Puri: ‘Gopashtami’ is one of the prominent festivals among the Vaishnavites that is celebrated to worship the cows who are most favourite animals of Lord Krishna. This year, Gopashtami was celebrated in Odisha’s Puri on Tuesday.
On this occasion, people worship the cows by applying turmeric and kumkum to them and offer ‘satvik’ (pious) food including cooked items. This festival is celebrated on the Ashtami (eighth day) of ‘Shukla Paksha’ (bright fortnight) in Kartik month, as per the Hindu calendar.
It is believed that worshipping Lord Krishna, who is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, on this very special day of Gopashtami brings peace, prosperity, well-being and wealth to the devotees.
Significance of Gopashtami
According to Hindu mythology, once Lord Indra got furious with the people of Brajbhumi where Lord Krishna spent his childhood and showered heavy rains to punish them. To save the people of his village, child Krishna lifted the Govardhan mountain on his little finger. After holding the mountain for seven days, Lord Indra realised that Krishna was the Lord Vishnu himself and stopped the rain.
He went to seek forgiveness from Krishna on the eighth day when Surabhi cow showered milk on Lord Indra and Lord Krishna and declared Krishna as Govinda meaning the Lord of cows. Since then, Gopashtami is celebrated and holds great importance for the devotees of Lord Krishna.
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