Govardhan Puja 2026अन्नकूट
Govardhan Puja 2026 is on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, the day after Diwali. The katha of Krishna lifting Govardhan, the Annakut of food, gau puja and the parikrama.
Never miss a festival or vrat
One email each Sunday: the week’s festivals and vrats, with dates verified for your region. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
The story of Govardhan Puja
Every year the people of Vraja gathered their best to offer Indra, for the rain. The boy Krishna asked them why: the rain falls where it falls, but it was Govardhan hill that held their cattle, their grass and their water. Offer the mountain, he said, and they did. Indra, insulted, sent the clouds of dissolution, and for seven days and nights the rain came down to drown Vraja. Krishna lifted Govardhan on the little finger of his left hand and held it up, and the whole of Vraja stood beneath it with their cattle until Indra understood and stopped. The full Govardhan katha is here.
Govardhan Puja is the day after Diwali, and it is kept as Annakut, the mountain of food: a hill of grains, sweets and vegetables built before Krishna, because the one who fed a whole country under a mountain is offered a mountain in return. In many homes a Govardhan is made of cow dung in the courtyard, decorated with flowers and a lamp, and circled with the cattle of the house.
How Govardhan Puja is celebrated
| Annakut | a hill of cooked food, grains, sweets and fifty six or more items is arranged before Krishna and later shared as prasad. |
| Govardhan in the courtyard | a small Govardhan is shaped from cow dung, given eyes of cowries, a lamp and flowers, and circled seven times. |
| Gau puja | cows and bullocks are washed, their horns coloured, garlanded and fed first before anyone eats. |
| Parikrama | at Govardhan itself, devotees walk the twenty one kilometre parikrama around the hill, some measuring it with their bodies. |
Braj keeps it as the heart of the year, with the Govardhan parikrama and the Annakut at Nathdwara and the Vraja temples; Gujarat keeps the same day as Bestu Varas, the Gujarati new year; and in Maharashtra it is Bali Pratipada, remembering the return of king Bali.
Frequently asked questions
When is Govardhan Puja in 2026?
Govardhan Puja (Annakut) is on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, the day after Diwali, which falls on November 8, 2026.
What is Annakut?
Annakut means a mountain of food. A hill of grains, vegetables and sweets is built before Krishna in memory of the mountain he lifted, and afterwards it is shared with everyone as prasad.
Why are cows worshipped on this day?
Govardhan sheltered the cattle of Vraja, and the whole katha turns on the cows and the grass of the hill. So the cattle are bathed, garlanded and fed before the household eats.
What does the Govardhan katha teach?
That worship belongs to what actually sustains you, and that it is right to stop an offering made only out of fear. Krishna did not humble Indra to win; he moved Vraja from fear to gratitude.
Put the countdown on your home screen. The free Bhakti Angan widget counts down to every festival, with dates verified for your region, plus the daily Panchang, darshan and japa counter.
Dates are verified against authoritative Panchang sources (Drik Panchang, New Delhi). Traditions vary by family and region; for muhurat and puja vidhi please also consult your family panditji.