Kartik Damodara Month
Sri Damodara (Krishna bound by mother Yashoda's love)
ISKCON / Gaudiya VaishnavaGet a reminder before the next Kartik Damodara Month
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Kartik — the month of Damodara — runs from Sharad Purnima to Kartik Purnima (roughly October–November) and is considered the holiest month of the Vaishnava year. ISKCON devotees worldwide offer a ghee lamp and sing the Damodarashtaka daily to Lord Damodara — Krishna as the butter thief bound by Yashoda's rope of love
Dates 2026–2027
Mantra
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Damodarashtaka + Hare Krishna maha-mantra
Damodarashtaka: eight prayers glorifying Krishna as Damodara — the butter thief bound by mother Yashoda's rope of love — recited daily while offering a ghee lamp
How to recite
Recite the Damodarashtaka daily (8 Sanskrit verses) while offering a small ghee or sesame oil lamp to Krishna's deity at dusk. Chant extra rounds of the maha-mantra. Hear Srimad Bhagavatam daily. Every devotional act in Kartik yields 1,000× the normal spiritual benefit.
Benefits
Srila Rupa Goswami states that any devotional act performed during Kartik yields 1,000 times the normal result. Offering a lamp to Damodara is among the most powerful practices in the Vaishnava tradition, purifying countless lifetimes of karma.
✦ Special Note
Kartik 2026: Sharad Purnima (Oct 8, start) · Govardhana Puja / Annakut (Nov 2) · Dev Deepawali / Kartik Purnima (Nov 6, culmination). Increase chanting, hear Srimad Bhagavatam daily, and observe strict no onion/garlic throughout the month. Kartik Purnima (Dev Deepawali) is the grand finale — 300,000 lamps are lit on the Ganges ghats in Varanasi on this night.
Foods Allowed
Foods to Avoid
Meal Idea
A month of prasadam discipline — satvik, onion-and-garlic-free meals offered to Damodara, with a small ghee lamp lit at dusk every single evening for 30 days
🪔 Aarti
Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki
आरती कुंज बिहारी की, श्री गिरिधर कृष्ण मुरारी की ॥ गले में बैजंती माला, बजावे मुरली मधुर बाला । श्रवण में कुण्डल झलकाला, नंद के आनंद नंदलाला ॥ गगन सम अंग कांति काली, राधिका चमक रही आली । लतन में ठाढ़े बनमाली, भ्रमर सी अलक, कस्तूरी तिलक, चंद्र सी झलक, ललित छवि श्यामा प्यारी की ॥ कनकमय मोर मुकुट बिलसे, देवता दरसन को तरसे । गगन सों सुमन राशि बरसे, बाजे मुरचंग, मधुर मृदंग, ग्वालिन संग, अतुल रति गोप कुमारी की ॥ जहां ते प्रगट भई गंगा, कलुष कली हारिणि श्री गंगा । स्मरण ते होत मोह भंगा, बसी शिव सीस, जटा के बीच, हरे अघ कीच, चरण छवि श्री बनवारी की ॥ चमकती उज्ज्वल तट रेणु, बज रही वृंदावन बेणु । चहुं दिसि गोपी ग्वाल धेनु, हंसत मृदु मंद, चांदनी चंद, कटत भव फंद, टेर सुन दीन भिखारी की ॥
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At 7pm the evening before, each time it comes around. Turn it off anytime.
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