Guide: Govardhan Puja falls on Tuesday, 10 November 2026 — not Monday, 9 November, as many calendars say. The morning muhurat in Delhi is 6:40–8:50 AM. Here are the timings, the rituals step by step, and the Krishna story behind the festival.
Updated: 8 November 2026, 10:15 AM IST
Quick Read
- Govardhan Puja 2026 is on Tuesday, 10 November, per Drik Panchang (New Delhi) — the Pratipada tithi holds sunrise on the 10th, not the 9th.
- Delhi morning muhurat: 6:40–8:50 AM on 10 November. Homes that worship in the evening keep the tradition on 9 November evening, 3:19–5:35 PM.
- The festival honours Lord Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill; the day’s heart is Annakut, the mountain of food offered to God.
If your calendar says Govardhan Puja is on 9 November, your calendar is not wrong — it is following a different tradition. But the main observance in India this year is on Tuesday, 10 November. Drik Panchang (New Delhi), The Economic Times, ABP Live and News9 all agree on 10 November. Read on for why the two dates exist, and which one your home should follow.
Why two dates? 9 or 10 November
Hindu festivals follow the tithi, the lunar day, and the rule of Udaya Tithi — the tithi that holds sunrise is the festival day.
This year the Kartik Shukla Pratipada tithi begins at 12:31 PM on Monday, 9 November and ends at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, 10 November. On the morning of 9 November, the sun rises while Amavasya (Diwali’s lunar day) is still running. So 9 November’s sunrise belongs to Amavasya, not Pratipada. On the morning of 10 November, the sun rises while Pratipada is running. That is why the festival is on 10 November.
So why do some calendars print 9 November? Two reasons. Some follow the Sayankal tradition: Govardhan Puja is an evening rite in many homes, and Pratipada is running on the evening of 9 November, so the evening puja falls on the 9th. Others use panchang calculations for the US or UK, where the tithi falls a day earlier because of the time difference.
The simple rule for India: go to the temple and for Annakut darshan on the morning of 10 November. If your family has always done the evening puja at home, do it on the evening of 9 November. Both traditions are real. The confusion is in the calendar, not in the festival.
Timings for Delhi
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Govardhan Puja (main day) | Tuesday, 10 November 2026 |
| Pratipada tithi begins | Monday, 9 November, 12:31 PM |
| Pratipada tithi ends | Tuesday, 10 November, 2:00 PM |
| Morning puja muhurat (Delhi) | 10 November, 6:40–8:50 AM |
| Abhijit muhurat (Delhi) | 10 November, 11:43 AM–12:26 PM |
| Godhuli muhurat (Delhi) | 10 November, 5:30–5:56 PM |
| Evening puja tradition (Delhi homes) | 9 November, 3:19–5:35 PM |
Timings are for New Delhi, from Drik Panchang as reported by Vedantu, The Economic Times and ABP Live. The morning muhurat of 6:40–8:50 AM is the one all major sources agree on. Timings move a few minutes by city, so check your local panchang if you live outside Delhi.
One honest note: some sources list an evening muhurat of 3:20–5:30 PM on 10 November, while others say there is no evening muhurat this year because Pratipada ends at 2:00 PM, before evening. The morning window is the safe choice. Do the main puja between 6:40 and 8:50 AM.
Also read: Diwali Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026 timings | Dhanteras 2026 puja muhurat guide
The story of Krishna and Govardhan
Long ago, the people of Vrindavan worshipped Indra, the god of rain. Every year they offered him food and prayers, hoping for good rain for their crops.
One year, young Krishna told them to stop. Worship Govardhan Hill instead, he said. The hill gives grass for the cows, water for the fields and shelter from the sun. The hill feeds us every day. Indra gives rain only sometimes.
The people listened. They offered their food to the hill. Indra was furious. He sent seven days of heavy rain and storm to flood Vrindavan and teach the people a lesson.
Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill on his little finger and held it up like an umbrella. The people of Vrindavan, their cows and their animals stood under it for seven days, safe and dry. On the eighth day, Indra gave up. He came down, bowed to Krishna and admitted he was wrong.
That is why the festival is also called Annakut — the mountain of food. The hill that fed the people is honoured with a mountain of food.
Rituals, step by step
Govardhan Puja is a home festival. The steps are simple, and every family does them a little differently.
First, clean the house and the courtyard. In the morning, make a small Govardhan Hill in the courtyard from cow dung or mud. Shape it like a hill, with a small peak on top. Place a peacock feather on the peak — Krishna’s sign.
Second, prepare Annakut. Cook a mountain of food: rice, dal, vegetables, puri, kheer, sweets and fruits. The old number is 56 dishes, called Chappan Bhog. Most homes today cook what they can — even seven or eleven dishes count. The point is abundance, not a perfect count.
Third, worship the cow. Govardhan Puja honours the cow as well as the hill. Bathe the cow if you have one, put a tilak on its forehead, feed it fresh grass and sweets, and touch its feet. In cities, many families worship a picture or idol of the cow instead.
Fourth, do the puja. Place the food mountain before the Govardhan figure and before Krishna’s idol. Light a diya. Offer flowers, kumkum and akshat (rice). Sing aarti. Then walk around the hill — this is the parikrama — and pray for the family’s health and the year’s harvest.
Fifth, share the prasad. The food offered to God is shared with family, neighbours and the poor. No one should go hungry on Annakut day.
What to offer
- Cooked food: puri, sabzi, dal, rice, kadhi, kheer and halwa
- Sweets: laddoo, peda, barfi and jaggery sweets
- Fruits: banana, apple, coconut and seasonal fruits
- Milk products: curd, butter and ghee — Krishna’s favourites
- Flowers: marigold and rose; kumkum, akshat and a diya for the aarti
Do not offer stale food or food cooked without care. Annakut is a thanksgiving meal. Cook it fresh, offer it with love, and share it wide.
Your ritual checklist
| Step | What to do | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clean | Sweep the courtyard; wash the puja space | Morning of 10 Nov |
| 2. Make the hill | Shape Govardhan from cow dung or mud; add peacock feather | Before the muhurat |
| 3. Cook Annakut | Cook the food mountain (56 dishes if possible, fewer is fine) | Morning, before puja |
| 4. Cow worship | Tilak, flowers, grass and sweets for the cow | With the puja |
| 5. Puja and aarti | Offer food, light diya, sing aarti | 6:40–8:50 AM |
| 6. Parikrama | Walk around the hill figure; pray | After aarti |
| 7. Share prasad | Share food with family, neighbours and the poor | After puja |
This checklist is compiled by this desk from the puja vidhi described by The Economic Times, ABP Live and Drik Panchang. Tick each step off as you go.
Govardhan Parikrama
In Govardhan town in Uttar Pradesh, devotees walk the 21-km parikrama around the real Govardhan Hill. The walk passes holy ponds, temples and the spots where Krishna’s stories took place. Lakhs of people do it in the days around the festival. If you go, start early, carry water, wear simple shoes, and expect crowds.
Bhai Dooj next: Wednesday, 11 November
Diwali’s five days close with Bhai Dooj. Because Govardhan Puja moved to 10 November this year, Bhai Dooj falls on Wednesday, 11 November — not 10 November as some calendars say. The Dwitiya tithi begins at 2:00 PM on 10 November and ends at 3:53 PM on 11 November. In New Delhi, the tilak muhurat is 1:10–3:20 PM on 11 November. Sisters apply tilak on their brothers’ foreheads and pray for their long life; brothers give gifts in return.
Also read: Diwali 2026 Date: When Is Diwali This Year? Full 5-Day Guide
FAQ
Q: Is Govardhan Puja on 9 or 10 November 2026?
A: The main observance in India is Tuesday, 10 November, per Drik Panchang (New Delhi). Pratipada begins at 12:31 PM on 9 November and ends at 2:00 PM on 10 November, and the festival follows the tithi that holds sunrise — the 10th. Homes that worship in the evening keep the tradition on 9 November evening.
Q: What is the Govardhan Puja muhurat in Delhi?
A: The morning (Pratahkala) muhurat is 6:40–8:50 AM on 10 November. Abhijit muhurat is 11:43 AM–12:26 PM and Godhuli muhurat is 5:30–5:56 PM the same day.
Q: What is Annakut?
A: Annakut is the mountain of food offered to Lord Krishna and Govardhan Hill — traditionally 56 dishes (Chappan Bhog). It recalls the food the people of Vrindavan offered to the hill, and the food is shared as prasad after the puja.
Sources
- Drik Panchang — 2026 Govardhan Puja date and time (New Delhi): https://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/govardhan-puja/govardhan-puja-date-time.html
- The Economic Times — “Govardhan Puja 2026: November 9 or 10? Check the Correct Date, Annakut Muhurat and Krishna’s Govardhan Hill Story” (7 Nov 2026): https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/astrology/others/govardhan-puja-2026-november-9-or-10-check-the-correct-date-annakut-muhurat-and-krishnas-govardhan-hill-story/articleshow/135431374.cms?from=mdr
- The Economic Times — “Govardhan Puja 2026: Puja Vidhi, Samagri, Mantras and Cow Worship Rituals”: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/astrology/others/govardhan-puja-2026-puja-vidhi-samagri-mantras-and-cow-worship-rituals/articleshow/135486158.cms
- ABP Live — “Govardhan Puja 2026: Is It On November 9 Or 10?” (8 Nov 2026): https://news.abplive.com/religion/govardhan-puja-2026-is-it-on-november-9-or-10-check-correct-date-muhurat-puja-vidhi-1874360
- News9 Live — “Govardhan Puja 2026 falls on November 10” (8 Nov 2026): https://www.news9live.com/lifestyle/spirituality/govardhan-puja-2026-date-muhurat-krishna-story-significance-3022527
Sasanka Sekhar Pradhan is the founder of India Presents, an India-focused news site. He covers daily box-office trackers, India news, economy explainers, sports previews and festival guides — in simple English, so readers across India can follow fast-moving stories without jargon. His focus is what a story means for the reader: the number that matters, the source behind it, and what happens next. India Presents publishes daily, with day-trackers updated as new figures come in.
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