Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.421

c7.421

GOVARDHANA. A mountain of Ambāḍī (Gokula). This is believed to be a form of Kṛṣṇa. This is called Girirāja also. The residents of Ambāḍī from time immemorial used to worship Indra for getting rains. But after the advent of Kṛṣṇa there came a change in that belief. Kṛṣṇa told them that rains depended on Govardhana and it was enough if they worshipped that mountain and so the residents of Ambāḍī started worshipping the mountain. Indra got enraged at this and sent heavy rains to Ambāḍī intending to submerge it in water. But Śrī Kṛṣṇa lifted the mountain over Ambāḍī like an umbrella and saved the city from the wrath of Indra. See under ‘Kṛṣṇa’ for more details. (Daśama Skandha, Bhāgavata)