The Gujarati New Year, Bestu Varas, is on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 in Gujarat and Mumbai, and on Monday, November 9 in the United States, Canada and the UK. Labh Pancham is on Saturday, November 14, 2026 in every city listed below.
Bestu Varas, also called Nutan Varsh, is the first day of the new year in the Gujarati Vikram Samvat calendar. It comes on the day after Diwali, the first day of the bright half of Kartika. Elsewhere in India the same day is kept as Govardhan Puja, Annakut and Bali Pratipada. Families seek blessings for prosperity in the year ahead, and many businesses do Chopada Pujan, the worship of the new account books.
Govardhan and the Annakut
The Bhagavata Purana tells why this day is the day of the Annakut. One year Lord Krishna saw the cowherds of Vraja preparing a great sacrifice for Indra. He asked them instead to honour what truly kept them alive: the cows, the learned brahmanas, and Govardhana Hill. Every kind of food was cooked, from sweet rice to cakes and milk sweets, food was given to everyone, and the people walked around the hill with their cows. This mountain of food offered to the hill is remembered as the Annakut.
Indra was furious and sent storm clouds that flooded the land. Krishna lifted Govardhana Hill with one hand, as easily as a child holds up a mushroom, and sheltered all the people and their cows beneath it for seven days, until Indra's pride was broken and the sun shone again.
The same day is also Bali Pratipada. The Bhagavata Purana tells how Lord Vishnu came to the generous king Bali as Vamana and asked for three steps of land, and how Bali kept his word and offered his own head for the third step. The Padma Purana says that Vishnu, pleased with him, granted Bali this festival on the first day of the bright half of Kartika.
Labh Pancham: Gujarat opens again
For most of Gujarat, including Ahmedabad and Rajkot, the New Year is not the end of the holiday. Shops and offices stay closed until Labh Pancham, the fifth day of the bright half of Kartika. On Labh Pancham families and businesses open again, and new account books are started with a Lakshmi Ganesha puja. Labh means profit or gain, and the day is also called Saubhagya Panchami. For those who could not do Chopada Pujan on Diwali or on Bestu Varas, Labh Pancham is the day to do it. For Jains the same day is Jnana Panchami.
Bestu Varas and Labh Pancham 2026, city by city
Click your city for the full page, with the good times of the day for Chopada Pujan and new beginnings.
Gujarat and Mumbai (Tuesday, November 10)
- Ahmedabad, Gujarat: Bestu Varas Tuesday, November 10; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- Surat, Gujarat: Bestu Varas Tuesday, November 10; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- Vadodara, Gujarat: Bestu Varas Tuesday, November 10; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- Rajkot, Gujarat: Bestu Varas Tuesday, November 10; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- Mumbai, Maharashtra: Bestu Varas Tuesday, November 10; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
United States and Canada (Monday, November 9)
- Jersey City, New Jersey: Bestu Varas Monday, November 9; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- New York City, New York: Bestu Varas Monday, November 9; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- Chicago, Illinois: Bestu Varas Monday, November 9; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- Houston, Texas: Bestu Varas Monday, November 9; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- Dallas, Texas: Bestu Varas Monday, November 9; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- Atlanta, Georgia: Bestu Varas Monday, November 9; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- San Jose, California: Bestu Varas Monday, November 9; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- Los Angeles, California: Bestu Varas Monday, November 9; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- Toronto, Ontario: Bestu Varas Monday, November 9; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
United Kingdom (Monday, November 9)
- London, England: Bestu Varas Monday, November 9; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
- Leicester, England: Bestu Varas Monday, November 9; Labh Pancham Saturday, November 14
Your city is not here? Open mypanchang.com/gujaratinewyear.php or mypanchang.com/labhpanchami.php and choose your city. In Gujarati: બેસતું વર્ષ
Before the New Year come Vagh Baras, Dhanteras (Friday, November 6), Kali Chaudas and Diwali (Sunday, November 8), and after it comes Bhai Beej. Each page shows the date for your own city.
For the full sankalpa for any day and your city: mypanchang.com/sankalpa
May the new year bring health, peace and prosperity to your family and your business, and may Lakshmi and Ganesha bless every new account you open. Wishing you a happy and blessed Nutan Varsh.
Pundit Mahesh Shastri
www.mypanchang.com
