Gujarati New Year · 9 or 10 November 2026
Saal Mubarak, from every home in the family.
Bestu Varas is the first day of the new year in the Gujarati calendar, and it comes just after Diwali. Families go to the temple, take blessings from elders and greet each other with Saal Mubarak. In 2026 it is Monday 9 November in the US and Canada and Tuesday 10 November in India, Australia and New Zealand. We worked those dates out, so check your panchang.
The short answer
Bestu Varas is the first day of the Gujarati year in the Vikram Samvat calendar. In 2026 it is Monday 9 November in the US and Canada and Tuesday 10 November in India, Australia and New Zealand; we worked these out from the day of Govardhan Puja, so check your panchang. Families visit the temple and their elders, share sweets and say Saal Mubarak. Kunbaa gives a family spread across countries one plan for the day: who hosts, who brings what, when the call is, and one album for the photos.*
Worked out from the Govardhan Puja dates on Drik Panchang for New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, New Delhi, Melbourne and Auckland, checked 1 October 2026. Bestu Varas was not checked on its own.
When is Bestu Varas in 2026?
- US and Canada
- Monday 9 November 2026
- India, Australia and New Zealand
- Tuesday 10 November 2026
We worked these out from the day of Govardhan Puja, which falls on the same lunar day, and did not check Bestu Varas on its own. We did not check the UK, the Gulf or Singapore. Your temple's or panchang's date is the one to follow, and it can differ by region.
What Bestu Varas is
Bestu Varas is the first day of the new year in the Gujarati calendar, a Vikram Samvat year that begins just after Diwali. It is also called Nutan Varsh, the new year.
It is a day for fresh starts and for blessings from elders. Many traders close the old account books around Diwali and begin new ones for the year.
It falls on the same day as Govardhan Puja and Annakut, when temples offer a mountain of food that is then shared with everyone.
How families keep the day
Every family keeps it in its own way. Many do some of this:
- visit the temple, and see the Annakut offering where the temple makes one
- wear new clothes and take blessings from elders, in person or by phone
- greet family and friends with Saal Mubarak, in person, by call or by message
- share sweets and a family meal, and visit relatives and neighbours
- begin new account books, in families that run a business
Keeping the new year together across countries
Bestu Varas is a day for visits, and the family is in different countries. Kunbaa gives it one place for the plan, on kunbaa.com.
Start the plan
Start an event and pick Diwali for its starter checklist: the host, the meal, lamps, the call with family far away and everyone's photos. Name it Bestu Varas and pick the day the family gathers. Reword or remove any task that does not fit: the starter tasks use Diwali's words, such as puja time. It is your family's plan.
Share out the food
Add the dishes for the family meal and let each person tick the one they are bringing, so the table is planned before the day.
Choose a time for the call
The checklist has a task for the call with family far away, so one person owns it. An evening in Toronto is already the next day in Mumbai and in Sydney, so pick the time that suits the most people.
Put the photos in one album
On the day, everyone adds their photos to the event's album, from every home. Only the relatives you invite can open it.
Planning the call? How to plan Diwali with family in three time zones shows how.
A card with your family's name
Kunbaa's card maker makes a Diwali card with your family's name, free, with nothing to sign up for. Its Diyas and rangoli style has no deity art. The card says Diwali, not Saal Mubarak, and some of its lines name Lakshmi, so read the line before you send it. Send it if that suits your family.
Make a Diwali cardMore from the Diwali season
- Diwali
Plan Diwali with family in other cities and countries: who hosts, the puja time, who brings what, and one album for everyone's photos.
- Diwali 2026 dates
Navratri to Bhai Dooj in order, with the date for India, the US and Canada, and Australia and New Zealand, and why each day matters.
- Bandi Chhor Divas
The Sikh festival of release, on Sunday 8 November 2026: what it remembers, how families keep it, and how to share it across countries.
- Jain Diwali (Mahavir Nirvan)
The day Jain families remember Bhagwan Mahavir's nirvana, on 8 or 9 November 2026 by the sources we checked: what to check with your community and how to keep it together.
- Kali Puja
The Bengali night of Kali Puja, kept on the new-moon night of the Diwali season: what it is, how families keep it, and how to share it across time zones.
Some families do not keep this season, for example in the first year after a loss. Nothing here asks you to.
Frequently asked questions
More questions? Read the full FAQ or the help centre.
When is Bestu Varas (Gujarati New Year) in 2026?
Monday 9 November 2026 in the US and Canada, and Tuesday 10 November 2026 in India, Australia and New Zealand. We worked these out from the day of Govardhan Puja and did not check Bestu Varas on its own, so check your panchang or temple calendar. It can differ by region. See it on the Diwali 2026 dates.
Is the Gujarati New Year the day after Diwali?
It follows Diwali, but the day on the calendar depends on where you are. Diwali's Lakshmi Puja is Sunday 8 November 2026, and the new year comes after it: Monday 9 November in the US and Canada and Tuesday 10 November in India, Australia and New Zealand, by our reading. Your panchang decides.
What do you say on Bestu Varas?
Saal Mubarak is the usual greeting, said in person and by call and message. Nutan Varshabhinandan is the more formal one.
What is Annakut?
Annakut means a mountain of food. On the day, temples offer a spread of dishes and then share it with everyone. It goes with Govardhan Puja, which remembers Krishna sheltering a village under Govardhan hill.
How can we plan Bestu Varas with relatives in other countries?
Put the plan where everyone can see it: who hosts, who brings what, and a time for the call that suits the most people. On Kunbaa you start an event, pick Diwali for its starter checklist, rename it and pick the day the family gathers. On the day, everyone adds their photos to one album.
Does Kunbaa have a Gujarati New Year template?
Not a separate one. The starter checklist is Diwali's: the host, the meal, lamps, the call with family far away and the photos. You rename the event, pick the day the family gathers, and reword or remove any task that does not fit.
Who can see our Bestu Varas photos?
Only the relatives you invite. Kunbaa is invite-only, has no ads and sells nobody's data. See exactly how private Kunbaa is.
Does it cost anything?
Starting a family, the tree, events and the album are free, and everyone in the family joins free. Kunbaa Plus is an optional paid plan for keeping more of the family archive. See pricing.