Kartika Month 2025

This year, Kartika Month will be observed from

Tuesday 7th October 2025 to Wednesday 5th November 2025

Read The Damodarastakam Prayers

Kartika Masa is the most auspicious month and is most dear to Sri Sri Radha Damodara. It is described in Hari Bhakti Vilasa 16.39/40:

 na kartika samo maso na krtena samam yugam

  na veda sadrsam na tirtha gangaya samam

  kartikah pravaro maso vaisnavanam priyah sada

  kartikam skalam yastu bhaktya sevate vaisnavah

Translation:

There is no other month equal to Kartika and there is no yuga equal to Satya-yuga. There is no scripture equal to the Vedas. There is no place of pilgrimage equal to the Ganges. Kartika is the chief of all months and is very dear to the Vaishnavas (devotees of Krishna). Therefore, the Vaisnavas serve the Supreme Lord with great devotion in this month.

SIGNIFICANCE OF KARTIKA MONTH

The month of Damodara or Kartika is extremely special to Lord Krishna. This is His favorite month, because it is the month of Srimati Radharani, His eternal consort. She is Kartika Devi, who transforms the hearts of all with divine bhakti, and is especially merciful during the month of Kartika (Damodara month).

The effect of even performing any small austerity, offering lamps to Lord Krishna, singing the glories of Lord Krishna’s pastime of being bound with ropes by Mother Yashoda, will yield huge results as this month is full of bhakta vatsalya.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH ISKCON BRISBANE

Lamp Offerings: We will be having daily lamp offerings at the Temple following Gaura Arati from 7:30PM.

KARTIKA HOME PROGRAMS

In the Holiest month of Kartika, invite Lord Damodara into your home! During this special month of Kartika any spiritual activity one does for the pleasure of Lord Krishna gets multiplied by 1000!

If you would like to hold a Kartika Home Program where our dedicated team will arrange some Kirtan and a short class about Kartika Month. Additionally, they will arrange lamp offerings to Lord Damodara for everyone who attends! 

If you would like to learn more about this, please contact Krsna Bhavana Dasi on 0435 920 081 

One receives great benefits by offering a lamp in the month of Kartika as explained in different texts: 

“When one offers a lamp during the month of Kartika, his sins in many thousands and millions of births perish in half an eye blink.”

“By offering a lamp during the month of Kartika one attains a pious result ten million times greater than the result obtained by bathing at Kuruksetra during a solar eclipse or by bathing in the river Narmada during a lunar eclipse.”

“O Tiger among sages! For a person who thus offers a lamp burning with ghee or sesame oil, what is the use of performing an asvasmedha-yajna?”

“Even if there are no mantras, no pious deeds, and no purity, everything becomes perfect when a person offers a lamp during the month of Karttika.”

“A person who during the month of Kartika offers a lamp to Lord Kesava has already performed all yajnas and bathing in all holy rivers.”

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Some of the observances prescribed by Hari Bhakti Vilas and Skanda Purana:

  1. Rise at brahma-muhurta (around 4AM) and attend Mangala Arati (Daily at the Temple from 4:30AM) and you will attain the Spiritual World.
  2. Offer incense, ghee lamp, flowers (malati, lotus, rose, jasmine, lily) and camphor lamp three times a day.
  3. Daily offer a ghee lamp to Radha-Damodara (any Radha-Krishna Deity or picture) and sing Damodarastakam. 
  4. One should always remember Supreme Lord Hari. Devotees should try to do more Harinama & do extra rounds. Visit our Maha Mantra Page to discover how to chant &  
  5. One should hear Srimad Bhagavatam, daily in association of Vaisnavas. Visit our Daily Srimad Bhagavatam Class page to join in!

  1. Maintain a ghee/sesame lamp before Deity, base of Tulasi, hang in the sky – attain the spiritual world. Just by offering a ghee lamp to Sri Krishna, one attains perfection and goes back to Godhead.
  2. Offer sweet rice mixed with ghee, tasty food and varieties of fruits to the Lord. Eat only prasadam (food offered to Lord Krishna)
  3. Give in charity during this month – you can donate for Sri Sri Gaura Nitai’s daily service – Visit our donation page to find out more
  4. Daily offer lamp to Tulasi devi and pray for eternal residence in Vrndavana and eternal service of the lotus feet of Radha and Krishna.
  5. Do 4 parikrama (circumambulation) of Tulasi.
  6. Perform austerities – e.g. Fasting (optional only), serving in the temple etc.

FESTIVALS DURING KARTIKA MASA

  • Rasa-Lila

    The first day of the month, Sarada Purnima is when the Sarada Raas was performed and the desires of all the Gopis of Sri Krishna were fulfilled.

  • Damodar Lila

    Damodara-lila is a sweet pastime of the Lord showing us how He could be bound with the ropes of love, affection and devotion of His devotees.

  • Appearance of Sri Radha Kunda and Sri Syama Kunda

    It was in this month that the demon Aristasura was killed. His killing gave rise to the appearance of Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda at the foot of the Govardan hill.

  • Diwali

    Kartika Amavasya is celebrated as Dipavali, the festival of lights. Traditionally everyone cleans their home to prepare for this festival and on this day light many lamps in the house just as the residents of Ayodhya did thousands of years ago, to welcome Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana from exile.

  • Govardhana Puja

    The day following Amavasya is celebrated as Govardhan puja which signifies the Lord giving protection to all and fulfilling his devotees desire at the same time.

  • Disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada

    This month also commemorates the disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada without whose mercy the worldwide celebration of this glorious month would never ever have been possible.

  • Gopastami

    On this day Lord Sri Krishna became a qualified cowherd. Before this day, he was a keeper of the calves. However, as Krishna passed the childhood age known as kaumara and stepped into the age of pauganda (from the 6 up to 10), he goes for cow herding for the very first-time!

  • Bhisma Pancaka

    The last 5 days of Kartika month (starting from the Ekadasi day and ending on Purnima, the full moon) are traditionally known as the Bhisma Pancaka or the Visnu Pancaka.

See Other Festivals & Events