Devotees of all ages offering ghee lamps before a painting of Mother Yashoda binding baby Krishna

Damodara month · 26 Oct – 24 Nov 2026

Kartik

A month of lamps for the Lord who let love bind Him.

Day 14 of 30

Lamp offerings every day at 7:30 AM and 7:30 PM. Lamps are provided at the temple.

Sing the DamodarastakamJoin at the temple

Why this month

Of all months, Kartik. Of all offerings, a lamp.

Kartik falls between October and November, as the year turns towards its darkest nights. For thirty days devotees around the world remember one childhood pastime of Krishna and offer Him small flames of ghee.

  1. i

    The month dearest to Krishna

    The Puranas praise Kartik above every other month of the year. Devotion offered now, even something as small as a lamp, is said to bear fruit many times over.

  2. ii

    Urja, Radharani's month

    Kartik is also called Urja, a name of Srimati Radharani. Devotees treat the month as Her gift, a time to seek Her mercy so their service to Krishna can grow.

  3. iii

    The close of Caturmasya

    Kartik is the fourth and last month of Caturmasya, the rainy-season period of vows. Whatever a devotee has kept since Ashadha comes to completion here.

The pastime behind the month

The day a mother's rope was always two fingers short

Told in the tenth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, this pastime gives Krishna the name Damodara. Kartik is the month of remembering it.

Painted scenes of Krishna's butter pot, Yashoda's chase and rope, and the twin arjuna trees

  1. The butter pot

    Mother Yashoda is churning butter and singing of her son. Krishna wants to nurse, but the milk on the stove boils over and she sets Him down to save it. Upset, He breaks a pot of yoghurt and shares the butter with the monkeys.

  2. The chase

    Yashoda returns with a stick in her hand. Krishna, the Lord whom yogis cannot reach in meditation, runs from her, frightened. Slowed by her love and her weight, she runs after Him until she catches Him by the hand.

  3. Two fingers short

    She decides to tie Him to the wooden mortar, but every rope falls two fingers short, however many she knots together. When He sees her tired and perspiring, Krishna lets Himself be bound. One finger is her effort, the other is His mercy.

  4. The twin trees

    Tied to the mortar, Krishna crawls between two arjuna trees and pulls them down. Out step Nalakuvara and Manigriva, the sons of Kuvera, freed from Narada Muni's curse. They leave praying only to serve Him.

dāma + udara

Dāma means rope and udara means waist. Damodara is the Lord bound at the waist, the all-powerful God who chooses to be held by His devotee's love. That is what devotees pray for this month.

At ISKCON Nairobi

Come and offer a lamp, twice a day

Every morning and evening of Kartik, devotees gather before Lord Damodara to sing the Damodarastakam together. While the eight verses are sung, everyone offers a small ghee lamp in turn.

  • Lamps are provided at the temple. Just come.
  • Families and first-time visitors are welcome. Children love offering a lamp.
  • The steps and the verses are below, so you can follow along on your phone.
Hare Krishna Close, Parklands / West Ngara, Nairobi

Morning

7:30AM

Start the day with a lamp

Evening

7:30PM

Close the day with a lamp

Daily, 26 Oct – 24 Nov 2026

Keeping the month

Five ways devotees keep Kartik

Choose what you can keep steadily for thirty days. A small vow kept faithfully is worth more than a large one dropped.

  1. 1

    Offer a lamp

    Wave a small ghee lamp before Damodara in circles while the Damodarastakam is sung. It is the heart of the month, and anyone can do it, children included.

  2. 2

    Sing the Damodarastakam

    Satyavrata Muni's eight verses retell the binding of Damodara and ask only for pure love. Sing them every morning and evening, at the temple or at home.

  3. 3

    Hear and chant more

    Many devotees add extra rounds of japa, read more of the Bhagavatam, or hear Krishna's Vrindavan pastimes each day of the month.

  4. 4

    Keep the Caturmasya fast

    Those who follow Caturmasya avoid urad dal during Kartik, the fourth month of the vow. Others take up a simple personal vow for the month.

  5. 5

    Bhisma Pancaka

    The last five days honour Grandfather Bhishma's vow. Some devotees fast more strictly, from Utthana Ekadasi to the full moon. Ask the temple what suits you.

First time?

How to offer your lamp

It takes a few minutes and needs no experience. Devotees at the temple will help you.

Painting of a Kenyan family at home: a mother guides her daughter's hand to offer a ghee lamp before a picture of child Krishna bound to a mortar, while the father and grandmother sing
The same offering works at home, with the whole family taking turns.

  1. Step 1

    Come as you are

    Remove your shoes at the entrance. Lamps are ready at the temple, so there is nothing to bring.

  2. Step 2

    Purify with achaman

    A devotee will pour a few drops of water into your right palm. Sip it three times, saying om keśavāya namaḥ, om nārāyaṇāya namaḥ and om mādhavāya namaḥ, then rinse your hands. The devotee will guide you.

  3. Step 3

    Take a lamp

    Hold the lamp in your right hand. A devotee will light it for you and show you where to stand.

  4. Step 4

    Offer it while the song is sung

    Move the lamp in slow clockwise circles before Lord Damodara, four times at His feet, twice at His navel, three times at His face, then seven times around His whole form.

  5. Step 5

    Pray for one thing

    The Damodarastakam asks only for love of Krishna. Make that your prayer too, in your own words.

  6. Step 6

    Place it on the tray

    Set your lamp down where the devotees show you and let it burn on, then make room for the next person.

  7. Step 7

    At home, the same

    Offer a ghee lamp before a picture of Yashoda and Damodara, morning or evening, and let each family member take a turn.

The circles, in order

Always clockwise, slowly, with your attention on the Lord.

  1. 4×at His lotus feet
  2. 2×at His navel
  3. 3×at His face
  4. 7×around His whole form

Sixteen circles in all. If you lose count, simply continue with love. The offering is what matters.

Sing along

Damodarastakam

Eight verses spoken by Satyavrata Muni, from the Padma Purana, sung during the lamp offering every day of Kartik.

  1. Verse 1

    namāmīśvaraṁ sac-cid-ānanda-rūpaṁlasat-kuṇḍalaṁ gokule bhrājamānamyaśodā-bhiyolūkhalād dhāvamānaṁparāmṛṣṭam atyantato drutya gopyā

    I bow to the Lord, whose form is eternal, conscious, and full of joy. His earrings swing as He runs through Gokula, frightened of Mother Yashoda, who hurries after Him and catches Him beside the mortar.

  2. Verse 2

    rudantaṁ muhur netra-yugmaṁ mṛjantaṁkarāmbhoja-yugmena sātaṅka-netrammuhuḥ śvāsa-kampa-trirekhāṅka-kaṇṭha-sthita-graivaṁ dāmodaraṁ bhakti-baddham

    He weeps and rubs His fearful eyes with His lotus-like hands. His breathing makes the necklace on His neck tremble. I bow to Damodara, who allows Himself to be bound by love.

  3. Verse 3

    itīdṛk sva-līlābhir ānanda-kuṇḍesva-ghoṣaṁ nimajjantam ākhyāpayantamtadīyeśita-jñeṣu bhaktair jitatvaṁpunaḥ prematas taṁ śatāvṛtti vande

    His childhood pastimes fill the people of Gokula with joy and show that loving devotees can win His heart. Again and again, I bow to Him with love.

  4. Verse 4

    varaṁ deva mokṣaṁ na mokṣāvadhiṁ vāna cānyaṁ vṛṇe ’haṁ vareśād apīhaidaṁ te vapur nātha gopāla-bālaṁsadā me manasy āvirāstāṁ kim anyaiḥ

    O Lord, I do not ask for liberation or any other reward. My prayer is simply that Your form as the young cowherd boy may always appear in my heart.

  5. Verse 5

    idaṁ te mukhāmbhojam atyanta-nīlairvṛtaṁ kuntalaiḥ snigdha-raktaiś ca gopyāmuhuś cumbitaṁ bimba-raktādharaṁ memanasy āvirāstām alaṁ lakṣa-lābhaiḥ

    May Your lotus face, framed by dark curls and kissed again and again by Mother Yashoda, remain in my heart. I need no countless other gains.

  6. Verse 6

    namo deva dāmodarānanta viṣṇoprasīda prabho duḥkha-jālābdhi-magnamkṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyāti-dīnaṁ batānu-gṛhāṇeśa mām ajñam edhy akṣi-dṛśyaḥ

    O Damodara, Ananta, Vishnu, I offer my respects. Lost in suffering and unable to find my way, I ask for Your merciful glance. Please bless me and let me behold You.

  7. Verse 7

    kuverātmajau baddha-mūrtyaiva yadvattvayā mocitau bhakti-bhājau kṛtau catathā prema-bhaktiṁ svakāṁ me prayacchana mokṣe graho me ’sti dāmodareha

    Though tied to the mortar, You freed the two sons of Kuvera and gave them devotion. O Damodara, please give me that loving devotion too; liberation is not what I seek.

  8. Verse 8

    namas te ’stu dāmne sphurad-dīpti-dhāmnetvadīyodarāyātha viśvasya dhāmnenamo rādhikāyai tvadīya-priyāyainamo ’nanta-līlāya devāya tubhyam

    I bow to the radiant rope that binds You and to Your belly, which holds the universe. I bow to Your beloved Radhika, and to You, the Lord of endless pastimes.

Inside the month · 2026

Holy days that fall in Kartik

Kartik holds some of the year's biggest celebrations, including Govardhana Puja and Bhisma Pancaka.

Full festival calendar

  1. 26 Oct · Mon

    Kartik begins

    Shri Krishna Sharadiya Rasayatra / Lakshmi Puja

    Disappearance of Sri Murari Gupta

  2. 30 Oct · Fri

    Disappearance of Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura

  3. 2 Nov · Mon

    Bahulastami

  4. 3 Nov · Tue

    Appearance of Sri Virabhadra

  5. 5 Nov · Thu

    Rama Ekadashi

  6. 9 Nov · Mon

    Dipa Dana, Dipavali, Kali Puja

  7. 10 Nov · Tue

    Go Puja, Govardhana Puja

    Bali Daityaraja Puja; appearance of Sri Rasikananda

  8. 11 Nov · Wed

    Disappearance of Sri Vasudeva Ghosh

  9. 13 Nov · Fri

    Srila Prabhupada Disappearance day

    Fast till noon

  10. 17 Nov · Tue

    Gopashtami, Gosthashtami

    Disappearances of Sri Gadadhara Dasa Gosvami, Sri Dhananjaya Pandita and Sri Srinivasa Acarya

  11. 20 Nov · Fri

    Disappearance of Srila Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji

    Fast till noon

  12. 21 Nov · Sat

    Utthana Ekadashi

    First day of Bhisma Pancaka

  13. 23 Nov · Mon

    Disappearances of Sri Bhugarbha Gosvami and Sri Kasisvara Pandita

  14. 24 Nov · Tue

    Shri Krishna Rasayatra / Tulasi-Saligrama Vivaha

    Appearance of Sri Nimbarkacarya

    Kartik ends

One lamp, offered with love, is enough to begin.

Plan your visitDirections, parking and temple hours.Get remindersTurn on festival reminders on this device.Support the festivalsGive towards Kartik and the temple's festival seva.