What is Katyayani Vrata?
Katyayani Vrata is the vow of worshiping goddess Katyayani that the young unmarried gopis of Vraja kept for a whole month. In 2026 the Vaishnava calendar marks its beginning on Wednesday, 25 November.
Significance
The Srimad-Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto, chapter 22, tells how the gopis kept the vow in Margasirsha, the first month of the winter season. Srila Prabhupada writes in Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead that they ate haviṣyānna, mung dal and rice boiled together without spices or turmeric. The Vedic rule is that such food purifies the body before a ritual. They kept the vow with one aim, to attain Lord Krishna:
During the first month of the winter season, the young unmarried girls of Gokula observed the vow of worshiping goddess Kātyāyanī.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.22.1
How to observe it
Devotees remember the vow by hearing chapter 22 of the Tenth Canto, the pastime of the gopis' bath in the Yamuna and Krishna's reply to them. You may follow the gopis' simple diet of unspiced khichri during the month. Rise early, offer your prayers and chant the holy names.
Questions
When does Katyayani Vrata begin in 2026?
Katyayani Vrata begins on Wednesday, 25 November 2026 according to the Vaishnava calendar. The gopis kept the vow through the month of Margasirsha.
What did the gopis eat during Katyayani Vrata?
The gopis ate only unspiced khichri, which Srila Prabhupada describes as mung dal and rice boiled together without spices or turmeric. This simple food purifies the body before a ritual.
Why did the gopis worship Katyayani?
The gopis worshiped goddess Katyayani to attain Lord Krishna. The Bhagavatam says they prayed that the son of Nanda Maharaja might become their husband.
Reviewed by ISKCON Kurukshetra · Updated
Key facts
- Date
- Wednesday, 25 November 2026
- Told in
- Srimad-Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto, chapter 22
- Kept in the month of
- Margasirsha
Seva for this day
Feed devotees and visitors on this holy day, or begin the Bhagavad-gita course with us.