Govardhan Puja in Ayodhya

Govardhan Puja in Ayodhya

Govardhan Puja falls on Kartik Shukla Pratipada, the day after Diwali, and honours Krishna. In Ayodhya, the observance is known for Annakut — an offering of food. This page gives the date as computed for Ayodhya's own sunrise and time zone (Asia/Kolkata), along with how the day is generally observed.

Date and timing in this city

• 2026: Tuesday 10 November 2026
• 2027: Saturday 30 October 2027

The tithi is Kartik Shukla Pratipada. Because the tithi is reckoned from Ayodhya's local sunrise, the date given above is the one that applies to Ayodhya itself. Ayodhya follows Asia/Kolkata, so the clock time matches the rest of India, but the panchang is still read for the city's own sunrise.

Why the date can differ from India

Festival dates are not fixed by a single national calendar. A tithi begins and ends at specific moments, and the day on which a tithi is reckoned to prevail depends on when the sun rises at a given place. Two cities in the same time zone can therefore mark the same tithi on different civil dates. Ayodhya's date is computed for Ayodhya; other regions may arrive at a different date for the same observance.

Traditions also differ in how the lunar month is counted. Some communities follow the amanta reckoning and others the purnimanta, and Smarta and Vaishnava practice can vary in which day is preferred for the vrata. Where these differences exist, families usually follow the convention of their own lineage or the panchang they keep at home.

Where and how the community celebrates

Govardhan Puja is observed across North India, and Ayodhya is part of that wider tradition. The day is centred on Krishna, and the Annakut offering — a spread of cooked food — is the common observance. In many homes and neighbourhoods, the offering is arranged and then shared. Customs around the size of the Annakut, the dishes prepared, and the order of worship vary from family to family and from one region to another.

Practical tips

• Confirm the date with your local panchang, since the tithi is reckoned from local sunrise.
• If your family follows a particular lineage, keep to its convention for the vrata and the Annakut.
• Plan the Annakut preparation around the time you intend to offer it, rather than a fixed clock hour.
• For anything tied to your own chart, consult a qualified jyotishi; this page is descriptive only.