India, Oct. 20 -- The morning after Diwali smells of incense and ghee, not fireworks. As homes trade sparkle for sanctity, devotees prepare for Govardhan Puja, a celebration of faith and food. Rooted in Krishna's legend and the spirit of gratitude, the day sees the Braj region come alive with the grand 56 bhog, an offering of abundance and devotion. Shailendra Goswami, a 16th-generation priest at Shri Banke Bihari Temple, Vrindavan, explains, "The Shrimad Bhagwat recounts how young Kanha, at age eight, lifted the Govardhan Parvat on his little finger for seven days to shield villagers from Indra's wrath. As gratitude, the Brijwasis offered him food, eight meals for seven days, and thus began the tradition of 56 Bhog." "Bajre ka bhaat and kadhi are essential," Goswami adds, saying, "At the Giriraj Temple in Govardhan, the largest bhog features an array of rice dishes, curd, ghee, butter, sugar, leafy vegetables, sweets, and pickles, all cooked fresh on the day of the puja." At the Maa Annapurna Temple in Varanasi, which opens only for five days each year and closes after Annakut, devotees offer 111 quintals of bhog to the Goddess of Food. "The spread includes 50 varieties of sweets and six kachcha-pakka dishes, and nearly 500 quintals are later distributed among devotees," shares temple representative Kashi Singh. In Namisharanya (UP), similar traditions continue, with temples categorising the 56 dishes - rice, puris, vegetables and sweets, before distributing the mahaprasad among devotees says, Govind Lahiri, Prabhu Jagatbandu Sunder Ashram. Across India, especially in ISKCON temples, the Annakut display is recreated with elaborate artistry. Gaur Das Prabhuji, vice president of ISKCON Dwarka, says, "We combine scriptural authenticity with devotional creativity, from colourful rice and halwas to laddus, pedas, and sandesh. The Annakut hill is shaped on a large platform with rice as the base, ringed with sugarcane 'trees' and sweet-water lakes symbolising Radha Kund and Shyam Kund." In urban homes, the emphasis today is on quality over quantity: a smaller, sattvic spread prepared with purity and intention. "It's more like a beautifully balanced thaali than a 56 bhog now," notes chef Davinder Kumar, president, Indian Culinary Forum, adding, "The essence, gratitude through food, remains the same, adapted to modern lives." Even abroad, the devotion travels with those who celebrate. "Someone in London may use kale or broccoli instead of Indian greens, or in New York, make quinoa khichdi in place of rice," he says and adds, "It's not about the ingredient list, but the intent." In Lucknow, chef Ajay Avasthi of The Piccadilly Hotel adds, "This is the season of fresh vegetables. Families chop 56 varieties, assorted saags, carrots, brinjals, greens, and cook them with mustard oil, jeera, rai and sabut laal mirch. That's our version of Annakut Bhog." In Haryana and Rajasthan, too, homes prepare bajra, kadhi, and mixed seasonal vegetables, celebrating the harvest with flavour, faith, and heartfelt gratitude....