, the famous Kangra painter, depicts Nanda, Krishna's father, and the people circumbulating the mountain. Lord Vishnu sits on top of the mountain while Krishna and Balaram and Nanda go around the mountain.  To mark the festivities, there are musicians playing the long horn and beating the drums. Ladies are carrying water in the pots; the offering are kept on the ground. A young cowheard points to Lord Vishnu sitting on top of the hill; an old man bends and pays homage to Lord Vishnu. 

           Fattu has depicted different strata of society from the village headman, Nanda, to the cowheard, from the young child in the arms to the old man. The costumes of the people depicts the composite culture of the people. Interestingly Nanda looks like a Mughal Emperor, while the women are attired in lenhga and odhani  (the long skirts and the stoles) of Hindu womenfolk.  All the cultures and community live peacefully.  

           The story of Goverdhan pooja is a story of conservation of Nature,  of Man living harmoniously with Nature, of different strata of society living peacefully. It is a celebration of peace and harmony.