Annakut Puja 2026: Quick Answer
Annakut Puja is on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, together with Govardhan Puja. Offer the Annakut in the morning muhurat (6:40–8:50 AM in Delhi), or at least before Pratipada ends at 2:00 PM. The home vidhi is: clean the kitchen and cook sattvic dishes without onion-garlic → arrange them in tiers before Krishna and the Govardhan figure with a rice mound in the centre → place tulsi on every dish → offer with the mantra → aarti → parikrama → distribute prasad. You can make 11, 21 or 56 dishes — devotion matters more than number. For the meaning and the 56-dish story, see why Annakut is made.
Preparation Timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 9 Nov (evening) | Clean the kitchen and puja area; soak dals; chop hard vegetables; buy fresh produce and milk |
| 10 Nov, early morning | Bathe; begin cooking (sweets and kheer first, then rice, dals, vegetables, puris) |
| 6:40–8:50 AM (Delhi) | Govardhan puja, Annakut offering, aarti, parikrama |
| Before 2:00 PM | Complete all rituals while Pratipada prevails |
| Afternoon | Prasad for family, neighbours and the needy |
Rules for Cooking the Bhog
- •Bathe before cooking and wear clean clothes.
- •No onion, garlic or non-vegetarian items.
- •Don't taste food while cooking — the first portion belongs to the Lord.
- •Use fresh, seasonal produce from the new harvest.
- •Cook in clean vessels; brass or steel is preferred.
Simple Annakut Menu
11 dishes (for small families): rice, dal, Annakut sabzi, kadhi, puri, kheer, halwa, laddoo, seasonal fruits, makhan-mishri, panchamrit.
21 dishes: the above plus kachori, pulao, aloo sabzi, pumpkin sabzi, raita, chutney, mathri, peda, rabri, dry fruits.
How to Arrange and Offer
- 1Place the rice mound (the "mountain") at the centre-back.
- 2Arrange breads around it, then dals and vegetables, then sweets, and fruits and dry fruits in front.
- 3Put a tulsi leaf on each dish.
- 4Sprinkle water around the bhog and chant: "Tvadiyam vastu Govinda tubhyameva samarpaye" — "O Govinda, I offer to you what is already yours."
- 5Close your eyes or draw a curtain for a few minutes.
- 6Perform aarti of Krishna and Govardhan.
- 7Walk around the Govardhan figure seven times.
Prasad Distribution
Serve family first, then neighbours, then those in need. Send a portion to a gaushala. Many temples hold Annakut bhandaras on this day — volunteer or donate.
Involving Children
Let children wash fruit, pick tulsi leaves, arrange dishes and shape cow-dung or clay figures of Govardhan and cows — and tell them the story.
After the Annakut
Thank the Lord before removing the bhog, distribute prasad quickly, mix the cow-dung Govardhan into garden soil the next day and compost flowers. Bhai Dooj follows on 11 November.
FAQs on Annakut Food
Grains are central to Annakut — rice, dal, roti, puri and kadhi are all made; only onion, garlic and non-vegetarian food are excluded. Homemade sweets are preferred.
Summary
On 10 November 2026, cook sattvic dishes, arrange them as a mountain of food before Krishna and Govardhan, offer with tulsi and the mantra in the morning muhurat (6:40–8:50 AM in Delhi), and share the prasad widely before Pratipada ends at 2:00 PM.
