The month of Kartik: lamp offering in Damodar month

Kartik usually runs from late October to late November. Vaishnavas call it Damodar month. The name Damodar means "rope around the belly": in the story, Mother Yashoda tied the child Krishna to a mortar with a rope for his mischief.

Offering lamps

In this month it is customary to light a lamp every evening before the deity or at the foot of the tulsi plant. This is called deepdan. One ghee lamp at home is enough.

Many devotees come to Braj in this month and lamps are lit at the temples and the Yamuna ghats. Diwali, Govardhan Puja and Kartik Purnima fall in these weeks too. The weather is pleasant, so it is a lovely time to visit, but it is crowded.