The date for Govardhan Puja 2026 in India will be Tuesday, 10th November 2026. It takes place on Kartik Shukla Pratipada, which is the very first day of the bright fortnight of Kartik month, falling just after Diwali Amavasya.

Please remember that the timings will vary according to the rise of the sun at your place and the Panchang that you use. Some Panchangs also mention Monday, 9 November 2026, in particular, for devotees who live in the USA and the UK since the tithi starts one day prior to sunrise in their localities.

The festival that commemorates the lifting of Govardhan hill on his small finger by Lord Krishna to save the people of Braj from the wrath of Lord Indra is known as Govardhan Puja. This festival is alternatively known as Annakut or a mountain of food, since it is believed that devotees make and offer a great variety of food to the Lord.

This same day is referred to differently in various regions:

• Annakut - Mathura, Vrindavan, Nathdwara and rest of north India

• Padwa (Diwali Padwa) - Maharashtra

• Bali Pratipada or Bali Padyami - Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and rest of south India

• Bestu Varas (Gujarati New Year) - Gujarat, marking the beginning of their new year

The pride of Indra

In Gokul and Braj, people would annually worship Lord Indra, the God of Rain, and believe that his showers would ensure the greening of their lands and feeding of their cows. Arrogant and pleased by this adoration, Indra became proud.

Krishna’s gentle question

The young Krishna asked the villagers why they chose to worship Lord Indra and reminded them that it was not him but the Govardhan Hill that provided them with grass for their cows, fruits and shady spots in the forests and the fertile soil of the land. He told them to worship Govardhan and their cows.

Indra’s anger

Indra heard about this and got very angry at the villagers. He decided to punish them for it and sent storms and heavy rain over Braj. The people became frightened and their village was under threat.

The lifting of Govardhan

The calm Krishna lifted the whole of the Govardhan Hill and placed it on the little finger of his left hand, inviting everyone along with their cattle to take cover under it. It rained continuously for seven days and nights.

Humility of Indra

Finally, Indra understood his fault and stopped the rain, apologized to Lord Krishna and requested his pardon. The people came out safely and Lord Krishna restored the hill at its place.

Lesson of the katha story: Humility wins, pride is punished. We should be grateful to nature, cows and the land which provides food for us. Together we can face any difficulty with faith.

Message conveyed by Govardhan Puja which resonates till date is as follows:

• Gratitude towards Nature: Govardhan Puja day teaches people to appreciate nature’s bounty in the form of hills, rivers, forest, soil and animals.

• Reverence towards Cow: Cows are worshipped during the festival as givers of milk and abundant source of nourishment.

• Humility beats pride: This festival conveys a message to people to stay humble and devoted.

• Community spirit: Annakut involves offerings made to the Almighty which are distributed among all to ensure that none goes without.

• Faith in protection of Lord Krishna: Devotees seek protection of Krishna for good health and happiness at home.

• Beginning of a new era: In many regions including Gujarat, this day marks the beginning of the new year; hence, people start their new books and businesses post prayers.

The word Annakut means "a mountain of grains and food". On Annakut Day, the temples and households prepare various foods and present the same arranged like a mountain before the god as an embodiment of Govardhan.

In most temples, particularly in Mathura, Vrindavan and Nathdwara, 56 Bhog or Chappan Bhog is prepared. This includes sweet, salty, rice preparations, kadhi, vegetables, fruits, dry fruits, milk products and much more. The ritual is based on the legend according to which Krishna used to have 8 meals a day. Since he did not eat anything during the period when he kept the mountain up for 7 days, 56 dishes were offered to him in love out of gratitude.

At home, there is no need to make 56 bhogs. Prepare whatever you can offer with love: kadhi, rice, puri, fresh vegetables, sweet and fruits.

Here is an easy way of performing Govardhan Puja at home.

1. Get up early and take a bath. Get up early and bathe followed by wearing new clothes.

2. Make Govardhan Parvat. In the courtyard, on the balcony or wherever you have your puja room, make a little structure of Govardhan Parvat using cow dung, if it is available. Otherwise, you can make it using clay, dough made from wheat flour or a picture of Govardhan Parvat. Keep a little structure of Lord Krishna in between along with cows, cowherds and trees.

3. Decorate the Govardhan. Decorate it with flowers, rangoli, little diyas, leaves, sugar toys and sweets.

4. Take the sankalp. Sit in front of the Govardhan and take some water in your right hand and resolve to perform the puja sincerely.

5. Offer the puja items. Offer roli, akshat, flowers, agarbatti, ghee lamp, tulsi leaves, milk, curd, honey and sweets.

6. Offer the Annakut. Put all the things prepared in front of Govardhan Parvat and Lord Krishna as bhog.

7. Worship the cows. Clean and decorate the cows with garlands, tilak and colors if they are available to you. Feed the cows some green grass, jaggery, fruits and/or chapati.

8. Do the parikrama. Go around the idol of Govardhan seven times, or even three times at least, chanting the name of Krishna and singing bhajans.

9. Do the aarti. Do the aarti of Giriraj Govardhan and Lord Krishna and also sing the Giriraj aarti or Krishna bhajans.

10. Distribute the prasad. Distribute the prasad of Annakut among your family members, neighbors, cows and poor people. Sharing food is an important part of the festival.

• Cow dung (or clay or dough) to make Govardhan

• Small figures or pictures of Krishna, cows and cowherds

• Roli, akshat (rice), turmeric and sandalwood paste

• Flowers, garlands, tulsi leaves and durva grass

• Ghee, wicks and clay diyas

• Incense sticks and camphor

• Milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar (panchamrit)

• Batasha, sweets, fruits and dry fruits

• Annakut food: kadhi, rice, puri, vegetables, sweets

• Green fodder and jaggery for cows

• ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय (Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya)

• हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे । हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे (Hare Krishna Maha Mantra)

• राधे कृष्ण राधे कृष्ण and जय गिरिराज धरण की जय (devotional chants)

• गिरिराज जी की आरती (Giriraj aarti)

Chant calmly and with devotion; the feeling matters more than the number of repetitions.

In Govardhan, which is situated near Mathura, lakhs of devotees conduct a 21 km long Govardhan Parikrama walk around the sacred mountain. During the parikrama, devotees chant “Giriraj Maharaj ki Jai” while walking barefoot. The parikrama can be performed symbolically at your home Govardhan even if you are not able to make a visit to Braj

• Mathura, Vrindavan and Govardhan: Offering of Grand Annakut in temples, Darshan and Parikrama of Giriraj.

• Nathdwara, Rajasthan: Annakut festival held in Shrinathji temple with huge offering of food along with cultural programs.

• Gujarat: Festival of Bestu Varas or Gujarati New Year. People go to temple, offer greetings to elders and start fresh accounting.

• Maharashtra: Celebrated as Padwa where wife applies Tilak on husband’s forehead and receives gifts.

• Karnataka and South India: Celebrated as Bali Padyami or Bali Pratipada in honor of King Bali.

• Around the world: Hindu communities organize Annakut in their temples in countries like the USA, UK, Canada and so forth.

Do

• If possible, organize the puja in the morning (Pratahkal) muhurat

• Dress up in clean clothes and ensure the place of worship is clean too

• Provide an assorted meal with lots of love and distribute it

• Worship the cows and serve them or help the gaushala

• Get blessings from elders and attend a temple

• Thank nature, family and the Almighty

Don’t

• Do not waste any food as the puja is about abundance and food reverence

• Do not eat before offering bhog to the Lord

• Avoid fighting, lying and abusing

• Avoid consumption of alcohol and meat on this day

• Do not abuse any animals, trees and the environment

• Cow feeding is done with green feed, jaggery, or chapati. This is very lucky for today.

• Donations can be made to gaushala or help in looking after cows.

• Tulsi leaves and sweets should be offered to Lord Krishna with love.

• Feed the hungry people, including children and birds.

• Tree plantation is good on this day as it shows our thankfulness to nature.

• The chanting of Lord Krishna’s names like Hare Krishna can bring us mental peace.

• Opening of accounts and starting of any venture is auspicious if one is following the Gujarati New Year.

It is not just a tale of a miracle but also a story with an underlying principle of sustainability and gratitude. In this regard, Krishna taught people to respect the mountains, forests and animals that provide them with sustenance. In today’s world, it is even more pertinent to follow the teachings of Krishna and reduce wastage of resources and respect food and nature.

When will there be Govardhan Puja in 2026?

What is the Govardhan Puja Muhurta in 2026?

Why is Govardhan Puja observed?

What is Annakut?

What is 56 Bhog (Chappan Bhog)?