Kartik 2026 in Barsana and Braj
Kartik is Braj's month of lamps. Pilgrims come to stay rather than to visit, the mornings turn cool, and every evening ends with a diya on the water. This is the 2026 calendar for Barsana and the places around it.
| Date | Day | In Barsana and Braj |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday 25 October, night | Sharad Purnima | The full moon of the raas. The purnima tithi runs through this night and ends at 9:41 AM on the 26th, so the kheer and the night darshan are on the 25th. Many keep the Kartik vows from tonight. |
| Sunday 1 November | Ahoi Ashtami, Radha Kund snan | At midnight thousands bathe in Radha Kund, 18 km from Barsana. Go early and stay with your group. |
| Sunday 8 November | Diwali | Lamps on the Shriji steps and across the town. |
| Tuesday 10 November | Govardhan Puja, Annakut | Annakut at Shriji. The big gathering is at Govardhan, 20 km away; roads there are slow all day. |
| Tuesday 17 November | Gopashtami | The cows' day across Braj. Maan Mandir's Mataji Gaushala, started by Ramesh Baba in 2007 with two cows, now cares for about 45,000. |
| Wednesday 18 November | Akshaya Navami | Amla Navami, a day for charity and parikrama. |
| Friday 20 November | Dev Uthani Ekadashi | The end of the four months of Chaturmas; weddings and new work begin again. |
| Tuesday 24 November | Kartik Purnima | The last day of the month. Deep daan at the kunds at dusk. |
Dates for India, checked against two panchangs on 13 October 2026. Local temple observance can move a festival by a day; we confirm before you travel.
Lamps, parikrama, katha
- Dawn parikrama through Gahvar Van and around the hill
- A lamp offered every evening; Peeli Pokhar at dusk is the place for it in Barsana
- Katha and kirtan at Maan Mandir and the ashrams
- Vrindavan's Kartik parikramas take in Barsana on their Braj days, so the town is busier on those mornings
Going in Kartik
- Mornings are cool from November; carry a shawl for the 5:30 AM darshan
- Diwali week weekends are the busy days; weekdays are calm
- Shriji's winter hours start in October: 5:30 AM to 2 PM and 5 to 8:30 PM
- A stay of three or four nights lets you keep the evening lamp in Barsana and see Govardhan and Radha Kund by day
The whole year's dates: Barsana festival calendar. A day by day plan for Braj: Barsana, Nandgaon and Vrindavan itinerary. Where to sleep: stays near Shriji.
Kartik 2026: quick answers
When is Kartik month in 2026?
Kartik runs after Sharad Purnima, whose moon night is 25 October 2026, and ends on Kartik Purnima, Tuesday 24 November 2026. Many devotees keep the month's vows from Sharad Purnima onward.
What do people do in Braj during Kartik?
Offer a lamp every evening (deep daan), walk parikrama at dawn, listen to katha and kirtan, and keep the festival days: Diwali, Govardhan Puja, Gopashtami, Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Kartik Purnima.
When is Govardhan Puja 2026?
Tuesday 10 November 2026, two days after Diwali on 8 November. Annakut is offered at Shriji in Barsana; the biggest gathering is at Govardhan, 20 km away.
Is Kartik a good time to visit Barsana?
Yes. Mornings are cool, the monsoon dust has settled, and the crowds are pilgrims who stay rather than day-trippers, except on Diwali week weekends.
Tell us your Kartik dates
Say when you are coming and how many of you there are. You get two or three options with real distances to Shriji and a fixed price. No surge on festival days.
- Reply within a day, usually within hours
- Stays 10% below the walk-in rate when booked through us
- A local lead with every group on festival days
- No VIP darshan promises, because there is no such thing at Shriji