Govardhan Poojan Katha

The Fourth day of diwali festival is Govardhan or Bali Pratipada also known as Varshapratipada which marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya and Vikaram-Samvat (Hindu Calendar) was started from this Padwa day. 

Govardhan Pooja is performed on this day. As the legend goes the people of Gokul used to celebrate a festival in honor of Lord Indra and worshipped him after the end of every monsoon season but one particular year the young Krishna stopped them from offering prayers to Lord Indra who in terrific anger sent a deluge to submerge Gokul. But Krishna saved his Gokul by lifting up the Govardhan mountain and holding it over the people as an umbrella.

Govardhan is a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura and on this day of Pratipada people of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar build cowdung, hillocks, decorate them with flowers and then worship them.