Upcoming festivals

Worship of Saptarishi (seven sages) — women observe atonement fast

• Saptarishi puja
• Fasting

New harvest festival of western Odisha — the year's first freshly-reaped rice is offered to the local presiding deity (e.g., Samaleswari) and then tasted by the family; followed by Nuakhai Bhetghat (family reunion)

• Offering new rice to deity
• Nuakhai Bhetghat (family reunion)
• Traditional sweets
• Folk songs and dances

Birth anniversary of Goddess Radha — consort of Krishna

• Radha puja
• Bhajan sandhya

Offering Durva (Bermuda grass) to Lord Ganesha

• 21 Durva blade offering

Vishnu turns sides in cosmic sleep (Parsva Parivartana)

• Fasting
• Vishnu puja
• Dwadashi parana

Birth anniversary of Vamana — the dwarf avatar of Vishnu

• Vamana puja
• Daana (charity)

Break the Ekadashi fast during Dwadashi. Hari Vasara (first ¼ of Dwadashi) ends at 22:30 UTC; Dwadashi ends at 17:21 UTC. Smarta: break fast after sunrise (00:45 UTC) before Dwadashi ends. Vaishnava / ISKCON: must wait until Hari Vasara ends (22:30 UTC).

• Parana window: 00:45 UTC – 17:21 UTC
• Hari Vasara ends: 22:30 UTC
• Dwadashi ends: 17:21 UTC
• Avoid sesame (til) on strict Parana days

Auspicious twilight window (Pradosh Kala) for Shiva worship

• Evening Shiva puja
• Pradosh Vrat
• Shiva Tandava path

Worship of Ananta (Vishnu) — Anant Vrat thread tied on wrist

• Ananta puja
• Vrat thread

Immersion of Ganesha idols on the 10th day

• Procession
• Immersion in water body

First day of Pitru Paksha — Purnima Shraddha for ancestors

Full Moon — auspicious for charity, Satyanarayan puja and river bathing

• Satyanarayan Puja
• River bathing
• Lamp offering

Monthly Ganesha worship for removing obstacles — fast until moonrise

• Moonrise-time puja
• Fasting until moonrise

• Fasting
• Vishnu worship
• Tulasi puja
• Dwadashi parana

Break the Ekadashi fast during Dwadashi. Hari Vasara (first ¼ of Dwadashi) ends at 00:45 UTC; Dwadashi ends at 17:47 UTC. Smarta: break fast after sunrise (00:50 UTC) before Dwadashi ends. Vaishnava / ISKCON: must wait until Hari Vasara ends (00:45 UTC).

• Parana window: 00:50 UTC – 17:47 UTC
• Hari Vasara ends: 00:45 UTC
• Dwadashi ends: 17:47 UTC
• Avoid sesame (til) on strict Parana days

Auspicious twilight window (Pradosh Kala) for Shiva worship

• Evening Shiva puja
• Pradosh Vrat
• Shiva Tandava path

Monthly Shiva worship night — fast and evening puja

• Night vigil
• Shiva puja
• Rudrabhishek

Last and most important day of Pitru Paksha — all ancestor worship

• Tarpan
• Pinda Daan
• Brahmin bhojan

New Moon — ancestral prayers and Pitru Tarpan

• Pitru Tarpan
• Ancestor remembrance
• Shradh

Sharad Navaratri Day 1 — Worship of Maa Shailputri; Kalash installation

• Kalash sthapana
• Fasting begins
• Akhand Jyot

Navaratri Day 2 — Worship of Maa Brahmacharini

Navaratri Day 3 — Worship of Maa Chandraghanta

Navaratri Day 4 — Worship of Maa Kushmanda

Monthly Shukla Chaturthi Ganesha worship

• Ganesha puja
• Modak offering

Navaratri Day 5 — Worship of Maa Skandamata

Worship of Goddess Lalita Devi on Navaratri Day 5

Navaratri Day 6 — Worship of Maa Katyayani

Navaratri Day 7 — Worship of Maa Kaalratri

Navaratri Day 8 — Worship of Maa Mahagauri

• Durga puja
• Kumari puja
• Sandhi puja at Ashtami-Navami junction

Navaratri Day 9 — Worship of Maa Siddhidatri

• Durga worship
• Ayudha puja
• Kanya Pujan

Victory of good over evil — Rama's victory over Ravana

• Ravana effigy burning
• Shami tree worship
• Shaastra puja

• Fasting
• Vishnu worship
• Tulasi puja
• Dwadashi parana

Break the Ekadashi fast during Dwadashi. Hari Vasara (first ¼ of Dwadashi) ends at 15:15 UTC; Dwadashi ends at 09:06 UTC. Smarta: break fast after sunrise (00:57 UTC) before Dwadashi ends. Vaishnava / ISKCON: must wait until Hari Vasara ends (15:15 UTC).

• Parana window: 00:57 UTC – 09:06 UTC
• Hari Vasara ends: 15:15 UTC
• Dwadashi ends: 09:06 UTC
• Avoid sesame (til) on strict Parana days

Auspicious twilight window (Pradosh Kala) for Shiva worship

• Evening Shiva puja
• Pradosh Vrat
• Shiva Tandava path

Full harvest moon — Goddess Lakshmi descends; Kheer left in moonlight

• Moonlight kheer offering
• River bathing

Birth anniversary of Maharishi Valmiki — author of Ramayana

• Valmiki puja
• Ramayan recitation

Night vigil for Lakshmi worship — 'Who is awake?' (Ko Jagara)

Full Moon — auspicious for charity, Satyanarayan puja and river bathing

• Satyanarayan Puja
• River bathing
• Lamp offering

Married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for husband's long life

• Sunrise-to-moonrise fast
• Moon sighting through sieve

Monthly Ganesha worship for removing obstacles — fast until moonrise

• Moonrise-time puja
• Fasting until moonrise

Mothers observe nirjala (waterless) fast for children's well-being

• Nirjala fast
• Jivitputrika story recitation

• Fasting
• Vishnu worship
• Tulasi puja
• Dwadashi parana

Festival of wealth and health — Lakshmi and Dhanvantari worship

• Gold/silver/utensil purchase
• Lakshmi puja
• Yama Deepak outside home

Break the Ekadashi fast during Dwadashi. Hari Vasara (first ¼ of Dwadashi) ends at 11:04 UTC; Dwadashi ends at 05:00 UTC. Smarta: break fast after sunrise (01:04 UTC) before Dwadashi ends. Vaishnava / ISKCON: must wait until Hari Vasara ends (11:04 UTC).

• Parana window: 01:04 UTC – 05:00 UTC
• Hari Vasara ends: 11:04 UTC
• Dwadashi ends: 05:00 UTC
• Avoid sesame (til) on strict Parana days

Auspicious twilight window (Pradosh Kala) for Shiva worship

• Evening Shiva puja
• Pradosh Vrat
• Shiva Tandava path

Celebration of Krishna's victory over demon Narakasura

• Abhyanga snan (oil bath) before sunrise
• Lamps lit

Monthly Shiva worship night — fast and evening puja

• Night vigil
• Shiva puja
• Rudrabhishek

Festival of Lights — Lakshmi-Ganesha puja on Kartika Amavasya

• Lakshmi-Ganesha puja
• Fireworks
• Diyas
• Sweets exchange

Worship of Goddess Kali (Shyama) on the darkest night of Ashwina/Kartika Amavasya — in Bengal this is the paramount festival, observed with large public pandals and all-night worship

• Night-long Kali puja
• Pandal celebrations
• Red hibiscus and lamp offerings
• Tantra puja

New Moon — ancestral prayers and Pitru Tarpan

• Pitru Tarpan
• Ancestor remembrance
• Shradh

Worship of Govardhan Hill — Krishna lifted it to protect Braj from Indra's wrath

• Annakut (mountain of food offered)
• Cow worship

King Bali's return from netherworld; New Year in some regions

Sister-brother bond celebration — Yama visits sister Yamuna

• Tilak ceremony
• Sister's prayers for brother
• Gift exchange

Sister-brother bond celebration — Yama visits sister Yamuna

• Tilak ceremony
• Sister's prayers for brother
• Gift exchange

Regional variant: some communities observe Karva Chauth in Kartika Shukla

First day of Chhath Puja — purification bath in a holy river followed by one complete, pure meal. Marks the beginning of the rigorous four-day Sun (Chhathi Maiya / Surya) worship vow.

• Holy bath (Nahay)
• Single pure meal cooked in earthen pots (Khay)
• No onion, garlic or non-veg
• River-side prayers

Monthly Shukla Chaturthi Ganesha worship

• Ganesha puja
• Modak offering

Second day of Chhath Puja — all-day Nirjala (waterless) fast. At sunset devotees make kheer (rice pudding) with jaggery as prasad, offer it to the Sun, then eat briefly. The gruelling 36-hour waterless fast to Usha Arghya then begins.

• All-day Nirjala fast
• Evening kheer-banana prasad
• Sunset puja
• 36-hour waterless fast begins

Third and principal day of Chhath Puja — at sunset, devotees (still fasting) stand waist-deep in a river and offer the first Arghya (water oblation) to the setting Sun. The most attended gathering of the festival; bamboo baskets of fruit, sugarcane and Thekua are offered.

• Sunset Arghya at river
• Bamboo baskets of fruit, sugarcane, coconut
• Thekua (traditional sweet)
• Diyas floated on river

Six-day fast culminating in Lord Murugan's victory over demon Soorapadman (Soorasamharam)

• 6-day fast
• Kavadi
• Vel worship
• Soorasamharam re-enactment

Fourth and final day of Chhath Puja — before dawn, devotees return to the river and offer the second Arghya (Usha Arghya) to the rising Sun. After the Sun appears above the horizon the 36-hour Nirjala fast is broken with Chhath prasad. The festival concludes with great celebration.

• Pre-dawn river gathering
• Sunrise Arghya (Usha Arghya)
• Breaking 36-hour Nirjala fast
• Chhath prasad distribution

Krishna formally becomes a cowherd; cow and cowherd worship

Worship of Amla (Indian gooseberry) tree — Vishnu resides in it this day

• Amla tree circumambulation
• Food cooked under tree

Worship of Goddess Jagaddhatri — Durga as Sustainer of the World; elaborate 3-day celebration in Chandannagar and Krishnanagar (West Bengal) with decorated pandals and idol processions

• 3-day pandal celebrations
• Jagaddhatri idol procession
• Dhunuchi dance
• Pushpanjali

Commemoration of Krishna slaying the demon king Kansa

[Kshaya Ekadashi — Type 4] Devutthana Ekadashi tithi occurs entirely between two sunrises without touching either (rare Kshaya Tithi). Per Nirnayasindhu, the fast is observed today — the Dashami-sunrise day when Ekadashi actually occurs intra-day.

• Fasting
• Vishnu worship
• Consult local panchanga for Parana time

Lord Vishnu wakes from cosmic sleep — end of Chaturmas; auspicious season begins

• Fasting
• End of Chaturmas
• Tulsi Vivah performed
• Weddings resume

Ceremonial marriage of Tulasi plant with Lord Vishnu (Shaligram)

• Tulasi-Shaligram puja
• Wedding rituals
• Sugarcane canopy

Break the Ekadashi fast during Dwadashi. Hari Vasara (first ¼ of Dwadashi) ends at 06:38 UTC; Dwadashi ends at 23:27 UTC. Smarta: break fast after sunrise (01:14 UTC) before Dwadashi ends. Vaishnava / ISKCON: must wait until Hari Vasara ends (06:38 UTC).

• Parana window: 06:38 UTC – 23:27 UTC
• Hari Vasara ends: 06:38 UTC
• Dwadashi ends: 23:27 UTC
• Avoid sesame (til) on strict Parana days

Auspicious twilight window (Pradosh Kala) for Shiva worship

• Evening Shiva puja
• Pradosh Vrat
• Shiva Tandava path

Gods celebrate Diwali — Tripura Nasini (Shiva destroys Tripura); grand lamp festival at Varanasi ghats

• River bathing at Varanasi
• Diyas on river
• Boat puja
• Pushkar Fair

Birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469 CE) — founder of Sikhism; the most sacred Sikh festival; observed on Kartika Purnima across the Sikh world

• Akhand Path (48-hour continuous Guru Granth Sahib reading)
• Nagar Kirtan procession
• Langar (community feast)
• Prabhat Pheri (pre-dawn kirtan walks)

Odia maritime heritage festival on Kartika Purnima — miniature boats (boita) of banana stem or paper are floated on rivers at dawn, commemorating ancient Odia merchant sea voyages to Bali and Southeast Asia

• Pre-dawn floating of miniature boita (boats)
• River-side offering
• Traditional Odia songs
• Community gathering

Full Moon — auspicious for charity, Satyanarayan puja and river bathing

• Satyanarayan Puja
• River bathing
• Lamp offering

Karthigai Deepam — Mahadeepam year: Krittika nakshatra + Purnima in Karthigai solar month. Grand fire lit atop Arunachala (Tiruvannamalai), visible 30+ km.

• Mahadeepam fire on Arunachala
• Temple lamps
• Home lamps (Karthigai Vilakku)
• Pori urundai (puffed rice balls)

Monthly Ganesha worship for removing obstacles — fast until moonrise

• Moonrise-time puja
• Fasting until moonrise

Mothers fast from sunrise to starrise for children's well-being

• Starrise-time puja
• Ahoi Mata story recitation

• Fasting
• Vishnu worship
• Tulasi puja
• Dwadashi parana

Break the Ekadashi fast during Dwadashi. Hari Vasara (first ¼ of Dwadashi) ends at 00:32 UTC; Dwadashi ends at 19:21 UTC. Smarta: break fast after sunrise (01:23 UTC) before Dwadashi ends. Vaishnava / ISKCON: must wait until Hari Vasara ends (00:32 UTC).

• Parana window: 01:23 UTC – 19:21 UTC
• Hari Vasara ends: 00:32 UTC
• Dwadashi ends: 19:21 UTC
• Avoid sesame (til) on strict Parana days

Auspicious twilight window (Pradosh Kala) for Shiva worship

• Evening Shiva puja
• Pradosh Vrat
• Shiva Tandava path

Monthly Shiva worship night — fast and evening puja

• Night vigil
• Shiva puja
• Rudrabhishek

New Moon — ancestral prayers and Pitru Tarpan

• Pitru Tarpan
• Ancestor remembrance
• Shradh

Lord Krishna's favourite month begins (BG 10.35)

Monthly Shukla Chaturthi Ganesha worship

• Ganesha puja
• Modak offering

Divine marriage anniversary of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita

• Rama-Sita wedding re-enactment
• Bhajan

Thursday fast in Margashirsha — Goddess Lakshmi worship; Vaibhav Lakshmi Vrat

• Lakshmi puja
• Yellow flowers offered
• Vaibhav Lakshmi Katha
• Satyanarayana Katha

Anniversary of Lord Krishna's Bhagavad Gita discourse to Arjuna

• Gita recitation
• Gita Yajna
• Gita distribution

• Fasting
• Vishnu worship
• Tulasi puja
• Dwadashi parana

Break the Ekadashi fast during Dwadashi. Hari Vasara (first ¼ of Dwadashi) ends at 20:05 UTC; Dwadashi ends at 12:06 UTC. Smarta: break fast after sunrise (01:33 UTC) before Dwadashi ends. Vaishnava / ISKCON: must wait until Hari Vasara ends (20:05 UTC).

• Parana window: 01:33 UTC – 12:06 UTC
• Hari Vasara ends: 20:05 UTC
• Dwadashi ends: 12:06 UTC
• Avoid sesame (til) on strict Parana days

Auspicious twilight window (Pradosh Kala) for Shiva worship

• Evening Shiva puja
• Pradosh Vrat
• Shiva Tandava path

Birth anniversary of Lord Dattatreya — combined avatar of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva

• Dattatreya puja
• All-night bhajan

Birthday of Goddess Annapurna — goddess of food and nourishment

Full Moon — auspicious for charity, Satyanarayan puja and river bathing

• Satyanarayan Puja
• River bathing
• Lamp offering

Thursday fast in Margashirsha — Goddess Lakshmi worship; Vaibhav Lakshmi Vrat

• Lakshmi puja
• Yellow flowers offered
• Vaibhav Lakshmi Katha
• Satyanarayana Katha

Monthly Ganesha worship for removing obstacles — fast until moonrise

• Moonrise-time puja
• Fasting until moonrise

Thursday fast in Margashirsha — Goddess Lakshmi worship; Vaibhav Lakshmi Vrat

• Lakshmi puja
• Yellow flowers offered
• Vaibhav Lakshmi Katha
• Satyanarayana Katha

Birth of Lord Kalabhairava — fierce form of Shiva, guardian of Kashi

• Night puja
• Bhairav ashtami fast

• Fasting
• Vishnu worship
• Tulasi puja
• Dwadashi parana

Break the Ekadashi fast during Dwadashi. Hari Vasara (first ¼ of Dwadashi) ends at 17:10 UTC; Dwadashi ends at 12:45 UTC. Smarta: break fast after sunrise (01:38 UTC) before Dwadashi ends. Vaishnava / ISKCON: must wait until Hari Vasara ends (17:10 UTC).

• Parana window: 01:38 UTC – 12:45 UTC
• Hari Vasara ends: 17:10 UTC
• Dwadashi ends: 12:45 UTC
• Avoid sesame (til) on strict Parana days

Auspicious twilight window (Pradosh Kala) for Shiva worship

• Evening Shiva puja
• Pradosh Vrat
• Shiva Tandava path

Monthly Shiva worship night — fast and evening puja

• Night vigil
• Shiva puja
• Rudrabhishek

Thursday fast in Margashirsha — Goddess Lakshmi worship; Vaibhav Lakshmi Vrat

• Lakshmi puja
• Yellow flowers offered
• Vaibhav Lakshmi Katha
• Satyanarayana Katha

New Moon — ancestral prayers and Pitru Tarpan

• Pitru Tarpan
• Ancestor remembrance
• Shradh

Monthly Shukla Chaturthi Ganesha worship

• Ganesha puja
• Modak offering

Monthly Shukla Shashthi worship of Lord Murugan (Skanda/Kartikeya). The principal Skanda Sashti is Kartika Shukla Shashthi (Kanda Sashti).

• Murugan puja
• Vel worship

Punjabi bonfire festival on the eve of Makar Sankranti — sesame-jaggery sweets, puffed rice and popcorn (revdi, gajak) tossed into bonfire; songs and folk dances

Spans 4 days

Harvest festival marking Sun's northward journey

Shakambhari Navratri observance — Goddess Shakambhari worship

Ekadashi for those wishing for progeny — Vishnu worship

• Fasting
• Vishnu worship
• Satyanarayan Katha

Auspicious twilight window (Pradosh Kala) for Shiva worship

• Evening Shiva puja
• Pradosh Vrat
• Shiva Tandava path

Sacred bathing day — start of month-long Magha mela bathing

End of Shakambari Navratri — Goddess Shakambhari (vegetable goddess) worship

Full Moon — auspicious for charity, Satyanarayan puja and river bathing

• Satyanarayan Puja
• River bathing
• Lamp offering

Monthly Ganesha worship for removing obstacles — fast until moonrise

• Moonrise-time puja
• Fasting until moonrise

• Fasting
• Vishnu worship
• Tulasi puja
• Dwadashi parana

Break the Ekadashi fast during Dwadashi. Hari Vasara (first ¼ of Dwadashi) ends at 12:20 UTC; Dwadashi ends at 08:20 UTC. Smarta: break fast after sunrise (01:36 UTC) before Dwadashi ends. Vaishnava / ISKCON: must wait until Hari Vasara ends (12:20 UTC).

• Parana window: 01:36 UTC – 08:20 UTC
• Hari Vasara ends: 12:20 UTC
• Dwadashi ends: 08:20 UTC
• Avoid sesame (til) on strict Parana days

Auspicious twilight window (Pradosh Kala) for Shiva worship

• Evening Shiva puja
• Pradosh Vrat
• Shiva Tandava path

Monthly Shiva worship night — fast and evening puja

• Night vigil
• Shiva puja
• Rudrabhishek

New Moon — ancestral prayers and Pitru Tarpan

• Pitru Tarpan
• Ancestor remembrance
• Shradh

Start of Magha Gupta Navratri — hidden Navratri for Tantric practice

Monthly Shukla Chaturthi Ganesha worship

• Ganesha puja
• Modak offering

Arrival of spring — Goddess Saraswati worship; yellow-clad celebrations

• Saraswati puja
• Yellow clothes worn
• Books/instruments worshipped
• Kite flying in Punjab

Sun god's chariot turns northward — Surya's seven-horse chariot worship

• Surya puja
• Ayilyam leaves bath
• 108 Surya Namaskara

Death anniversary of Bhishma Pitamaha — tarpan offered for paternal lineage

• Bhishma tarpan
• Pitru shraddha

• Fasting
• Vishnu worship
• Tulasi puja
• Dwadashi parana

Break the Ekadashi fast during Dwadashi. Hari Vasara (first ¼ of Dwadashi) ends at 17:16 UTC; Dwadashi ends at 08:58 UTC. Smarta: break fast after sunrise (01:27 UTC) before Dwadashi ends. Vaishnava / ISKCON: must wait until Hari Vasara ends (17:16 UTC).

• Parana window: 01:27 UTC – 08:58 UTC
• Hari Vasara ends: 17:16 UTC
• Dwadashi ends: 08:58 UTC
• Avoid sesame (til) on strict Parana days

Auspicious twilight window (Pradosh Kala) for Shiva worship

• Evening Shiva puja
• Pradosh Vrat
• Shiva Tandava path

Most sacred bathing day of Magha mela — charity and fast

• Sangam snan
• Charity
• Lamp offering

Worship of Lord Murugan (Skanda) — Kavadi festival

• Kavadi Attam
• Vel worship
• Piercing rituals

Full Moon — auspicious for charity, Satyanarayan puja and river bathing

• Satyanarayan Puja
• River bathing
• Lamp offering

Ganesha worship for removing obstacles — Tilkuta (sesame-jaggery) offered

• Moonrise-time Ganesha puja
• Fasting until moonrise
• Sesame-jaggery offering

Monthly Ganesha worship for removing obstacles — fast until moonrise

• Moonrise-time puja
• Fasting until moonrise

[Vriddhi Ekadashi — Day 1] Ekadashi spans two consecutive sunrises (Type 3 — Vriddhi). Do NOT fast today; observe the fast tomorrow (Day 2) per Nirnayasindhu.

• Fasting
• Vishnu worship
• Tulasi puja
• Dwadashi parana

[Vriddhi Ekadashi — Day 2] Ekadashi spanned two consecutive sunrises (Type 3 — Vriddhi). Per Nirnayasindhu, this second day is the prescribed fast day so that Parana correctly falls during Dwadashi on the following morning.

• Fasting
• Vishnu worship
• Tulasi puja
• Dwadashi parana

Break the Ekadashi fast during Dwadashi. Hari Vasara (first ¼ of Dwadashi) ends at 08:31 UTC; Dwadashi ends at 04:24 UTC. Smarta: break fast after sunrise (01:15 UTC) before Dwadashi ends. Vaishnava / ISKCON: must wait until Hari Vasara ends (08:31 UTC).

• Parana window: 01:15 UTC – 04:24 UTC
• Hari Vasara ends: 08:31 UTC
• Dwadashi ends: 04:24 UTC
• Avoid sesame (til) on strict Parana days

Auspicious twilight window (Pradosh Kala) for Shiva worship

• Evening Shiva puja
• Pradosh Vrat
• Shiva Tandava path

Great night of Shiva — observed on the night when Chaturdashi prevails at Nisitha (true midnight)

• Fasting
• All-night vigil
• Rudrabhishek
• Shiva puja

Day of silence — most auspicious bathing day of Magh Mela; mauna (silence) vow kept

• Mauna vrat (silence)
• Sangam snan
• Charity

New Moon — ancestral prayers and Pitru Tarpan

• Pitru Tarpan
• Ancestor remembrance
• Shradh

Start of Holi festivities — flower offerings at Krishna temples; only auspicious day of Phalguna

• Flower play at temples
• Phag songs

Monthly Shukla Chaturthi Ganesha worship

• Ganesha puja
• Modak offering