Govatsa Dwadashi
Also called Vagh Baras, Vasu Baras, Nandini Vrat
When
Thursday, 5 November 2026 in 56 days
New Delhi ยท change location
See the complete panchang for that day โ
Why this date?
Kartik Krishna Dwadashi, the day that opens the Diwali sequence. Like most of the days that follow it, the observance belongs to the evening rather than to sunrise, so the civil day is the one on which Dwadashi prevails in the evening.
- Computed by the panchanga engine for your location
- Follows a written selection rule, not a copied list
- Governed by the whole day rather than a specific period
- The written guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar
Dates come from the calculation engine and are independent of the written guide. How we calculate โ
What In short
The day cows and their calves are honoured, opening the Diwali week. Wheat and milk products are set aside โ in many households nothing made from wheat or from cow's milk is eaten.
- Deity: Nandini (the cow) and her calf
Why The reason behind it
The Diwali sequence begins with the animal the household's prosperity historically rested on. The abstention is the point rather than an incidental rule: for one day the household does not consume what the cow gives, and honours her instead.
Traditional basis
Nandini vrata tradition โ The vrat of the divine cow Nandini, from which the day takes its alternative name.
Kartik-month vrata literature โ Places Govatsa Dwadashi as the first of the Diwali-sequence observances.
How At home, step by step
- Bathe and dress the cow and calf where a household keeps them; otherwise honour an image.
- Offer sprouted moong, jaggery and water.
- Abstain from wheat and from cow's-milk products for the day.
What you'll need
- Sprouted moong
- Jaggery
- A ghee lamp
- Flowers and a garland
Fasting and breaking the fast
Not a fast so much as an abstention: wheat and cow's-milk products are set aside for the day, and the household eats otherwise as usual.
Fasting guidance here describes traditional practice. It is not medical advice โ if you are pregnant, diabetic, on medication or unwell, ask a doctor about your own circumstances.
Personal In your region
- Gujarat (Gujarati)
Kept as Vagh Baras, and in trading families the old account books are closed on this day before the new ones open at Diwali. - Maharashtra (Marathi)
Kept as Vasu Baras, the opening day of the Diwali week.
For children
The first day of the Diwali week, when cows and their calves are washed, decorated and fed something sweet.
Common questions
- Why does the Diwali week start with a cow?
- Because the sequence is a household one before it is a temple one, and the cow was the household's standing wealth. The days that follow โ wealth, light, the mountain of food, the brother's meal โ keep that same domestic thread.
This guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar or practising priest. The dates and times on this page come from the calculation engine and are independent of it; the explanatory text is editorial and may not reflect your family's practice. Tell us if something is wrong.