Crowd of people gathered at Gaushala for Gopashtami [Photos]

BIRATNAGAR: NOV. 12 – A crowd of people had gathered at Gaushala (cowshed) in Jatuwa of Biratnagar Metropolitan City-10. Some were worshiping and some were feeding cows and oxen. As there were 175 cows in one cowshed, people from many places seemed to be serving cows and bullocks.

Maya Khatiwada of Biratnagar-8 and her mother also came to the Gaushala and were seen worshiping cows. She says that she used to come to Gaushala every year on this day to worship cows. “We come here once a year on this day to serve the cows,” she said.

Bajrang Waheti, who reached Gaushala for the service of cows, said that this is the only festival after the annual Laxmi Puja. He said that the festival of bringing and feeding cows and feeding and serving them was Gopashtami. As Lord Krishna resides in Kartik Shukla Ashtami cow, worship has been going on like this for 9000 years, says Waheti.

According to Latai Yadav, the devotees who have come for the service of cows have been offering tika, feeding what they have brought, worshiping the feet, doing Aarti (a kind of worship), circumambulating the cows by bowing down. Chairman of the Gaushala Management Committee Shankar Lal Agrawal said that Aahuti, Havan, and Purnavati are performed in Gaushala these days. He said that the priests would perform puja in the morning and complete the ritual at noon. He said that after the sacrifice, everyone would perform Aarti.

What is Gopashtami?

Kartik Shukla Ashtami is also known as Gopashtami. This date is called Gopastami as it is related to the security of Gaumata. It is believed that the names like Gwala, Gopal and Govinda are derived from the love and care of cows, which is associated with protection and security. One of the most beloved names of Lord Krishna is Govinda.

It is said that the context of Gopashtami is connected with the perspective of these names. According to religious beliefs, on the seventh day of Kartik Shukla, Lord Krishna assumed the Govardhana mountain for the protection of cowherds, herdsmen and gopinis.

It is believed that Indra himself descended from heaven to meet Lord Krishna on the day after Ashtami. At that time, Lord Indra’s anointing of Lord Krishna by Kamadhenu is mentioned in religious texts. It is believed that the name of Lord Krishna was changed to Govinda from that day onwards as Lord Krishna raised the mountain to protect the cows.

Gopashtami has been celebrated since that day of the Dwapar era. Even today, the followers of Lord Krishna are celebrating it as a special festival. Today, it is customary to congratulate and serve cows. Today, donations to Gaushala and cows are believed to provide positive energy in life.

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