Govardhan Puja Muhurat

Govardhan Puja, or Annakut, is Shukla Pratipada of Kartika, the day after Diwali in most years. It marks the day Krishna lifted Govardhan hill to shelter the people of Braj from Indra's rains. A small Govardhan is shaped from cow dung in the courtyard, worshipped and circled, and a mountain of dishes, the annakut ('heap of food'), is offered to Krishna.

The puja falls on the day Pratipada is current at sunrise. When Pratipada begins after one sunrise and ends before the next, it is kept on the day it begins. This is why some years have a day between Diwali and Govardhan Puja.

The puja is done in the morning (pratahkal, the first fifth of the day) or the evening (sayankala, the last fifth), while Pratipada lasts. In Maharashtra the same day is Bali Pratipada (Padwa), and in Gujarat it is the New Year.

Times for Indian cities are Indian Standard Time; times abroad are local time. They match established panchangs to within a minute or two. For a city not listed, the nearest city is usually within a few minutes.