Diwali 2026 in Mathura and Vrindavan: Lakshmi Puja Muhurat, Govardhan Puja Parikrama, Yam Dwitiya at Vishram Ghat and Traffic Rules

Quick answer: Diwali 2026 in Mathura and Vrindavan is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Mathura is 5:55 PM – 7:51 PM IST, calculated by HinduTone with the Drik Panchang method, and sunset is at about 5:31 PM. In Braj the festival peaks after Diwali night: Govardhan Puja and Annakut on Tuesday, 10 November, when huge crowds of devotees walk the parikrama of Govardhan Hill, and Yam Dwitiya (Bhai Dooj) on Wednesday, 11 November, when brothers and sisters bathe together in the Yamuna at Vishram Ghat. Route diversions are in force in Mathura, Vrindavan and Govardhan until 11 November, and on Govardhan Puja day several roads into Govardhan are open only to vehicles with passes. As of 8 November HinduTone has not found a 2026 Mathura order on cracker hours, so the national rule applies: 8 PM to 10 PM on Diwali, green crackers only.

Diwali in Krishna's own land is different. Homes and shops still perform Lakshmi-Ganesh puja at dusk, and the temples of Mathura and Vrindavan glow with lamps through the Kartik month, when devotees offer a lamp to Lord Damodar every evening. But the days everyone waits for come next: the Annakut mountain of food offered to Giriraj ji on Govardhan Puja, remembering how Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill to shelter the people of Braj, and the Yamuna bath on Bhai Dooj, from the story of Yamuna feeding her brother Yama. This guide covers the dates and times, Govardhan Puja and Yam Dwitiya, temples, the traffic plan, crackers and practical tips.

Editor's note (8 November 2026): puja times are HinduTone's own calculation for Mathura. The traffic plan is from Amar Ujala (6 November 2026). The Yam Dwitiya arrangements and the cracker market details are from Navbharat Live (6 and 7 November 2026), quoting District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar.

Diwali 2026 dates in Mathura and Vrindavan

The Chaturdashi tithi runs from 10:47 AM on Saturday, 7 November to 11:27 AM on Sunday, 8 November, and the Amavasya follows from 11:27 AM on Sunday until 12:31 PM on Monday, 9 November, so Sunday evening is Diwali. Pratipada runs from 12:31 PM on Monday to 2:00 PM on Tuesday, 10 November, which puts Govardhan Puja on Tuesday, and Monday, 9 November is the gap day. Dwitiya runs from 2:00 PM on Tuesday to 3:53 PM on Wednesday, 11 November, so Yam Dwitiya is on Wednesday.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Mathura

The muhurat is the part of Pradosh Kaal, the period after sunset, when the fixed Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna is rising. Mathura's window is a minute later than Agra's (5:54 PM – 7:50 PM) and practically the same as New Delhi's. Vrindavan, about 12 km to the north, has the same times. For other cities, see Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026, city-wise.

Govardhan Puja in Braj: Tuesday, 10 November

Govardhan Puja remembers the day Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill on his little finger for seven days to shelter the people of Braj from Indra's storms. In Braj it is the biggest day of the Diwali festival.

• Annakut: temples and homes offer a mountain of cooked food, often the Chhappan Bhog of 56 dishes, to Giriraj ji (Govardhan Hill) and to Krishna, and then share it as prasad. See Chhappan Bhog: 56 dishes for Govardhan Puja.
• Govardhan Parikrama: devotees walk the parikrama path around Govardhan Hill, about 21 km, many of them barefoot, past Daan Ghati, Manasi Ganga, Radha Kund and Jatipura. The roads are packed from the night before.
• At home: families shape a small Govardhan of cow dung in the courtyard, decorate it with flowers and lamps, walk around it and worship cows. See why cows are worshipped on Govardhan Puja.

For the puja vidhi and story, see Govardhan Puja and Annakut 2026 and the legend of Krishna and Govardhan Hill.

Yam Dwitiya at Vishram Ghat: Wednesday, 11 November

On Yam Dwitiya, brothers and sisters come to Mathura from across north India to bathe together in the Yamuna at Vishram Ghat, the ghat where Krishna is said to have rested after slaying Kansa. Tradition holds that Yamuna fed her brother Yama on this day, and that siblings who bathe in the Yamuna together are freed from the fear of death. Near Vishram Ghat stands the temple of Yamuna and Dharmaraj (Yama), the brother and sister worshipped together.

• Arrangements: according to Navbharat Live, 50 boats and 2 steamers will be on safety duty. The municipal corporation has arranged bathing on ghats on both banks of the Yamuna to spread the crowds, with extra lighting, changing tents for women and a lost-and-found centre. About 25 ghats are expected to draw large crowds.
• Tilak time: the afternoon (Aparahna) tilak window in Mathura on Wednesday is about 1:08 PM – 3:19 PM, inside the Dwitiya, which ends at 3:53 PM.
• Safety: keep to the bathing areas marked by the administration, stay within your depth, hold children's hands in the water and follow instructions from the boat teams.

See Bhai Dooj 2026 for the tilak vidhi. Kayastha families also keep Chitragupta Puja on this day.

Diwali night and Dhanteras in Mathura

• Friday, 6 November: Dhanteras. Families buy silver, utensils and a new broom; the evening puja window is 6:03 PM – 7:59 PM. See Dhanteras 2026.
• Sunday, 8 November: Diwali. Lakshmi-Ganesh puja at home and in shops inside the muhurat, 5:55 PM – 7:51 PM, followed by lamps at the door, on the roof and along the Yamuna ghats. Temples are decorated with lamps and lights, and many devotees offer a lamp at the evening Yamuna aarti at Vishram Ghat.
• Kartik deepdaan: throughout the Kartik month, Vaishnava devotees offer lamps to Lord Damodar every evening and sing the Damodarashtakam. See Damodar month in Vrindavan.

Temples to visit

Mathura

• Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi: the temple complex at the traditional birthplace of Krishna.
• Dwarkadhish Temple: the much-loved Krishna temple in the old city near Vishram Ghat.
• Vishram Ghat: the city's main ghat, with the evening Yamuna aarti, and the temple of Yamuna and Dharmaraj nearby.

Vrindavan

• Banke Bihari Temple: Vrindavan's most visited temple, extremely crowded through the festival week.
• ISKCON Vrindavan (Krishna Balaram Mandir): known for its Kartik and Govardhan Puja celebrations.
• Prem Mandir: the marble temple famous for its evening lighting.
• Radha Raman and Radha Vallabh temples: among Vrindavan's old Goswami temples.

Govardhan

• Daan Ghati Temple: the starting point for most parikrama walkers.
• Manasi Ganga, Radha Kund and Mukharvind at Jatipura: the main stops on the parikrama.

Darshan timings change on festival days; check each temple's official notice before you go. For the region, see famous temples in Uttar Pradesh.

Traffic plan until 11 November

According to Amar Ujala (6 November 2026), route diversions are in force in Mathura, Vrindavan and Govardhan until 11 November for Diwali, Govardhan Puja and Yam Dwitiya:

• Mathura city: autos, e-rickshaws, four-wheelers and heavy vehicles cannot enter the main markets. Entry is closed from Chowk Bazaar and Milan Tiraha; vehicles from Quality Tiraha, Vikas Bazaar and Arya Samaj Gate go to parking at B.N. Poddar School and Brij Vihar, and vehicles from Bharatpur Gate go via State Bank and Tank Chauraha to Poddar School. Vehicles from Govardhan Chauraha, Mandi Chauraha and the highway cut are diverted from Township Tiraha.
• Vrindavan: no vehicles from Nandanvan Cut to Prem Mandir Tiraha; e-rickshaws and autos only up to Nandanvan Cut and Sunrakh Tiraha. Vehicles from Chhatikara park at the multi-level parking and in front of the Vaishno Mata temple; autos and cars from the 100-bed hospital side park at Daruk and the Mandi.
• Govardhan on 10 November: without a pass, four-wheelers, autos and heavy vehicles cannot use Ekta Tiraha to the police station, Saunkh Adda and Rajiv Tiraha to Daan Ghati temple, Deeg Adda to the Chhoti Parikrama, Chhatikara Tiraha to the parikrama route, or Mukharai Gate to Radha Kund police post. Commercial vehicles must use the Govardhan bypass.

Plan to park outside and walk or take a shuttle, and follow the police on the day for changes.

Crackers in Mathura: what we know

• Where to buy: according to Navbharat Live (7 November 2026), crackers are sold at 12 licensed locations, allotted by lottery from about 400 applications. District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh and SSP Shlok Kumar inspected the market at the Ramlila Maidan and told shopkeepers to keep fire-safety equipment and the required gaps between shops.
• Timing: as of 8 November 2026 HinduTone has not found a 2026 Mathura or Uttar Pradesh order fixing cracker hours, so the national rule applies:
• 8 PM to 10 PM on Diwali, under the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment.
• Green crackers only, from licensed shops.
• No sound-emitting crackers from 10 PM to 6 AM, and none near hospitals, schools and courts.
• Near temples and cows: Braj's lanes are narrow and full of pilgrims, cows and monkeys; burst crackers only in open spaces, never near temples, gaushalas or the parikrama path.

Read our firecracker safety tips and the Uttar Pradesh firecracker rules 2026. For emergencies call 112, and for fire 101.

Practical tips

• Crowds: Govardhan on 10 November and Vishram Ghat on 11 November draw enormous crowds. Start early, carry little, agree a meeting point and keep children close.
• Parikrama: wear comfortable footwear or socks if you walk barefoot, carry water, and walk on the marked path.
• Weather: early November in Braj is pleasant by day, around 15–30 °C, with cool mornings and evenings.
• Air quality: the air often turns poor in November; people with asthma should carry their medicines and avoid the heaviest bursting.
• Stay: hotels and dharamshalas in Vrindavan and Govardhan fill early for the festival week.

More Diwali 2026 guides

• Diwali 2026 in Agra
• Diwali 2026 in Lucknow
• Diwali 2026 in Varanasi
• Ayodhya Deepotsav and Diwali 2026 in Uttar Pradesh
• Diwali 2026 in Delhi

Browse every guide on our Diwali 2026 hub.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in Mathura and Vrindavan?

Sunday, 8 November 2026, with Lakshmi Puja in the evening. Govardhan Puja is Tuesday, 10 November and Yam Dwitiya (Bhai Dooj) Wednesday, 11 November.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Mathura?

5:55 PM to 7:51 PM IST on Sunday, 8 November 2026, calculated by HinduTone with the Drik Panchang method. Vrindavan has the same times.

When is Govardhan Puja 2026 in Mathura?

Tuesday, 10 November 2026. Devotees offer the Annakut and walk the parikrama of Govardhan Hill; several roads into Govardhan are open that day only to vehicles with passes.

Why do brothers and sisters bathe at Vishram Ghat on Bhai Dooj?

On Yam Dwitiya, Yamuna fed her brother Yama, and tradition holds that siblings who bathe together in the Yamuna at Mathura are freed from the fear of death. In 2026 it falls on Wednesday, 11 November.

What are the cracker timings in Mathura for Diwali 2026?

As of 8 November 2026 we have not found a Mathura order on hours, so the national rule applies: green crackers only, 8 PM to 10 PM on Diwali.