The day after Diwali is for relaxing, recouping and well hangovers, right? Hell no. The day after Diwali is about Govardhan puja which means Annakut ka prasad which means best meal ever. Iskcon temple hosts the feast of the year for the hungry, and we’re starving.
Everybody is welcome to enjoy a great big lunch from 1 PM to 3:30 PM. That’s probably breakfast the day after Diwali. The Delhi Iskcon is a vision. Their food hall is beautiful too. People sit in rows and are presented with as much as their heart desires. Just one rule, no wasting. Sometimes they might even allow you to pack and take the deliciousness home for a second meal or for those who couldn’t make it. Festive cheer is all about sharing.
What is it
Chappan Bhog time! We love mandir food. It’s prepared with love and blessings, but it tastes like sugar, spice, everything nice and chemical X. We surely feel like Powerpuff Girls after feasting.
Fat puris, yummiest mix vegetable, thick spicy mixed grain khichdi, pakodhi ki kadhi, and kheer. Let’s be real guys, there’s no way 56 items can be served in bhog. But 56 ingredients are actually offered to the Gods at Govardhana parvat. The mountain is a festival itself, decked in flowers for thousands of devotees. All the temples cross country have their own rendition of the prasad and the mythology. But they kind of all coincide and coexist. Just head to your nearest if Iskcon is too much too far.
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Legend has it
The story goes that Hanuman was flying a mountain down for the bridge to Lanka. On his way, he was told the bridge was done already. So, he just casually left the mountain at a random place. A deity who lived on the mountain politely asked Hanuman why he didn’t return it to its original spot. So, Hanuman did some great damage control saying this mountain shall be graced by Lord Krishna and worshipped forever. You know how Amitabh Bachchan gets the ‘keh diya bas keh diya’ from these guys, right?
Turns out this deity was Govardhana, himself an incarnation of Natkhat Nandlal, who fulfilled Hanuman’s decree in the age of Dvapara. Krishna held up the mountain on his left pinky for seven days to protect Vrindavan from Lord Indra’s rage. Krishna crushed his ego since his thunderstorms did nothing to people’s crops. He surrendered and then there was food. Since then Govardhan puja has evolved into the feast of the year. Come one come all!
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We love being Indian. Tradition rich translates to celebration abundant. Just when you thought the fun is over, we have brought more food into your lives. We know you love us. In the end however, we are all united because of food and we are grateful. Our alarms and reminders have been set. Do it now otherwise oversleeping will steal another eating opportunity from your life!
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