Govardhan Puja, also called Annakut, is celebrated on Kartik Shukla Pratipada after Diwali. In 2026 it falls on Tuesday, 10 November. Families worship Lord Krishna and Govardhan hill and offer a large spread of food (annakut). Below is the complete Govardhan puja vidhi — samagri, timings, parikrama, cow worship and the katha.
Govardhan Puja 2026: date and muhurat
| Detail | Time (2026, IST) |
|---|---|
| Govardhan Puja · Annakut | Tuesday, 10 November 2026 |
| Pratipada tithi begins | 9 November, 12:33 PM |
| Pratipada tithi ends | 10 November, 2:01 PM |
| Morning puja – Delhi | 6:39 AM to 8:49 AM |
| Morning puja – Mumbai | 6:43 AM to 8:58 AM |
This year Amavasya is still running at sunrise on 9 November, the day after Diwali (8 November). Govardhan Puja follows the sunrise (udaya) tithi, so it is on 10 November. Most families worship in the morning; some also do it in the evening. Check your city in Today’s Panchang.
Govardhan puja samagri
- Cow dung to shape the Govardhan hill (clay or dough also works)
- Roli, akshat, turmeric, kalawa, flowers, a garland and tulsi leaves
- A ghee lamp, incense and camphor
- Milk, curd, honey, batashe, khil and sugarcane
- For annakut: kadhi-chawal, bajra, puri, mixed vegetables, sweets and fruit
- Jaggery, green fodder, tilak and garlands for the cows
Govardhan puja vidhi — step by step
- Bathe in the morning and clean the courtyard or puja area.
- Shape Govardhan hill from cow dung in the form of a reclining figure. Cows, calves, cowherds and trees are often made around it. Place a small bowl or lamp at the navel.
- Decorate it with flowers, khil and rangoli, and keep an image of Lord Krishna nearby.
- Offer roli, rice, flowers and kalawa. Pour milk, curd, honey and batashe into the navel bowl and light the lamp.
- Recite the prayer: “Govardhan dharadhar Gokul trankarak, Vishnubahu kritochchhraya gavam kotiprado bhava.”
- Offer the annakut — as many dishes as you can; temples offer chhappan bhog (56 dishes).
- Walk around Govardhan seven times with the family. Some pour a stream of water from a lota or sow barley while walking.
- Bathe the cows and calves, apply tilak, garland them and feed them jaggery and fodder.
- Finish with Lord Krishna’s aarti — Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki — and share the annakut prasad.
What is Annakut?
“Annakut” means a mountain of food. Many dishes are cooked and arranged like a hill before the deity. Temples in Braj, Mathura, Vrindavan and Nathdwara hold grand annakut celebrations. In many places this day is also the Gujarati New Year (Bestu Varas).
Govardhan Puja katha
Every year the people of Braj worshipped Indra, the king of the gods, for good rain. The young Krishna explained that their cows get grass and water, and they get their living, from Govardhan hill — so it is Govardhan they should worship. That year Braj worshipped Govardhan. Angry, Indra sent torrential rain.
Krishna then lifted the whole of Govardhan on his little finger, and all the people, cows and calves of Braj sheltered beneath it. It rained for seven days, but no one was harmed. At last Indra realised his mistake and asked Krishna’s forgiveness. Since then Krishna is called Giridhari or Govardhandhari, and the puja became a festival of gratitude to nature, cows and food.
Read more on Wikipedia, and see the other Diwali days on our Dhanteras and Bhai Dooj pages.
Frequently asked questions
When is Govardhan Puja in 2026?
On Tuesday, 10 November 2026. Pratipada tithi runs from 12:33 PM on 9 November to 2:01 PM on 10 November, and the sunrise tithi is on 10 November.
Why is there a gap day between Diwali and Govardhan Puja this year?
Amavasya is still present at sunrise on 9 November. Govardhan Puja is observed on the sunrise Pratipada, so it moves to 10 November.
How many times should we circle Govardhan?
Seven times around the Govardhan made at home. The parikrama of the real Govardhan hill near Mathura is about 21 km.
What is cooked for Annakut?
Kadhi-chawal, bajra, puri, mixed vegetables, kheer, sweets and fruit — as many dishes as possible. Temples offer 56 dishes (chhappan bhog).
