Devotees Lie Under Cow Hooves in Govardhan Puja Ritual, Video Shows

A short video shared by the news portal Zamin.uz captures a striking scene from a Govardhan Puja celebration, where a group of devotees lie on the ground while cows walk over them, placing their hooves on the participants' bodies. The footage, posted on social media, has drawn attention for its unusual visual and the solemn atmosphere surrounding the ritual.

Govardhan Puja, observed the day after Diwali, commemorates the lifting of the Govardhan hill by Lord Krishna to protect villagers from torrential rain. The festival traditionally involves offering food, flowers and prayers to a symbolic hill made of cow dung, and many devotees worship cows as sacred animals.

While the practice of lying beneath a cow’s hooves is not a mainstream element of the festival, local participants described it as a personal act of devotion and surrender. No official religious authority has commented on the specific act, and observers note that such expressions, though rare, reflect the diverse ways worship can be performed across India.