Why Lord Krishna Lifted The Govardhan Mountain On His Little Finger

Govardhana is a 8km long hill located near the town of Vrindavana in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. It is believed that thousands of years ago, Lord Krishna lifted up this hill and held it over His head with his little finger for 7 days to protect the inhabitants of the town from the wrath of rain God Indra.

It was customary for the people of Vrindavan to pay annuual tribute and obeisance to Indra for bringing them good vegetation and greenery, thus providing them and their cattle with abundant food. When Krishna saw the preparation for this annual event, he debated with his father and the villagers whether this was indeed necessary. He felt that all human beings should merely do their 'dharma' to the best of their ability and not pray or conduct sacrifices for natural phenomenon. He told them to worship the Govardhan mountain as it was His own manifestation. The villagers were convinced by Krishna's words and they start performing a Yagna to the Govardhan hill which gave them herbs, firewood, and indeed their livelihood. Indra got incensed and he called Vayu and Varuna to disrupt the Yagna. A great storm broke out at Vrindavan and was followed by a heavy downpour. The rains lasted for seven days and seven nights. Krishna lifted the Govardhan giri and balanced it on His little finger. Under this umbrella, all the people assembled and were protected from the ferocity of the rain.

Indra realized his folly and asked Krishna for his forgiveness.

The Thiruppuagazh that mentions the event: Thagara naRumalar (http://thiruppugazh-nectar.blogspot.in/2013/07/thagaranarumalar.html)