Govardhan Puja 2026 in the USA: Date, Annakut Muhurat for US Cities (a Day Before India)

The day after Diwali, Krishna's devotees build a little "mountain" of food for Govardhan Puja and Annakut. In the US and Canada this year, that day comes before India's: Monday, November 9, while India keeps it on Tuesday, November 10. Here's why, and the puja time for your city.

When is Govardhan Puja 2026?

• USA and Canada: Monday, November 9, 2026
• India: Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Govardhan Puja is kept on Kartika Shukla Pratipada, the 1st lunar day after the Diwali new Moon, on the day Pratipada is running at sunrise. Pratipada begins at the exact new Moon and ends when the Moon is 12° ahead of the Sun. Computing that with the NASA JPL DE421 ephemeris (the same engine behind our free Vedic birth chart):

In North America the new Moon happens overnight before Monday, so Pratipada is running at Monday's sunrise and is gone before Tuesday's. In India it begins after midday Monday, so Tuesday's sunrise carries it. Drik Panchang agrees: Monday, November 9 for New York (Pratipada 2:01 AM Nov 9 to 3:30 AM Nov 10) and Tuesday, November 10 for New Delhi.

That also means that in the US, Diwali Lakshmi Puja (Sunday, November 8) is followed directly by Govardhan Puja on Monday, with no gap day. In India there's a gap day on the 9th. Gujarati families usually mark Bestu Varas (Gujarati New Year) on the same Pratipada day, but follow your temple's calendar.

Govardhan Puja muhurat for US cities

The main window is pratahkala, the first fifth of the day after sunrise. Our calculation for Monday, November 9, local standard time (clocks fell back on November 1):

Our New York window matches Drik Panchang's 6:36 AM to 8:37 AM and our New Delhi window matches its 6:40 AM to 8:50 AM, within a minute.

Can't do it before work? The traditional second window is sayankala, the last fifth of the day before sunset. On Monday it's about 2:41 PM – 4:43 PM in New York, 2:34–4:35 PM in Chicago, 3:22–5:29 PM in Dallas, 2:46–4:53 PM in Los Angeles and 2:57–5:01 PM in the Bay Area. Many US temples hold their Annakut darshan on the following weekend, and joining that is lovely too.

How to do Govardhan Puja at home

1. Make a small Govardhan hill with cow dung (traditional) or, more practically in an apartment, with a mound of cooked rice, or a clay or dough shape on a plate. Add a little figure of Krishna and some cows or flowers.
2. Prepare Annakut, "a mountain of food": as many vegetarian dishes as you can, often a mixed-vegetable sabzi, kadhi, rice, puris and sweets. Even five simple dishes keep the spirit.
3. Offer it to Krishna in the muhurat with a diya, tulsi leaves and water, and walk around the hill (parikrama) seven times, or circle your plate.
4. Share the prasad with family, neighbors and friends. Annakut is about abundance that's shared, not stored.

The astrology of Govardhan Puja 2026

Krishna lifted Govardhan hill to shelter the people of Braj from Indra's storm: protection, and trust in something steadier than the weather. I calculated the sidereal (Lahiri) positions for Monday morning, November 9, in the US:

• The Moon is in Libra in Vishakha nakshatra, ruled by Jupiter, right after the new Moon, sitting with the Sun and a retrograde Mercury.
• Jupiter has just entered Leo (about 1°), beginning its year-long transit. See Jupiter in Leo 2026 by Moon sign.
• Venus is retrograde in late Virgo and Mars is at the last degree of Cancer, about to enter Leo on November 12.

A fresh Moon in a Jupiter-ruled star, with Jupiter newly in Leo, is a beautiful setting for a festival of gratitude and protection. My reading: start the new lunar month by giving, not by grasping. Feed people, thank whoever sheltered you this year, and set one intention. Leave contracts and big purchases until after Mercury and Venus turn direct on November 13 (dates here).

Frequently asked questions

Is Govardhan Puja 2026 on November 9 or 10 in the USA?

Monday, November 9, 2026, in the USA and Canada. India keeps it on Tuesday, November 10. The date follows the day when Pratipada is running at local sunrise.

What is the Govardhan Puja time in New York and California?

About 6:35 AM to 8:37 AM in New York, 6:20 AM to 8:26 AM in Los Angeles and 6:40 AM to 8:44 AM in the San Francisco Bay Area on November 9, with an afternoon window of roughly 2:40 to 5:00 PM.

Is Annakut the same as Govardhan Puja?

Yes. Annakut ("mountain of food") is the offering made on Govardhan Puja day, and many temples use the two names interchangeably.

When is Bhai Dooj 2026 in the USA?

Tuesday, November 10, also a day before India. See Bhai Dooj 2026 in the USA for the tilak time by city, and Diwali 2026 auspicious timings for all five days.

What comes after Diwali?

Chhath Puja runs November 13 to 16 (Sandhya Arghya Sunday, November 15), on the same dates as India, and Dev Uthani Ekadashi is Friday, November 20 in the USA, with Tulsi Vivah right after.

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Want to know what the new lunar month and Jupiter in Leo mean for you personally? Ask Miss Astroglow's AI astrologer (3 questions free), or book a live 1:1 with Miss Astroglow to go through your chart together. Jai Shri Krishna 🙏