Significance Of Chappan Bhog And Why 56 Items?? According to Hindu scriptures, people in the forest of Vrindavan followed a practice of offering lavish meals to Lord Indra - the God of rain and storm - to make sure he is pleased enough to bless them with timely rainfall and good harvest. Little Krishna found the practice to be a little harsh for the poor farmers. He convinced the entire village to stop making these offerings to Lord Indra and look after themselves. Angered by the lack of food offered, Lord Indra triggered massive rainfall and thunderstorm in Vrindavan. The storm continued for days, the houses were flooded, people were stuck. Fearing for their lives, the villagers approached little Krishna for help, who then asked everyone to proceed to the Govardhan hill.Once everyone was there, he lifted the whole hill with his little finger, and everyone came under the hill to take shelter from the rains and storm. The rain continued for seven days, and little Krishna held the hillock on his little finger all through these days. He did not move anywhere and didn't consume a single grain of food. Ultimately, Lord Indra had to stop the rains in Vrindavan. It is said Lord Krishna used to have eight meals in a day. Once the rain subsided, everyone made Lord Krishna a total of 56 dishes (eight multiplied by seven), out of gratitude. Chappan bhog is a mix of cereal, fruits, dry fruits, sweets, drinks, namkeen and pickles. Some of the common items found in the chappan bhog are makhan mishri,doodh Poha, kheer, jalebi, rabri, mathri, Poori, Ladoo, chutney, murabba, saag, dahi, rice, dal, kadi, chila, papad, moong dal ka halwa, pakoda, khichadi, sprouts sabji, poori, badam milk, tikkis, Shikanji, cashews, almonds, pistachios and elaichi among others.Janmashtami is one of the major festivals in the Indian calendar and Hindus consider this day auspicious. Some of the devotees wake up early and start preparing for the bhog right in the morning.
