Diwali of a Different Kind in Udaipur Villages

Whilst in Udaipur over Diwali I noticed a tradition that I had not seen before while living in India.  Outside of every village house there were 2 figures made out of cow dung and decorated with seeds and grass.  After a bit of research I found out this is an annual ritual done by the women of the land and cattle owning castes of the villages in Rajasthan and is known as the Govardhan Puja or the worship of Mount Govardhan.

On the 4th day of the festival the women collect, knead and sculpture and decorate the figures in the morning and then pray over the idols.  After this, they collect their cows and get them to crush the idols and them leave them to perish at the doorstep.  In the evening the men decorate the cows and parade them through the village.  It truely is a night to celebrate their small herd.

The women have a true love for their cows and know how important they are to their livelihood.  They do not see the dung as dirty as they use it as fertiliser, building material, as well as for burning for cooking and hear.  Knowledge of how bad this is for the environment is not well spread and not considered by these small farmers.  The cows are considered as 'family' and this annual ritual shows just how much they wish for health and longevity for all.

These figures were displayed outside every village house

nicely decorated for Diwali