Festival · 2027
Radha Ashtami 2027 — Tuesday, 7 September 2027
Radha Ashtami celebrates the birth of Radha on Bhadrapada Shukla Ashtami, fifteen days after Janmashtami, with midday worship and joyful festivities across Braj.
In 2026
Saturday, 19 September 2026
- Tithi
- Shukla Ashtami: 18 Sep, 1:01 PM – 19 Sep, 3:27 PM
- Lunar month
- Bhadrapada
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:07 AM / 6:21 PM
- Madhyahna moment
- 12:14 PM
| Puja muhurat | 11:01 AM – 1:28 PM |
|---|---|
| Madhyahna | 11:01 AM – 1:28 PM |
Rule: Bhadrapada Shukla Ashtami prevailing at madhyahna, when Radha is worshipped; if on both days, the day it covers more of it.
In 2027
Tuesday, 7 September 2027
- Tithi
- Shukla Ashtami: 7 Sep, 11:28 AM – 8 Sep, 12:44 PM
- Lunar month
- Bhadrapada
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:01 AM / 6:36 PM
- Madhyahna moment
- 12:19 PM
| Puja muhurat | 11:28 AM – 1:34 PM |
|---|---|
| Madhyahna | 11:03 AM – 1:34 PM |
Rule: Bhadrapada Shukla Ashtami prevailing at madhyahna, when Radha is worshipped; if on both days, the day it covers more of it.
Times follow New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset. In other cities the muhurat shifts by some minutes, and occasionally the day by one. Full festival calendar
What is Radha Ashtami?
Radha Ashtami, also called Radhashtami or Radha Jayanti, marks the appearance of Radha, the beloved of Krishna. It falls on the eighth day of the bright half of Bhadrapada, exactly a fortnight after Krishna Janmashtami, which falls on the eighth day of the dark half. The two Ashtamis frame a month that, in Braj, is lived almost entirely in their joy.
In the traditions of Braj, Radha is the daughter of Vrishabhanu and Kirti. Barsana, on its hill a short distance from Mathura, is known as her home, and the village of Rawal is remembered by many as her birthplace. Where Krishna was born at midnight, Radha is said to have appeared at midday, and so her birthday is celebrated in the middle of the day.
For the devotional schools of Braj and for Gaudiya Vaishnavas, Radha is not only Krishna’s companion but the fullest expression of love for him, and approaching Krishna through Radha is central to their practice. In some traditions she is worshipped as the hladini shakti, the power of joy, inseparable from Krishna. The name Radha is often understood as she who worships, and her devotion is held up as the model for every devotee.
The day is therefore one of celebration more than austerity. Temples are decorated with flowers, songs of Radha’s birth are sung, and the deity is bathed and dressed in new clothes. Many devotees keep a fast until midday, when the abhishek and aarti take place, and then share prasad.
How it is observed
- Devotees rise early, bathe and many keep a fast until the midday puja, taking fruit or nothing at all before it.
- Radha and Krishna are bathed in an abhishek of milk, curd, honey, ghee and water, then dressed in new clothes and ornaments.
- The main puja and aarti are done at midday, the hour of Radha’s appearance, with flowers, tulsi and sweets.
- Kirtan and songs of congratulation, the badhai, are sung, and the Radha names and stotras are recited.
- In Barsana, pilgrims climb to the Shriji temple on the hill, which is decorated and crowded through the day.
- After the midday worship the fast is broken with prasad, and many share food with neighbours and visitors.
How the date is fixed
Radha Ashtami is kept on Bhadrapada Shukla Ashtami, on the day the Ashtami prevails at madhyahna, the middle fifth of the daylight, because Radha is said to have appeared at midday. If the Ashtami touches madhyahna on both days, we take the day on which it covers more of the madhyahna. The date and the madhyahna window are shown above.
Where practice differs
Radha Ashtami is celebrated most fully in Braj: in Barsana, Rawal, Vrindavan, Mathura and Govardhan, where temples keep their own traditional timings. ISKCON and Gaudiya Vaishnava temples around the world keep it as a major festival, usually with a fast until noon. In many households of the north, the sixteen-day Mahalakshmi vrat also begins on this same Ashtami, so the day may be known there by that name as well. Because this is the bright half, the month is Bhadrapada in both amanta and purnimanta calendars. Temple calendars sometimes follow their own sampradaya’s rules and may differ from the general almanac by a day.
Dates and times are computed by our own engine (sunrise, tithi and kalas for New Delhi, Lahiri ayanamsa). In another city, or in an almanac of another tradition, the day can differ by one — follow your family’s tradition.
Questions people ask
How many days after Janmashtami is Radha Ashtami?
About fifteen days. Janmashtami is on the Ashtami of the dark half of Bhadrapada in the north, and Radha Ashtami on the Ashtami of the following bright half.
Why is Radha Ashtami celebrated at midday?
Tradition holds that Radha appeared at midday, unlike Krishna, who was born at midnight. So the abhishek and the main aarti are done in the middle of the day.
Where was Radha born?
In the traditions of Braj, Rawal is remembered as her birthplace and Barsana as the home of her father Vrishabhanu, where she grew up. Both are near Mathura.
Is there a fast on Radha Ashtami?
Many devotees fast until the midday puja and then take prasad. Some keep a fuller fast for the day; it is a matter of personal and temple practice rather than a fixed rule.