About Radha Ashtami
Radha Ashtami, also called Radhashtami or Radha Jayanti, marks the birth of Radha, whom Vaishnava Hindus worship as Krishna's beloved and his divine energy. It falls on the eighth day of the bright half of Bhadrapada, fifteen days after Janmashtami, which in 2027 is Wednesday, 8 September 2027. The largest celebrations are in Barsana and Vrindavan in Braj, and in ISKCON and Gaudiya Vaishnava temples.
Fifteen days after Krishna's midnight birthday comes Radha's noon one. In Braj, the country around Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana, the second date matters as much as the first, and the greeting you will hear all day is the one people there use all year: Radhe Radhe.
Who is Radha in the Vaishnava tradition?
Radha is the gopi, the cowherd girl of Braj, whom Krishna loved above all others. Tradition names her parents as King Vrishabhanu and Queen Kirtida, and one story says Vrishabhanu found her as a baby on a golden lotus in a pond. Another tells that she would not open her eyes until the infant Krishna came before her.
Her place in scripture grew over time. The Bhagavata Purana, the main text on Krishna's childhood, does not name her. She becomes central in Jayadeva's 12th-century Sanskrit poem, the Gita Govinda, and the Brahma Vaivarta Purana presents Radha and Krishna together as the supreme deity. In Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the tradition of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that ISKCON follows, she is Krishna's hladini shakti, his power of bliss. The Radha Vallabh Sampradaya of Vrindavan goes further and worships Radha as supreme. The Nimbarka, Pushtimarg and Haridasi traditions also keep the day.
Two places claim her birth. Barsana, on a hill north-west of Mathura, is her father's town and has the best-known temple. Rawal, a village near Mahavan on the Yamuna, is held by its own tradition to be the actual birthplace, with the family moving to Barsana later. Both celebrate, and pilgrims often visit both.
How is the date of Radha Ashtami set?
Radha Ashtami falls on Bhadrapada Shukla Ashtami, the eighth day of the waxing moon in Bhadrapada, usually in late August or September. Krishna Janmashtami falls on the eighth day of the waning moon, so the two birthdays sit exactly a fortnight apart.
Krishna is worshipped at midnight because the story places his birth then. Radha is worshipped at madhyahna, the midday part of the day in the Hindu reckoning. A tithi does not line up with a calendar day, so panchangs pick the day on which Ashtami is running through the midday window. If Ashtami begins after noon on one day and ends the next afternoon, the second day is Radha Ashtami. ISKCON publishes its own Vaishnava calendar, which can occasionally list a different day from a local panchang, so check with the temple you go to.
Where and how is it celebrated?
| Place | What happens |
|---|---|
| Barsana, Shriji temple | The Radha Rani temple, called Shriji or Ladli ji temple, sits on the hill at Barsana. A morning abhishek is followed by special worship. The Uttar Pradesh administration planned for nearly 25 lakh visitors in 2026, and in 2025 the abhishek was live-streamed for the first time. |
| Rawal, near Mahavan | The birth celebration begins before dawn. In 2025 the idol was bathed at 5:30 am with 101 kg of milk, ghee, honey, sugar, juice and Yamuna and Ganga water, then dressed in yellow. |
| Vrindavan, Radha Vallabh temple | After the mangala aarti comes the dadhikandha: toys, cloth and sweets are thrown from the sanctum as prasad, and milk, curd and turmeric are sprayed over the sevayats. Celebrations here and at Seva Kunj run for nine days. |
| ISKCON temples | Devotees fast until noon, then a mahabhishek of Radharani with milk, honey and fruit juices, kirtan and a feast. Mayapur in West Bengal, ISKCON's headquarters, holds one of the largest. |
| Chamba, Himachal Pradesh | The Manimahesh Yatra to a high lake sacred to Shiva runs from Janmashtami to Radhashtami. Pilgrims walk about 14 km from Hadsar to the lake. |
Two customs are particular to this day. Radha and Krishna idols are often dressed entirely in flowers. And in many Braj temples Radha's feet stay covered all year and are shown to devotees only on Radha Ashtami, so the queues for this charan darshan are long.
What do families do at home?
Most households that keep the day fast until the midday puja and then eat prasad. Stricter devotees fast the whole day, and some go without water. Drik Panchang, citing the Brihannaradiya Purana, describes setting up a kalash, placing an image of Radha draped in two new cloths, and offering the sixteen-step shodashopachara puja at midday. It allows a single meal, called ekabhukta, for anyone who cannot fast fully.
In practice, families bathe the household Radha-Krishna idols in panchamrit (milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar), dress them in new clothes, decorate them with flowers and offer bhog. Homes that keep a Laddu Gopal for Janmashtami bring him out again, this time with Radha beside him. The evening is for bhajans about the couple's life in Braj.
What to write on Radha Ashtami
Open or close with Radhe Radhe. Then mention something real: the abhishek, the noon fast, a trip to Barsana, the flower sringar on the family idols. Keep it devotional. For an older relative, "Radha Rani's blessings" lands better than anything about romance.
Radhe Radhe, Maa and Papa. Happy Radha Ashtami. I hope the abhishek at home went well and the panchamrit was as sweet as always. Save some prasad for me.
Happy Radha Ashtami. Only a few hours to the midday puja. Wishing you an easy fast and a beautiful darshan.
Radhe Radhe. Have a safe climb up to Shriji's temple, and say a prayer for us when you reach the top.
Happy Radhashtami. May Srimati Radharani's mercy stay with you, and may the kirtan go on long after the feast.
Wishing you and your family a peaceful Radha Ashtami. I hope the puja goes well and the meal after the fast is worth the wait.
Radha Ashtami ki hardik shubhkamnayein. Shri Radha Rani aapke ghar mein prem aur shanti banaye rakhein. Radhe Radhe. (Warm wishes on Radha Ashtami. May Shri Radha Rani keep love and peace in your home.)
Do
- Use "Radhe Radhe"; it works for devotees from Braj, Bengal and ISKCON alike.
- If a friend is fasting until noon, send your wish in the morning and save lunch plans for after the puja.
- Check the family's calendar; a local panchang and the ISKCON calendar can differ by a day.
Avoid
- Avoid treating Radha and Krishna as a dating meme in family groups; for devotees this is worship.
- Don't book a team lunch at midday without checking who is fasting.
Barsana is also the town of Lathmar Holi, so many pilgrims return in spring for Holi. For the other half of this fortnight, see Krishna Janmashtami.
How to wish someone on Radha Ashtami
A Radha Ashtami wish should sound like the family's own devotion. Radhe Radhe is the everyday greeting in Braj and among Krishna devotees, so it fits almost any message. Mention the midday abhishek, the fast that many keep until noon, the panchamrit, or a trip to Barsana. Keep the tone devotional rather than romantic, since for devotees Radha is a goddess, not a love story. For a friend who is fasting, wish them an easy fast and a good darshan.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + Braj and Bengali.
When is Radha Ashtami in each year?
Radha Ashtami is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 11 days earlier than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027
- 2028
Frequently asked questions
When is Radha Ashtami in 2027?
Radha Ashtami 2027 falls on Wednesday, 8 September 2027.
Why is Radha Ashtami 15 days after Janmashtami?
Krishna Janmashtami falls on the eighth day of the waning moon and Radha Ashtami on the eighth day of the following waxing moon, both in the Bhadrapada season. That places Radha's birthday exactly one lunar fortnight after Krishna's.
Why is Radha worshipped at midday on Radha Ashtami?
Tradition holds that Radha appeared at midday, so her main puja is done in the madhyahna, the noon period of the Hindu day. Panchangs choose the date on which the Ashtami tithi covers that midday window, much as Janmashtami is set by the tithi at midnight.
Where was Radha born, Barsana or Rawal?
Barsana is the town of Radha's father Vrishabhanu and has the most famous Radha temple, but the village of Rawal near Mahavan holds that she was born there and moved to Barsana later. Both places hold large celebrations on Radha Ashtami, and many pilgrims visit both.
How do people fast on Radha Ashtami?
Most devotees fast until the midday puja and then eat prasad. Stricter devotees fast all day, some without water, and those who cannot fast fully take a single meal, called ekabhukta.
What does "Radhe Radhe" mean?
"Radhe Radhe" calls on Radha by name and is used in Braj and among Krishna devotees as hello, goodbye and thank you. On Radha Ashtami it is the most natural greeting to send.
Why are Radha's feet shown only on Radha Ashtami?
In many Braj temples Radha's feet stay covered under her clothes all year and are uncovered for devotees only on Radha Ashtami. This charan darshan is one reason the queues at Barsana and Vrindavan are so long on the day.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .