Govardhan Puja 2026 and 2027: date, muhurat and meaning
Govardhan Puja 2026
10 November 2026
Tuesday
7 days to go
Govardhan Puja 2027
30 October 2027
Saturday
361 days to go
Quick answer
Govardhan Puja 2026 falls on Tuesday, 10 November 2026 (Delhi). Govardhan Puja, usually the day after Diwali, honours Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill with a morning puja to a small hill shaped from cow dung and an Annakut, a mountain of food offered to Krishna.
Key takeaways
- 2026: Tuesday, 10 November 2026
- 2027: Saturday, 30 October 2027
- Each year's section explains which rule gave the date and how the muhurat was cut to the tithi.
- All times are for Delhi; abroad the tithi follows local time, so the date can differ by a day.
What is Govardhan Puja?
The story comes from Braj, Krishna's childhood home near Mathura. Every year the cowherds of Gokul made offerings to Indra, the god of rain. The young Krishna asked them to worship Govardhan Hill instead, since it was the hill's grass, springs and shelter that kept their cows and families alive. Indra, offended, sent days of torrential rain to punish the village.
Krishna lifted the entire hill on his little finger and held it up like an umbrella for seven days while the villagers and their cattle sheltered beneath. Indra finally relented. The festival is a thank-you to nature, to cattle and to the food that sustains us. In Gujarat the new year, Bestu Varas, begins around this day, with people greeting each other with 'Saal Mubarak'.
How Govardhan Puja is observed
In North Indian homes the morning starts with shaping a Govardhan from cow dung in the courtyard, often as a reclining figure, decorated with flowers, cotton and small lamps. Cows and bullocks are bathed, painted and garlanded. The family then walks around the mound in a small parikrama, or circling, singing songs to Krishna.
The highlight is Annakut, literally 'mountain of grain'. Homes and temples cook dozens of dishes, sometimes the full chhappan bhog of fifty-six items, including kadhi-rice, millet, mixed vegetables, puris and sweets, arranged as a hill before Krishna and then shared as prasad (blessed food). Mathura, Vrindavan and Nathdwara celebrate on a grand scale. In Maharashtra the same day is Bali Pratipada. ISKCON and Swaminarayan temples in the UK, US and Canada lay out spectacular Annakut displays.
Govardhan Puja 2026: date and muhurat (Delhi)
Tuesday, 10 November 2026
Pratipada (Shukla Paksha) is present at sunrise on this day (udaya tithi).
- Tithi
- 9 Nov, 12:31 PM – 10 Nov, 2:00 PM
- Pratahkala puja (within Pratipada)
- 6:40 AM – 8:49 AM
- Sayankala puja (within Pratipada)
- None
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:40 AM / 5:30 PM
- Rahu kaal (this day)
- 2:48 PM – 4:09 PM
Full period (before cutting to the tithi): 6:40 AM – 8:50 AM
On this day this period does not fall within the tithi, so there is no muhurat.
Full period (before cutting to the tithi): 3:20 PM – 5:30 PM
Govardhan Puja is a morning festival. It is kept on the day Kartik Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the bright fortnight, is in force at sunrise. The pratahkala, or early morning, window is preferred because the Annakut is meant to be offered at the start of the day. Many panchangs also give an evening window for families who cannot manage the morning puja.
Govardhan Puja 2027: date and muhurat (Delhi)
Saturday, 30 October 2027
Pratipada (Shukla Paksha) is present at sunrise on this day (udaya tithi).
- Tithi
- 29 Oct, 7:06 PM – 30 Oct, 5:52 PM
- Pratahkala puja (within Pratipada)
- 6:31 AM – 8:44 AM
- Sayankala puja (within Pratipada)
- 3:25 PM – 5:37 PM
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:31 AM / 5:38 PM
- Rahu kaal (this day)
- 9:18 AM – 10:41 AM
Full period (before cutting to the tithi): 6:31 AM – 8:45 AM
Full period (before cutting to the tithi): 3:25 PM – 5:38 PM
Govardhan Puja wishes
May Giridhari Krishna shelter your family from every storm, and may your home always be as full as the Annakut. Happy Govardhan Puja.Send this on WhatsApp
More wishes will be added here soon.
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Frequently asked questions
What time is Govardhan Puja done?
Govardhan Puja is ideally done in the pratahkala, or morning, muhurat on the day pratipada is present at sunrise. Many panchangs also list an evening muhurat as an alternative. Both windows depend on local sunrise and sunset, so the clock times differ between cities and countries. Check the timings calculated for your own location before planning the puja.
What is Annakut?
Annakut means 'mountain of food'. On Govardhan Puja, families and temples prepare a large variety of dishes, from lentils, rice and vegetables to sweets and savouries, and arrange them in a heap before Krishna as a thanksgiving. Big temples may offer chhappan bhog, fifty-six items. After the offering, the food is distributed as prasad to everyone who comes.
How do you make Govardhan with cow dung?
On a clean patch of the courtyard, cow dung is shaped into a small hill or a reclining human figure representing Govardhan. A small bowl is set at the navel and filled with milk, curd, honey and sugar drops. Little figures of cows and cowherds are added around it, then it is decorated with flowers, cotton and lamps before the puja begins.
Is Govardhan Puja always the day after Diwali?
Usually, but not always. Govardhan Puja is kept on the day pratipada prevails at sunrise. If amavasya lingers into the next morning, there can be a gap day between Diwali and Govardhan Puja. Because lunar days do not line up neatly with solar days, the panchang works out the correct day afresh each year rather than simply counting from Diwali.
How is Govardhan Puja celebrated outside India?
Abroad, most celebrations centre on temples. ISKCON, Swaminarayan and other Hindu temples in the UK, US, Canada and Australia build huge Annakut displays with hundreds of dishes, open to visitors through the day. At home, families without access to cow dung often shape a small Govardhan from flour dough or simply offer a plate of homemade dishes to Krishna.
What is Bestu Varas in Gujarat?
Bestu Varas is the Gujarati New Year, which begins on Kartik Shukla Pratipada in the Vikram Samvat calendar, the same day as Govardhan Puja. People visit temples early, seek blessings from elders and greet each other with 'Saal Mubarak'. Many businesses begin writing in the new account books that were worshipped during Diwali.