Annakut 2026: Full Chhappan Bhog List — Why 56 Dishes on Govardhan Puja (10 Nov) and What to Cook
Annakut, or Govardhan Puja, falls on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. Tradition says Krishna held up Govardhan for 7 days and skipped his 8 daily meals: 7 x 8 = 56 dishes. Here is the full 56-item list grouped by taste, plus an 11- or 21-dish home version.
Chhappan bhog means 56 dishes, offered together to Lord Krishna as Giriraj Govardhan on the day of Annakut. In 2026, Annakut, also called Govardhan Puja, falls on Tuesday, 10 November. The story goes that Krishna held up Govardhan hill for seven days and skipped his eight daily meals: 7 × 8 = 56. So the people of Braj cooked 56 dishes for him. Below is a full 56-item list grouped by the six tastes, plus an 11-dish or 21-dish version for a home kitchen.
When is Annakut 2026? Date and tithi
By our panchang engine, Govardhan Puja and Annakut fall on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. The tithi (lunar day) is Kartik Shukla Pratipada. Pratipada is the first lunar day after the new moon. It begins on 9 November at 12:32 and ends on 10 November at 14:01. Because Pratipada is running at sunrise on 10 November, the festival is observed that day.
| Detail | 10 November 2026 (Delhi) |
|---|---|
| Day | Tuesday |
| Tithi | Kartik Shukla Pratipada — 9 Nov 12:32 to 10 Nov 14:01 |
| Nakshatra (lunar star) | Vishakha, 4th pada (quarter) |
| Sunrise / Sunset | 06:40 / 17:29 |
| Moonrise | 07:33 |
| Sun / Moon sign | Sun in Tula (Libra), Moon in Vrishchik (Scorpio) |
Times are for Delhi; sunrise and sunset shift by a few minutes in other cities. To see where this day sits in the five-day Diwali sequence, use the Diwali 2026 five-day calendar.
Why exactly 56 dishes?
According to the katha (traditional story), Indra's anger brought torrential rain down on Braj. Krishna lifted Govardhan hill on his little finger and held it there for seven days, while the villagers, their cows and their animals sheltered beneath it.
Tradition holds that the child Krishna ate eight times a day. For the seven days he held the hill, he ate nothing. When the rain stopped, Yashoda and the people of Braj counted the meals he had missed: seven days, eight meals each, 7 × 8 = 56. They cooked that many dishes and offered them to him. That offering is repeated every year as Annakut.
"Annakut" literally means a mountain of grain: anna is food or grain, kut is a heap or peak. Govardhan Puja and Annakut are two sides of the same day. One is the worship of Govardhan, the other is the food offering. For the full puja steps and story, read Govardhan Puja 2026: Annakut vidhi and significance.
The full chhappan bhog list, grouped by the six tastes
Tradition arranges the bhog by six rasas. Rasa means taste: madhur (sweet), amla (sour), lavan (salty), katu (pungent or spicy), tikta (bitter) and kashaya (astringent). Temple lists vary, so the list below is a practical one built from sattvik dishes a home kitchen can make. Sattvik means pure vegetarian food cooked without onion or garlic, in ghee, with simple spices.
| Rasa | Meaning | Dishes | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madhur | Sweet | 1 Kheer (rice pudding), 2 Rabri, 3 Malpua, 4 Besan ladoo, 5 Boondi ladoo, 6 Peda, 7 Sooji halwa, 8 Moong dal halwa, 9 Panjiri, 10 Makhan-mishri (butter with rock sugar), 11 Gulab jamun, 12 Jalebi, 13 Khoya barfi, 14 Kalakand, 15 Shrikhand, 16 Mohanthal, 17 Kesariya meethe chawal (saffron sweet rice), 18 Shakkarpare | 18 |
| Amla | Sour | 19 Boondi raita, 20 Plain curd, 21 Tamarind chutney, 22 Coriander-mint chutney, 23 Mango pickle, 24 Lemon pickle, 25 Kadhi (spiced yoghurt curry), 26 Chaas (buttermilk) | 8 |
| Lavan | Salty, and the staple grains | 27 Plain rice, 28 Jeera rice, 29 Khichdi, 30 Poori, 31 Roti, 32 Bajra or makki roti, 33 Moong dal, 34 Arhar dal, 35 Chana dal, 36 Papad, 37 Mathri, 38 Namak-pare | 12 |
| Katu | Pungent, spiced | 39 Khasta kachori, 40 Aloo gravy sabzi, 41 Lauki (bottle gourd) sabzi, 42 Bhindi (okra) sabzi, 43 Kaddu (pumpkin) sabzi, 44 Paneer sabzi, 45 Panchmel (five-vegetable) sabzi, 46 Mirchi vada, 47 Ginger-green chilli chutney, 48 Green chilli pickle | 10 |
| Tikta | Bitter, leafy greens | 49 Methi-aloo (fenugreek with potato), 50 Karela (bitter gourd) sabzi, 51 Palak (spinach) sabzi | 3 |
| Kashaya | Astringent: fruit, nuts, mouth-freshener | 52 Banana, 53 Apple, 54 Pomegranate, 55 Dry fruits (cashew, almond, raisin), 56 Paan-supari-elaichi (betel leaf, areca nut, cardamom as mukhwas) | 5 |
That is 56. Swap in what your region makes: balushahi instead of mohanthal, makki roti instead of bajra. What matters more than the exact names is that every taste is present and everything is cooked in ghee, the sattvik way.
The 11-bhog and 21-bhog shortcut for home
Not every household can cook 56 dishes, and tradition does not ask it to. The bhav (feeling behind the offering) counts more than the count. Many families offer 11 or 21 dishes, and each of the six tastes is still covered.
| 11 bhog (the base) | 21 bhog (11 + these 10) |
|---|---|
| 1 Kheer 2 Sooji halwa 3 Besan ladoo 4 Poori 5 Aloo sabzi 6 Kadhi 7 Plain rice 8 Boondi raita 9 Papad 10 Makhan-mishri 11 Fruit (banana or apple) | 12 Malpua 13 Peda 14 Panjiri 15 Moong dal 16 Lauki sabzi 17 Roti 18 Tamarind chutney 19 Pickle 20 Khasta kachori 21 Dry fruits |
A simple way to split the work: ladoo, panjiri, mathri and pickle can be made a day or two ahead. Kheer, halwa, poori and sabzi are cooked on the morning of the puja. Fruit and curd come fresh from the market. Keep makhan-mishri and a tulsi (holy basil) leaf on the plate no matter what; in Braj tradition that is Giriraj's favourite offering.
How is the Annakut bhog offered?
1. Making the Govardhan
In the courtyard or the puja space, a small Govardhan hill is shaped from gobar (cow dung). Where cow dung is not available, a heap of rice or grain stands in for the hill; that heap is the literal "kut of anna". A small flag, flowers and a diya (oil lamp) go on top. Many homes also shape tiny cows and calves beside the hill.
2. Laying out the bhog
All the dishes are arranged in front of the Govardhan on plates and leaf platters: sweets, savouries, grains, fruit, curd. Makhan-mishri and a tulsi leaf are placed for Giriraj without fail. The custom is to lay one tulsi leaf on each dish.
3. Aarti and parikrama
A lamp is lit and aarti is performed. Then comes the parikrama, walking around the Govardhan. Cows are worshipped on the same day; in tradition, honouring Govardhan and honouring the cow are one and the same feeling.
4. Timing
Pratipada tithi runs until 14:01 on 10 November. Tradition considers it good to offer the bhog while the tithi is still running; many families also set out Annakut in the evening. Give priority to your own family or temple custom.
5. Prasad
After the offering, all the food becomes prasad and is shared with family, neighbours and those in need. That is the whole point of Annakut: whatever is cooked is eaten together.
Annakut from Braj to Gujarat and Bengal
Braj, meaning Mathura, Vrindavan and Govardhan itself, keeps the oldest and largest form of Annakut. In its temples a real mountain of grain is built and the chhappan bhog is laid around it. The Annakut of Nathdwara in Rajasthan is a major festival of the Vaishnav tradition. Vaishnav temples across Gujarat hold Annakut widely. Some Vaishnav temples in Bengal also keep the Annakut tradition. Every region has its own list of dishes, so there is no single "correct 56"; the feeling behind it is what is shared.
Frequently asked questions
Is it necessary to cook all 56 dishes?
No. In tradition, sincerity and purity matter more than the number. Eleven dishes, twenty-one, or whatever a household can manage comfortably is a complete Annakut.
Why no onion or garlic in chhappan bhog?
The bhog is sattvik. Tradition classes onion and garlic as tamasik (heavy, dulling foods), so they are kept out of the offering kitchen. Asafoetida (hing) and ginger carry the flavour instead.
What is the difference between Annakut and Govardhan Puja?
They are two parts of the same day, Kartik Shukla Pratipada. Govardhan Puja is the worship of Giriraj and the cow; Annakut is the food offering. This year both fall on 10 November 2026.
What time should the bhog be offered?
Pratipada tithi lasts until 14:01 on 10 November, and sunrise is at 06:40. Offering within the tithi is considered good in tradition; check your local panchang and your temple's custom.
What happens to the food afterwards?
It is prasad. Share it with family, friends, neighbours and anyone in need. Food is never thrown away at Annakut; that is the festival's core lesson.
The tithi, nakshatra and other timings for 10 November are available in our daily panchang. If this list helps with your Annakut, ask the elders at home for the dishes your region adds; that is the real chhappan bhog.