Autumn festival · Krishna (as Govardhandhari)
The day after Diwali, when Krishna is worshipped as the lifter of Govardhan hill and a mountain of food (Annakut) is offered.
Govardhan Puja, also called Annakut, falls on Kartika Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the bright fortnight, usually the day after Diwali. Families worship Krishna as Govardhandhari (the one who lifted Govardhan hill) along with cows, and offer a large spread of cooked vegetarian food. In western and southern India the same day is celebrated as Bali Pratipada, and in Gujarat as the New Year.
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Govardhan Puja
Times for New Delhi. Change the city below.
When to do the puja
Timings for New Delhi, Delhi
Date
Tue, 10 Nov, 2026
Tithi at sunrise
Pratipada (Shukla)
Sunrise
06:39 AM
Sunset
05:30 PM
Best time for Govardhan Puja
06:39 AM – 08:49 AM
Duration 2 h 10 min
Govardhan Puja: Sayahna Kaal (evening)
03:20 PM – 05:30 PM
Abhijit Muhurat
11:43 AM – 12:26 PM
Amrit Kaal
09:36 PM – 11:21 PM
Yamaganda
09:22 AM – 10:43 AM
Gulika Kaal
12:04 PM – 01:26 PM
Varjyam
01:42 PM – 03:27 PM
Rahu Kaal
02:47 PM – 04:08 PM
Day
Night
Calculated for New Delhi, Delhi, India (sidereal Lahiri, local sunrise). Regional and family traditions can differ by a day or in the exact window; follow your family priest where they differ.
Meaning
Govardhan Puja celebrates protection and gratitude. Krishna taught the people of Braj to honour the hill, the cows and the land that fed them, rather than offering worship out of fear. The day reminds families to be thankful for food, water, cattle and the earth.
Annakut means a mountain of grain or food. Homes and temples prepare many dishes, sometimes dozens, from the new harvest and offer them to Krishna before sharing them widely. The offering is meant to be distributed, so the day is as much about feeding others as about worship.
Cows hold a special place on this day. They are bathed, decorated and fed, in thanks for the milk and labour that sustain rural life, and in memory of Krishna as the cowherd (Gopala).
The people of Braj used to hold a great annual offering to Indra (king of the gods and lord of rain). The young Krishna asked them why they worshipped Indra, when it was Govardhan hill that gave their cows grass, their streams water and their villages shelter. Persuaded, the villagers offered their food to the hill instead.
Angered, Indra sent torrential rain and storms upon Braj for seven days. Krishna lifted Govardhan hill on the little finger of his left hand and held it up like an umbrella, and all the people and cattle sheltered beneath it. Indra realised his error and sought Krishna's forgiveness. Since then, the hill and Krishna as its lifter have been worshipped on this day with an offering of food.
One festival, many traditions
Known as Annakut and Govardhan Puja
Temples prepare huge offerings of cooked food arranged like a mountain before the deity, and devotees walk the parikrama (circumambulation) around Govardhan hill. Many pilgrims offer milk at the hill and at the sacred ponds along the route.
Why it matters there: This is the land where the story took place, and Govardhan hill itself is worshipped as a form of Krishna.
Known as Govardhan Puja
In the courtyard, families shape a figure of Govardhan from cow dung, decorate it with flowers, cotton and small figures of cows and cowherds, and worship it with lamps and food. Family members walk around it in parikrama. A mixed vegetable dish (annakut ki sabzi) with kadhi and rice or puri is cooked and shared.
Why it matters there: Shaping and worshipping the hill at home brings the story of Krishna's protection into every household, with thanks for cattle and harvest.
Known as Annakut
At the Shrinathji temple in Nathdwara, a vast mountain of rice and many other dishes is offered to Shrinathji, a form of Krishna as the lifter of Govardhan. After the offering, members of local tribal communities traditionally come in and carry away the prasad, a custom that draws large crowds.
Why it matters there: Shrinathji is worshipped as Krishna holding up Govardhan, so Annakut is among the most important days of the temple's year.
Known as Bestu Varas (Gujarati New Year)
The day is the first of the new Vikram Samvat year. Families visit temples early, greet one another with 'Saal Mubarak' or 'Nutan Varshabhinandan', and visit elders. Many Haveli and Swaminarayan temples display elaborate Annakut offerings for devotees to see.
Why it matters there: Starting the new year with Krishna's Annakut offering and the blessings of elders sets a hopeful, generous tone for the year.
Known as Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa)
Wives perform an aarti (aukshan) for their husbands, who give them a gift in return. Traders often open new account books on this day, and King Bali is remembered with prayers.
Why it matters there: Padwa is one of the three and a half most auspicious days (sade teen muhurat) in the Marathi calendar and celebrates the bond between husband and wife.
Known as Bali Padyami
Families remember Bali Chakravarti (King Bali) with lamps and prayers, cows are bathed, decorated and worshipped, and festive meals are prepared. In many villages the day is marked with cattle worship and rangoli.
Why it matters there: King Bali is honoured for his generosity and devotion; tradition holds that Vishnu granted him a day each year to return to the earth.
Step by step
Bathe early, clean the courtyard or a space at home, and draw a rangoli. Bathe and decorate any cows in your care, or plan to visit a cow shelter (gaushala).
During the Pratah Kaal (morning) Puja time shown above, shape a small figure of Govardhan hill. In a village home this is traditionally made of cow dung; in a flat you may use clean soil, wheat-flour dough or a heap of food on a plate.
Decorate the figure with flowers, grass, small figures of cows and cowherds, and place a picture or idol of Krishna beside or upon it. Many families make a small hollow in the centre (the navel) and place a lamp or a little milk, curd and sugar in it.
Light a ghee lamp and incense, and make your intention (sankalpa) to worship Krishna as Govardhandhari with thanks for food and protection.
Offer water, kumkum, rice (akshat), flowers and tulsi leaves to Krishna and to the Govardhan figure. Chant 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya' or the Govardhan prayer given below.
Offer the Annakut: as many dishes as you are able to prepare, such as a mixed vegetable dish, kadhi, rice, puri, sweets and fruits, arranged before Krishna. Even a few simple dishes made with care are a complete offering.
Walk around the Govardhan figure in parikrama, traditionally seven times, singing or chanting Krishna's name.
Worship the cows: apply a tilak, offer a garland, and feed them jaggery, green fodder or chapati. If you have no cows, offer food at a gaushala or feed a cow nearby.
Perform the aarti of Krishna and distribute the Annakut prasad to family, neighbours, helpers and anyone in need.
If your family custom is to worship in the evening, repeat a short puja with lamps and aarti during the Sayahna (evening) Puja time shown above.
Govardhana dharadhara gokula trana karaka, vishnu bahu krita chhaya gavam koti prado bhava
O Govardhan, upholder of the earth and protector of Gokula, given shade by Vishnu's arm, may you grant us abundance of cattle. A traditional prayer recited while worshipping the Govardhan figure.
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
Salutations to the Lord Vasudeva (Krishna). A simple prayer of devotion and gratitude.
What you need
Do's and don'ts
Common questions
Usually, yes. It falls on Kartika Shukla Pratipada. In some years, depending on when the tithi begins, there can be a gap of a day between Diwali and Govardhan Puja. The page computes the correct day for your city.
Annakut means a mountain of food. Families and temples prepare many vegetarian dishes and offer them to Krishna, then share the food as prasad. It recalls the villagers of Braj offering their food to Govardhan instead of to Indra.
Yes. Shape a small hill from clean soil or wheat-flour dough, or arrange a mound of food on a plate, and place a picture of Krishna with it. The worship is complete with sincere devotion and an offering of food.
Most families perform the main puja during the Pratah Kaal (morning) Puja time shown above. Some regional traditions also worship in the evening, during the Sayahna Puja time. Follow your family's custom.
They fall on the same day. In Maharashtra and Karnataka the day honours King Bali, who was blessed by Vishnu in the Vamana story, while in North India the focus is on Krishna lifting Govardhan. Both share the themes of humility, generosity and gratitude.
No fast is generally kept. The day is about cooking, offering and sharing food, so a festive vegetarian meal after the puja is part of the tradition.
