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Govardhan-Puja is a festival to worship Lord Krishna and Govardhan Parvat or Mount Govardhan. It is widely celebrated in the northern part of India. This is the fourth day of Diwali and is celebrated in commemoration of lifting the mountain Govardhan byLord Krishna on his finger tip.

The day is to worship Govardhan mountain which is said to have saved its’ inhabitants from incessant rains. It symbolizes the importance of nature in our lives.
The festival is also known as "Bali Padyami". On this day King Bali who was killed by Lord Rama would come out of Patala Loke and rule Bhuloke as per the boon given by Lord Vishnu.
Govardhan Puja Legends :
People were afraid that the downpour was a result of their neglect of Indra. But Krishna assured them that no harm would befall them. He lifted Mount Govardhan with his little finger and sheltered men and beasts from the rain. This gave him the epithet Govardhandhari or Girdhari. After this, Indra accepted the supremacy of Krishna.


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Diwali is one of the most popular and liked Indian festival. This beautiful festival of light is celebrated by all the Indians around the globe. Lakshmi Pooja is one of the most important features of Diwali celebrations. Lakshmi, who is considered the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth, is worshipped on the occasion of Diwali to bring prosperity in the family. She is also worshiped to achieve success and fortune. It is however said that she does not reside long with anyone who is lazy and untidy or desire her only as wealth. That is why before the Lakshmi Pooja, people actively clean their home and worship her with immense devotion.

Lakshmi was the daughter of the sage Bhrigu and took refuge in the ocean of milk when the gods were sent into exile. Lakshmi was reborn during the Churning of the Ocean. As soon as the gods saw Lakshmi, they all fell in love with her beauty. Shiva claimed Lakshmi as his wife, but since he had already taken the Moon, her hand was given to Vishnu, whom Lakshmi herself preferred.

Lakshmi is the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth. While Laxmi is generally worshiped to achieve success, she does not reside long with anyone who is lazy or desire her only as wealth.


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Dhanteras

Dhanteras marks the first day of five-days-long Diwali Festival. The festival of Dhanteras is also known as Dhantrayodashi and Dhanvantari Trayodashi (Dhanwantari Trayodashi). This festival marks the beginning of the Diwali celebrations and that is why, it is considered the first day of five days long festivities of Diwali. The term 'Dhanteras' consists of two factors 'dhan', which means wealth and 'teras', which means thirteenth. Here thirteenth is meant to indicate the day 'Trayodashi', i.e. the thirteenth day of the month on which Dhanteras falls. Dhanvantari Trayodashi (Dhanwantari Trayodashi) is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksha, of the Hindu month of Kartik, which is two days before Diwali.


There are several popular legendary stories to explain the foundation of this celebration. One famous story is about Lord Dhanvantari and his service to mankind. Lord Dhanvantari, who is considered to be the physician of Gods and an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, came out of the ocean that was churned by the Gods and the demons on the day of Dhanteras. Lord Dhanvantari appeared with Ayurvedic for the welfare of the mankind. It was because of this reason that the Dhanteras was celebrated in his honor.

Another interesting story famous about Dhanteras is related to the son of King Hima and his intelligent wife. It was predicted about King Hima that he would die on the fourth day of his marriage and the reason behind his death would be snakebite. When his wife came to know about such a prediction she decided not to let her husband die and for this she made a plan. On the fourth day of their marriage she collected all the jewelery and wealth at the entrance of her husband's boudoir and lighted lamps all around the place and started telling stories and singing songs one after another in order to not let her husband sleep.

In the mid night Lord Yama, the God of death arrived there in guise of a snake. The bright lights of the lamps lit by the wife of the king's son blinded his eyes and he could not enter their chamber. Therefore, Lord Yama found a place to stay comfortable on top of the heap of the jewelry and wealth and kept sitting there for the whole night waiting to get a chance to bite the king's son but as the wife of the king's son kept telling stories and singing songs for the whole night therefore he could not get any chance and in the morning he left the place quietly. Thus, the wife saved her husband's life from the cruel clutches of death. Since then the day of dhanteras is also known as the day of 'Yamadeepdaan' and it has become a tradition to light a diya on dhanteras and to keep it burning throughout the night in reverential adoration of Lord Yama, the God of death.

As the name of this festival suggests 'Deepavali', the meaning of this festival lies in its name only. The festival marks the victory of good over evil. The Sanskrit word Deepavali means display or cluster of lights that stands for victory of brightness over darkness. Good over Evil. As the knowledge of Sanskrit diminished with the passage of time, the name was popularly modified to Diwali in it's present form.
Diwali is celebrated for five consecutive days in the Hindu month of Ashvin or Ashwayuja It usually occurs or falls in October/November, and is one of the most popular and eagerly awaited hindu festivals of India. It's significance is equal for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs alike as every one celebrate it with full fervour. Diwali falls on 'Amavasyaa' when there is no moon rise in the night and there is darkness all around. Light being the symbol of hope and positve vibes and things, symbolizes the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.