Indra Puja

Airavata’s Footprint
It is mentioned in the Bhakti-ratnakara, that when Indra came to offer his obeisance’s to Krishna and beg forgiveness for his dastardly offence of trying to devastate Vrindavana with torrents of rain, Indra’s elephant carrier named Airavata, stood at this place to offer his own respects to Krishna and left behind his footprint on one of the rocks from Govardhana Hill.

Indra Puja
This is place where the king of heaven Indra, came before Krishna to offer his humble obeisance’s and beg forgiveness for his offence in daring to challenge the Supreme Lord’s authority and for attempting to punish the Vrajavasis for not worshiping him. It is said that Krishna was walking on Govardhana Hill when Indra arrived there with Surabhi Devi, the mother-goddess of cows, and his elephant carrier Airavata, having just walked all the way from Raheja, barefoot, as a penance. Surabhi Devi spoke first and requested Krishna to forgive Indra his offences and while doing so it is said that she bathed the lotus feet of the Lord with milk. After Krishna agreed to Surabhi Devi’s request, Indra stepped forward and threw himself on the ground before the Lord and offered his heart-felt prayers while at the same time shedding a torrent of tears.

Some say that Indra performed a puja to Krishna at this place and made various other offerings including fifty-six different types of food preparations known as capanabhoga. The followers of the Vallabhacharya sampradaya believe this is the spot where Indra stood when he performed his abhisheka of Krishna, but there is no shastric evidence to substantiate this claim. It is very well documented that the place where Indra performed abhisheka was at Govinda-kunda.

-Adapted from Vraja Mandala Parikrama by Sri Rajasekhara Dasa Brahmachari.