Annapurna Jayanti in Varanasi 2026: The Goddess of Food and Her Temple in Kashi

It is often said in Varanasi that nobody who lives in Kashi, or even passes through it, ever goes hungry. Ask a Banarasi why, and the answer will come without hesitation: because Annapurna lives here. The goddess of nourishment, a form of Parvati who holds a ladle and a bowl of rice, is regarded as the city's mother, and her small, busy temple a few steps from Kashi Vishwanath is among the most loved shrines in the old quarter. Once a year, on Annapurna Jayanti, the full moon of the month of Margashirsha, the city honours her birthday with prayers, communal meals and a quiet gratitude for every grain on the plate. In 2026 the Margashirsha Purnima falls on Thursday, 24 December, with some calendars observing the vrat on the evening of 23 December, so check the local panchang and the temple notice before you plan your day.

Who is Annapurna?

The name is Sanskrit: anna means food or grain, and purna means full or complete. Annapurna is therefore "she who is full of nourishment", and in devotional art she is usually shown seated on a throne, adorned with jewels, holding a golden ladle in one hand and a vessel of food in the other. Facing her, in many images, stands Shiva as a wandering mendicant with a begging bowl. The picture captures one of the best-loved teachings of Kashi: that food is sacred, that giving it is the highest generosity, and that even the lord of the universe stands before the goddess of nourishment with open hands.

The legend of Shiva's begging bowl

The story most often told in Varanasi goes like this. Shiva and Parvati were once discussing the nature of the world, and Shiva remarked that all material things, including food, were maya, an illusion without lasting substance. Parvati, hearing this, decided to show him otherwise. She withdrew from the world, and with her disappearance the earth fell into famine. Fields dried, granaries emptied and every living being, gods and sages included, felt the pangs of hunger.

When the situation became unbearable, Shiva went to Kashi, where Parvati had taken up residence as Annapurna and opened a kitchen that fed everyone. Taking a begging bowl, he stood before her and asked for alms. Annapurna filled his bowl with her own hands, and Shiva, humbled, acknowledged that nourishment is no illusion but the very foundation of life. Parvati was restored to the world, the famine ended, and the city of Kashi became associated with the promise that no one who arrives with faith will leave unfed. Adi Shankaracharya, according to tradition, composed his famous Annapurna Stotram in her praise, and its closing verse, asking her to grant alms of knowledge and detachment, is chanted in Kashi homes to this day.

The Annapurna Devi Temple

The temple of Annapurna stands in the heart of the old city, in the lanes close to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. It is usually described as having been built in the early eighteenth century under the patronage of the Maratha leader Baji Rao I, though like many Banarasi temples it has been renovated and added to over time. The sanctum is small and intimate, with a courtyard that fills quickly on busy days. The main image of the goddess, in a form that devotees describe as radiantly gentle, is worshipped throughout the year, and visitors traditionally come here after their darshan at Kashi Vishwanath as a way of completing the pilgrimage: first the lord, then the mother who feeds his city.

The temple is also known for a special annual event. A golden image of Annapurna is displayed to the public for a few days around the time of Dhanteras and Diwali, and the crowds on those days are among the largest the lanes see all year. You can read more about the associated offering of mountains of food in our guide to Annakut in Varanasi. On Annapurna Jayanti itself, the atmosphere is calmer and more domestic: a day of prayer, flowers and shared food rather than a surging festival crowd.

If you are planning the wider visit, our Kashi Vishwanath darshan guide explains how to approach the main temple, and the guide to the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor shows how the walkway links the temple area to the river.

How Annapurna Jayanti is observed

Morning bath and a clean kitchen

Many devotees begin the day with a Ganga bath at dawn, or with a bath at home using a few drops of Gangajal. In households across Kashi, the kitchen is cleaned thoroughly before the day, because the kitchen is regarded as the goddess's own space. A picture or small image of Annapurna is placed in or near the kitchen, and the stove, grain containers and cooking vessels are given a small offering of flowers and a lamp.

Puja and offerings

Worship usually includes a lamp, incense, fresh flowers, fruits and a simple offering of cooked food. The most common offerings are rice, kheer (rice pudding), puris, halwa and seasonal vegetables. After the puja, the food is distributed as prasad, and it is considered auspicious to share a portion with others before eating yourself. Many people recite or listen to the Annapurna Stotram or Annapurna Ashtakam during the day.

Giving food to others

The heart of the day, especially in Varanasi, is the feeding of others. Families, temple trusts, ashrams and charitable kitchens organise community meals, and it is common to see devotees offering food to the elderly, to sadhus, to students in the old lanes and to people at the ghats. Feeding cows, dogs and birds is also part of the tradition. The idea is simple and moving: the goddess is honoured not only through ritual, but by making sure that others are fed.

The Annapurna vrat

Alongside the single day of Jayanti, some devotees in Kashi follow the longer Annapurna vrat, a period of devotion in the days leading up to the full moon, often involving a sacred thread with knots and a simple daily routine of worship. The exact customs differ between families and temples, so if you wish to take part, it is best to ask a local priest or the temple office about the sequence they follow this year.

Kashi's tradition of feeding

The feeding tradition associated with Annapurna is not a legend only. Varanasi has a long history of annakshetras, charitable kitchens run by temples, trusts, guilds and families, some of which have served meals to pilgrims and students for generations. Pilgrims on the Panchkroshi circuit, students of Sanskrit in the old pathshalas and elderly residents of the ghats have long depended on this quiet network of generosity. When you walk the lanes at midday and see a queue for a free meal, or a family handing out puris after a puja, you are watching the legend of Annapurna in everyday life.

Visitors can take part respectfully by eating at a licensed community kitchen only when invited, by donating to a recognised trust, or by simply being mindful of waste. Banarasis are particularly gentle about leftover food: it is traditional to take only as much as you can finish.

What to eat in Kashi around Annapurna Jayanti

Because the day is about food, it is the perfect excuse to eat well. Winter is the best season for Banarasi flavours: hot kachori-sabzi at breakfast, jalebi dipped in warm milk, and, in the cold mornings of December and January, the froth-topped dessert known as malaiyo. Our guide to malaiyo in Varanasi explains where to find it and why it appears only in winter. For a classic cup of tea in a clay kulhad, see our guide to Banarasi chai, and for breakfast, our kachori guide is a good starting point. If you want a broader view of the city's eating culture, the street food guide covers the main lanes.

A suggested plan for the day

If you are in Varanasi on 24 December, the following plan balances devotion with comfort in the cold weather:

• Early morning: a quiet boat ride or a walk along the ghats at sunrise. The boat ride guide explains routes and fair pricing. Dress warmly; the river is cold before the sun clears the mist.
• Mid-morning: breakfast of kachori and jalebi near Godowlia or the Vishwanath lanes.
• Late morning: darshan at Kashi Vishwanath, followed by a visit to the Annapurna Devi Temple. Expect queues; carry no bags, and confirm the day's timings at the gate.
• Afternoon: rest, then a walk to Dashashwamedh Ghat or Assi Ghat.
• Evening: the Ganga aarti, described in our aarti guide, with a warm cup of chai or a clay cup of malaiyo afterwards.

Practical tips for visitors

• Go early. The lanes around Vishwanath are narrow and the temples fill from mid-morning. An early start means shorter queues and cooler light for photographs where photography is permitted.
• Travel light. Mobile phones, bags and leather items are often restricted near the main temple. Leave valuables at your hotel and carry only what you need.
• Dress modestly and warmly. December mornings in Varanasi are cold and foggy, and temple visits call for modest clothing. A shawl serves both purposes well.
• Bring small change. You will want it for flowers, offerings and donations to the temple trust or charitable kitchens.
• Confirm the date. Purnima tithi can straddle two days, so check the panchang or the temple's announcement for the exact day of the vrat and any special programme.
• Be patient and kind. Festival days bring crowds. A little courtesy goes a long way in the lanes.

The December setting

Annapurna Jayanti arrives at the heart of the winter tourist season, when the weather is dry, the sky is often hazy, and the ghats are at their most atmospheric. The month is also one of the best for walking the old city, since the heat of summer and the humidity of the monsoon are far behind. For help with timing a trip around the festival season, see our guides to the best time to visit Varanasi and the weather in Varanasi in November, and our Varanasi in December guide for what to expect when the cold sets in. If you are still deciding where to stay, hotels near the ghats keep you within walking distance of the temples.

Why Annapurna matters to Kashi

Kashi is sometimes described as the city of liberation, of death and rebirth, of the fierce and the ancient. Annapurna is the gentler side of that story. She reminds visitors that a city of spirituality is also a city of kitchens, that a pilgrimage is made possible by simple hospitality, and that the greatest offering is a meal given without condition. Whether you visit the temple, share a plate of khichdi at a community kitchen or simply eat your breakfast a little more mindfully, Annapurna Jayanti is an invitation to see food as something to be grateful for.

Plan your visit

Annapurna Jayanti is best experienced slowly. Begin with the river at dawn, visit the temple with patience, and let the day unfold at the pace of the lanes. Start with our Kashi Vishwanath Temple guide and follow the threads from there: the ghats, the food, the winter light. In Kashi, as the city likes to say of itself, no one is meant to leave hungry.