Puja samagri
- Fresh cow dung (to make the Govardhan); if you cannot find it in the city, you can also use clay or dough
- A picture or idol of Shri Krishna (Giriraj ji)
- Ghee diya, clay diyas, dhoop and incense sticks
- Roli, akshat (whole rice), turmeric, flowers, a flower garland
- Khil, batashe, jaggery, milk, curd, honey, Ganga jal
- Annakut dishes: kadhi-chawal, a mixed vegetable dish of many vegetables, puri, bajra, sweets
- Cotton, small sticks and grass straws (to make trees, cowherds and cows)
- Everything in one place: buy puja samagri
How to make the Govardhan from cow dung
- After bathing in the morning, clean the ground in the courtyard or near the main door.
- Shape the Govardhan mountain from cow dung like a reclining man; in many homes it is seen as the form of Giriraj ji. Leave a small hollow where the navel would be.
- Around it, make cowherds, cows, calves and trees from cow dung. Decorate with grass straws and cotton.
- Place a picture of Shri Krishna in the middle or nearby.
Puja vidhi: step by step
- Sit facing east or north, remember Ganesh ji, light the diya and take the sankalp.
- Offer roli, akshat, flowers and a garland to the Govardhan. Pour milk, curd, honey and Ganga jal into the navel hollow; many homes also place a diya there.
- Offer khil-batashe, jaggery and sweets.
- Annakut bhog: Arrange all the dishes cooked at home before Shri Krishna and offer them as bhog. Temples offer 56 dishes (chhappan bhog); at home, as many dishes as you can manage are enough.
- Parikrama: Walk 7 times around the Govardhan with your family. Some also follow the custom of pouring a little water from a lota and sowing barley as they walk.
- Do the Govardhan Maharaj Aarti and listen to or read Govardhan Puja Ki Katha.
- Share the bhog prasad (Annakut) with family and neighbours.
Gau puja
- On this day cows, bullocks and calves are bathed, given a tilak and decorated with garlands.
- Feed them jaggery, roti, green fodder and sweets.
- If you have no cow at home, you can donate fodder or jaggery at a nearby gaushala.
Puja time
Pratipada tithi runs from 12:32 pm on November 9 to 2:01 pm on November 10 (Delhi). At sunrise on November 10 this tithi is running, so Govardhan Puja is on November 10. Finish the puja between morning and 2. See the date and other years.
Information checked: October 27, 2026. These are traditions and beliefs; give priority to your own family's customs.