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Elaborate ‘Annakoot’ feasts mark Govardhan Puja in Braj

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Govardhan (Mathura), Oct 21 (IANS) Govardhan Puja was held in a major way in most temples of Braj, with elaborate ‘Annakoot’ or community feasts with hundreds of dishes, including sweets, namkeens and vegetables offered to Goverdhan Parbat by devotees.

Govardhan Puja commemorates the lifting of the Goverdhan hill by little Sri Krishna to protect ‘Brajbasis’ from the wrath of Indra Dev.

This year Goverdhan Puja was held for two days, stretching up to Saturday.

“Govardhan”, meaning the nurturer of cows — symbolising Lord Krishna, is worshipped during the festival.

Goswami Nandan Shrotriya of Sri Mathuradheesh temple said a specially prepared brinjal vegetable called “gadd” was in big demand as part of the Annakoot.

Annakoot draws lakhs of pilgrims from across the world to the temples in Vrindavan, Mathura, where the devouts conduct the 21-kilometre “parikrama” (circuit) of the holy hill.

“Annakoot falls on the first day of the fortnight of the waxing moon, also known as Shukla Paksha, in the Hindu month of Kartik,” elaborated Pandit Jugal Kishor, a local priest.

The district administration has made elaborate arrangements for smooth traffic and maintaining cleanliness in the region.

“The weekend crowd from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab via the Yamuna Expressway was here and big feasts were held at most of the temples,” Jagan Nath Poddar, the convener of Friends of Vrindavan, told IANS.

Govardhan hill is, as per Hindu mythology, made of cow-dung and the community offers prayers at the hill with sweets and milk.

The immersion in the river or ponds takes place the next day on “Bhai Dooj”, said another priest, Acharya Madhukar Chaturvedi.

“These days, for convenience’s sake, replicas of Govardhan hill are made on bullock carts which can be easily towed to the river the next day for immersion ceremony with lots of music, dance and the customary pujas,” he added.

In Agra, the main celebrations were centred around Belanganj, Kamla Nagar, Balkeshwar and Jaipur House.

In view of the huge demand, the vegetable prices have seen a nearly 25 per cent increase.

“For preparation of the special sabzi called “Gadd” – a kind of mixed vegetable, the families buy a wide range of common and exotic varieties of vegetables. This leads to increased demand. Besides, vegetable markets also remain closed a day after Diwali, leading to further shortage,” said Acharya Chaturvedi.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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