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Annakut/New Year
First day of the year,
and Shrinathji appears in all his finery. Shringar and
clothes are the same as that of Divali, suggesting
continuous, cyclic, nature of time. As a special shringar
of the day, He wears a "Gokarna Mukut", originally it used
to be a turban with its ends flared out in a special way
so as to resemble the large ears of the cows. Cowherds
used to wear such turbans on special occasions. Being an
especially busy day, Shrinathji gives only two public
darshans, Mangala/ Sringar in the morning and Annakut
darshan late at night. Haveli hums noisomely with numerous
activities as everyone rushes around putting final touches
to the various sevas.
Huge quantities of food is prepared and arranged in the "Doltibari",
the main audience hall of ShriNathji's haveli. 2332.5Kg.
of rice is used to make a representation of
Govardhan-Nathji. A huge gunja, sweet cake, is placed on
top to represent Lord Vishnu and four other cakes are
placed at the corners to represent his four arms, thus
offering protection to his devotees from all four sides.
This also recalls the time when Krshna, as
Govardhan-Nathji produced many hands to eat the various
prasads offered to him by the people of Vraj. Nijmandir -
inner sanctum - mani kota and doltibari are submerged in
various edibles. In the afternoon, Navnit-Lalji once again
officiates for Shrinathji and comes to Suraj Pole with his
retinue.
In the Govardhan Puja Chowk, a miniature Mount Govardhan
is made of cowdung and a stone from the original Mountain
is placed in a specially constructed niche, called "Giri
kandara". Priests and temple servants in attendance hold a
green branches of the karen tree, representing Lord Ganesh,
so that the festival comes to a peaceful conclusion and
without any hitches.
A Goswami worships Shri Govardhan-Nathji on behalf of
Navnit-Lalji by first bathing the Lord, in his Mountain
form, with various liquids poured from a gold covered
conch. Offering the Lord dupa, arti, bhog and arti, the
puja is concluded by ritually offering Him a paan. Nandini,
along with the rest of the cows are worshipped and fed.
Once the Lord retires to the inner sanctum, Nandini is
brought in to the special enclosure and allowed to
ritually dismantle the mountain of cow-dung.
Late at night, around 8pm., the devotees are allowed to
witness the most important darshan in Pushti Marga,
Annakut. Crowds swell as people from near by towns and
villages also come for this momentous darshan. People
waiting in the queue can take over one and a half hours to
come out! The que starts at the gate of Govardhan Chowk
and winds itself through the Dholipatia, through Kamal
Chowk, in to Anar Chowk before entering the long hall
adjacent to the main audience hall - Dolti Bari. Annakut
of innumerable foods can be seen from the hall. High
gratings separated the people from the prasad. Metal
railings, specially installed, become essential when at
the end of the darshan, tribals come to loot the prasad
and often find themselves crushed in the rush as they run
around, trying to get as much prasad as possible. This
tradition, allowing the tribal folk of India access to the
first prasad of the year, goes back to Lord Krshna’s time.
Today the Lord seems much larger than ever before. The
Divine presence fills the entire inner sanctum and spills
over into the main audience chamber. Shri Vitthalnathji
and his wife Rukshmaniji join Shrinathji and
Navnit-Priyaji for this darshan. This being one of the
rare occasions when different "Nidhies" come together for
public darshans. Often Vittalnathji and his wife witness
the Govardhan puja from Dholi Patia, whislt still in their
covered palanquin, . In keeping with Rajput tradition of "purdah",
whenever the Lord travels with his beloved Swaminiji, he
always does so in a covered palanquin. If on any occasion
He has travelled alone, He invariably returns to his
beloved's chamber before daybreak, even if it means
travelling after midnight! Such is the love of the Lord
for Shri Radha! Dwarkadhisji, of Kakroli, sometimes joins
the party, and as he often comes alone, his servants have
to make a dash for Kakroli so as to reach it before dawn.
Tribals from all over the state of Mewar come to loot the
Annakut. This is a special privilege given to them since
Krshna's time when the Lord himself desired to share the
bounties of Annakut with all the people of Vraja. They
carry away heavy pots of food and stuff their large scarfs
with the rice. Many climb the ceiling high gratings to get
a darshan of the Lord. Festivities over, Navnit-Lal and
Vittalnathji return to the familiar comforts of home.
Covered in a thick cloth of red and gold embroidery,
Vittalnathji's palanquin returns with its retinue to His
haveli across the Priyatem Pole - Beloved's Gate. Divine
Lords are greeted at the entrance of their respective
havelies by "Swasti-Vachans" from the Vedas.
After a brief darshan, the Lord retires to his bed
chamber. The night still resonates with the sounds of the
festivities. Servants clean up the various halls and
courtyards. Priests put the Lords to bed and temple
singers coax them to sleep. As the lights dim in the great
haveli of the Lord, last of the devotees leave and guards
secure the innumerable doors and gates of the haveli.
Having re-enacted the lilas of the past, Lord too sleeps
in a deep slumber, tired after a particularly busy day. |
