06/01/2026
Every year, Jupiter transits into a new sign. This year, it will leave Gemini and enter into Cancer on June 1 in the western half of the world, and on June 2 in the eastern half of the world (including India). According to the Vedic tradition, the twelve days preceding and twelve days following Jupiter’s entry into a new sign comprise a sacred period of time known as the festival of Pushkara or Pushkaram.
Pushkara honors the sacred rivers of India and is marked by spiritual rituals and cultural celebrations along their banks. This is a deeply meaningful tradition as the rivers of India are personified as deities. This year, the full period of Pushkara will occur in India from May 21 to June 13, but the actual festivals will be celebrated from June 2-13.
Pushkara is based on the allegorical legend of a boon that Lord Shiva granted long ago to an ascetic and pious Brahmin. The boon was that the Brahmin would be able to live in the holy rivers, and that his presence would purify them. The Brahmin came to be known as Pushkara, “the one who nourishes.” Lord Brihaspati (Jupiter) asked Pushkara to let him enter one of each of the twelve sacred rivers every year when he (Brihaspati) entered a new astrological sign.
So, celebrants take holy baths, meditate, perform pujas and prayers, and make offerings along one of the twelve sacred rivers in India during Pushkara. This year, the river being celebrated is the Yamuna, the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges. In my understanding, the spiritual purification of the rivers is also carried into the atmosphere and into the oceans across the whole wide world to bring forth empowerment, cleansing, and divine healing during this celebration. Pushkara is a very important time as it helps to usher in the new transit cycle for Jupiter, the planet of dharma, spiritual matters, and prosperity.
