गोवर्धन लीला | Govardhan Leela

In Vrindavan, Brajvasis used to offer lavish meals to Lord Indra, to make sure he blesses them with timely rainfall and good harvest. Krishna found the practice to be unnecessary for the farmers, and convinced them to stop making these offerings to Lord Indra and feed their families instead. Indra on not finding his ritualistic offerings, sent down rain and thunderstorm in Vrindavan. The rains continued for days. The Brajvasis approached Krishna for help. Krishna then asked everyone to proceed to the Govardhan hill. Once there, he lifted the whole Govardhan hill with his little finger, and all Brajvasis took shelter under it.Krishna stood there for seven days, holding the mountain on his little finger without moving. Ultimately Indra had to bow to the might of Krishna and stop the rain. Later, women of Vrindavan cooked 56 dishes for Krishna. It is said that Krishna took 8 meals in a day. Since he stood for seven days without a single morsel of food, the women decided to make up for it with a lavish chappan bhog (a meal consisting 56 items like halwa, ladoos etc.