Govardhan Puja in Hampi

Date and timing in this city

In Hampi, Govardhan Puja falls on Kartik Shukla Pratipada — the first day of the bright fortnight of Kartik. Because the festival is tied to the tithi rather than to a fixed civil date, the day shifts from year to year. For Hampi, computed on the city's own sunrise and its time zone, Asia/Kolkata, the dates are:

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

The observance is Annakut — the offering of a mountain of food — and the deity is Krishna. In many households the day begins with the preparation of the annakut and closes with its distribution as prasad.

Why the date can differ from India

A panchang is a local document. The tithi is reckoned from the positions of the sun and moon as seen from a particular place, and sunrise — the practical starting point for the day's observance — occurs at a slightly different moment in each city. Hampi's sunrise and its longitude therefore produce its own sequence of dates, which is why the festival date printed for Hampi may not match a national calendar or a calendar prepared for another region.

Two further points are worth noting. First, traditions differ on fortnight reckoning: some communities follow the amanta system, others the purnimanta, and Govardhan Puja is observed accordingly. Second, North Indian and South Indian practice, and Smarta and Vaishnava households, do not always align on the same civil day. Rather than settling the question here, it is best to follow the panchang used in your own family or sampradaya, and to consult a qualified jyotishi for personal chart matters.

Where and how the community celebrates

Govardhan Puja honours Krishna's lifting of Govardhan hill, and the Annakut offering expresses that gratitude in the form of food. In Hampi, as elsewhere, households and neighbourhood groups prepare a spread of dishes, arrange them as a mound before the deity, and offer them with lamps and kirtan. The day is one of thanksgiving rather than of petition: the hill, the cattle, and the year's harvest are remembered together. Customs vary by family and region — some keep a simple offering of rice and sweets, others prepare many items — and both are held to be complete.

Practical tips

• Confirm the tithi against a panchang computed for Hampi's sunrise rather than a general national listing.
• Note the time zone, Asia/Kolkata, if you are following the observance from outside India.
• Prepare the annakut according to your family's custom; there is no single required menu.
• If your tradition differs on amanta or purnimanta reckoning, follow your own sampradaya.
• For personal chart questions, consult a qualified jyotishi.