📅 Festival Calendar 2026

Every regional celebration — from Pongal to Chhath, Onam to Durga Puja, Bihu to Ganeshotsav.

All festivals

• 13 Jan

  Tuesday

  South

  New Year / Bhogi

  Tamil Nadu, Andhra

  Pre-Pongal cleansing — old items burnt on Bhogi pyres.

• 14 Jan

  Wednesday

  All India

  Makar Sankranti / Pongal / Lohri / Magh BihuSpotlight

  Sun enters Capricorn. Pongal in TN, Lohri in Punjab the night before, Magh Bihu in Assam, Uttarayan in Gujarat, kite festival.

• 15 Jan

  Thursday

  South

  Mattu Pongal

  Tamil Nadu

  Cattle worshipped, decorated and fed sweet pongal.

• 16 Jan

  Friday

  South

  Thiruvalluvar Day

  Tamil Nadu

  Honouring the poet-saint of the Tirukkural.

• 5 Jan

  Monday

  North

  Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti

  Punjab

  Tenth Sikh Guru's prakash purab; Akhand Path at Gurudwaras.

• 23 Jan

  Friday

  All India

  Vasant Panchami / Saraswati Puja

  Devi Saraswati worshipped — basanti (yellow) attire, books and instruments offered.

  Watch live darshan →
• 26 Jan

  Monday

  All India

  Republic Day

  Constitution Day — temples conduct special prayers for the nation.

• 24 Feb

  Tuesday

  All India

  Ratha Saptami

  Surya's chariot turns north-east; abhishek at all Surya temples like Konark.

• 25 Feb

  Wednesday

  All India

  Bhishma Ashtami

  Bhishma Pitamah left for vaikuntha — tarpan for ancestors.

• 15 Feb

  Sunday

  All India

  MahashivratriSpotlight

  Great Night of Shiva. Bhasma Aarti at Mahakal, all-night jagran at every Jyotirlinga.

  Watch live darshan →
• 2 Mar

  Monday

  All India

  Holika Dahan

  Bonfire on Phalguna Purnima night — burning of Holika.

• 3 Mar

  Tuesday

  All India

  Holi / Dol PurnimaSpotlight

  Festival of colours. Phoolon ki Holi at Banke Bihari, Lathmar Holi at Barsana, Dol Jatra in Bengal.

  Watch live darshan →
• 11 Mar

  Wednesday

  North

  Sheetala Ashtami / Basoda

  Mother Sheetala worshipped — only cold food (basi) eaten.

• 19 Mar

  Thursday

  All India

  Gudi Padwa / Ugadi / Cheti Chand

  Hindu New Year — Gudi raised in Maharashtra, Bevu-Bella in Karnataka/Andhra, Sindhi Jhulelal procession.

• 19 Mar

  Thursday

  All India

  Chaitra Navratri begins

  Nine nights of Devi — Vasant Navratri.

• 26 Mar

  Thursday

  All India

  Ram NavamiSpotlight

  Lord Ram's birth — Surya Tilak at Ram Janmabhoomi at 12:00 noon.

  Watch live darshan →
• 30 Mar

  Monday

  South

  Hanuman Jayanti (Tamil)

  Tamil Nadu

  Hanuman birth observed in margazhi tradition.

• 1 Apr

  Wednesday

  All India

  Mahavir Jayanti

  Birth of Bhagwan Mahavir — Jain temples observe abhishek and rath yatra.

• 3 Apr

  Friday

  All India

  Good Friday

  Christian observance of Crucifixion.

• 5 Apr

  Sunday

  All India

  Easter Sunday

  Resurrection of Christ.

• 14 Apr

  Tuesday

  All India

  Baisakhi / Vishu / Pohela Boishakh / Puthandu / Bohag BihuSpotlight

  Solar new year — Punjabi Baisakhi (1699 Khalsa founding), Malayalam Vishu kani, Bengali Naba Barsha, Tamil Puthandu, Assamese Rongali Bihu, Odia Pana Sankranti.

• 12 Apr

  Sunday

  All India

  Hanuman Jayanti

  Birth of Bajrangbali — sundarkand paath, sindoor abhishek.

• 20 Apr

  Monday

  All India

  Akshaya Tritiya & Char Dham opensSpotlight

  Auspicious shopping day; Yamunotri & Gangotri portals open to begin Char Dham yatra.

  Watch live darshan →
• 20 Apr

  Monday

  South

  Parashurama Jayanti

  Kerala, Konkan

  6th avatar of Vishnu — celebrated across the Konkan coast Parashurama created.

• 25 Apr

  Saturday

  North

  Kedarnath Kapat Khulna

  Uttarakhand

  Kedarnath portals open for the summer yatra.

  Watch live darshan →
• 1 May

  Friday

  All India

  Buddha Purnima

  Birth, enlightenment and parinirvana of Buddha — celebrated at Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Sanchi.

• 4 May

  Monday

  North

  Badrinath Kapat Khulna

  Uttarakhand

  Badrinath portals open with Akhand Jyoti darshan.

• 19 May

  Tuesday

  All India

  Narasimha Jayanti

  Vishnu's man-lion avatar appeared at twilight — ISKCON temples hold abhishek.

• 13 May

  Wednesday

  North

  Ganga Saptami

  Ganga's appearance on earth from Shiva's jata — bath at Haridwar, Rishikesh.

• 13 Jun

  Saturday

  North

  Ganga Dussehra

  Ganga's descent from heaven — Har Ki Pauri sees lakhs of devotees.

• 15 Jun

  Monday

  All India

  Nirjala Ekadashi

  Strictest of all Ekadashis — observed without water.

• 19 Jun

  Friday

  East

  Snana Yatra (Puri)

  Odisha

  Ceremonial bath of Lord Jagannath on Jyestha Purnima.

  Watch live darshan →
• 21 Jun

  Sunday

  All India

  International Yoga Day

  Yoga sessions at Rishikesh, Patanjali ashrams worldwide.

• 26 Jun

  Friday

  East

  Rath YatraSpotlight

  Odisha

  Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra ride Nandighosa, Taladhwaja and Darpadalan from Srimandir to Gundicha.

  Watch live darshan →
• 22 Jun

  Monday

  North-East

  Ambubachi MelaSpotlight

  Assam

  Annual menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya — temple shut for three days then opens to lakhs.

  Watch live darshan →
• 4 Jul

  Saturday

  All India

  Devshayani Ekadashi

  Vishnu begins four-month yog-nidra — Chaturmas begins.

• 29 Jul

  Wednesday

  All India

  Guru PurnimaSpotlight

  Vyasa Purnima — gurus, teachers and Adi Sankara honoured.

• 21 Jul

  Tuesday

  All India

  Shravan Maas begins

  Sacred month of Shiva — Kanwar Yatra to Baidyanath and Kashi.

  Watch live darshan →
• 26 Jul

  Sunday

  North

  Hariyali Teej

  Rajasthan, UP

  Married women fast for husband's longevity, swing on jhulas.

• 28 Jul

  Tuesday

  All India

  Naga Panchami

  Worship of serpent gods — milk offered at Nageshwar and snake mounds.

  Watch live darshan →
• 28 Aug

  Friday

  All India

  Raksha BandhanSpotlight

  Sister ties rakhi on brother's wrist on Shravan Purnima.

• 26 Aug

  Wednesday

  South

  Onam (Thiruvonam)Spotlight

  Kerala

  King Mahabali's annual visit; pookalam, sadya and Vallam Kali boat races.

• 15 Aug

  Saturday

  All India

  Independence Day

  National flag at every temple complex.

• 21 Aug

  Friday

  South

  Varalakshmi Vratam

  Lakshmi worship by married women in Andhra, Karnataka, TN.

• 4 Sept

  Friday

  All India

  Krishna JanmashtamiSpotlight

  Krishna's midnight birth — Dahi Handi in Maharashtra, Phool Bangla in Vrindavan.

  Watch live darshan →
• 14 Sept

  Monday

  North

  Hartalika Teej

  Parvati's vrata for Shiva — kept by unmarried women for a good husband.

• 15 Sept

  Tuesday

  West

  Ganesh Chaturthi / GaneshotsavSpotlight

  Maharashtra

  Bappa arrives at Dagdusheth, Siddhivinayak, Lalbaughcha Raja — 10-day utsav.

  Watch live darshan →
• 16 Sept

  Wednesday

  All India

  Rishi Panchami

  Worship of the seven Rishis.

• 8 Sept

  Tuesday

  South

  Onam (Atham start)

  Kerala

  10-day Onam festivities begin — pookalams every morning.

• 25 Sept

  Friday

  All India

  Anant Chaturdashi

  Visarjan of Ganpati Bappa — Mumbai's Girgaon Chowpatty fills with millions.

• 26 Sept

  Saturday

  All India

  Pitru Paksha begins

  Fortnight for ancestral tarpan — Gaya, Trimbakeshwar, Pushkar.

• 10 Oct

  Saturday

  East

  Mahalaya Amavasya

  West Bengal

  Sharad Navratri eve — Mahishasura Mardini broadcast on All India Radio.

• 12 Oct

  Monday

  All India

  Sharad Navratri beginsSpotlight

  Nine nights of Devi — Kamakhya, Vaishno Devi, Meenakshi, Chamundi blaze.

  Watch live darshan →
• 17 Oct

  Saturday

  East

  Durga Puja (Mahasaptami–Mahanavami)Spotlight

  West Bengal

  Bengal's biggest festival — Durga in 30,000+ pandals across Kolkata.

• 20 Oct

  Tuesday

  All India

  Dussehra / VijayadashamiSpotlight

  Ram defeats Ravana — Mysuru Dasara Jamboo Savari, Kullu Dussehra, Bastar Dussehra (75 days), Ramleela burnings nationwide.

• 26 Oct

  Monday

  All India

  Valmiki Jayanti

  Adi Kavi who composed the Ramayana.

• 29 Oct

  Thursday

  North

  Karwa Chauth

  Wives fast from sunrise to moonrise for husband's long life.

• 2 Nov

  Monday

  North

  Ahoi Ashtami

  Mothers fast for the wellbeing of children.

• 6 Nov

  Friday

  All India

  Dhanteras

  Wealth puja, gold and utensils bought; Dhanvantari Jayanti.

• 7 Nov

  Saturday

  All India

  Narak Chaturdashi / Choti Diwali

  Abhyang snan before dawn; Yamadeep at the doorstep.

• 8 Nov

  Sunday

  All India

  Diwali / DeepotsavSpotlight

  Festival of lights — 25 lakh diyas in Ayodhya's Deepotsav, Lakshmi puja nationwide.

  Watch live darshan →
• 9 Nov

  Monday

  North

  Govardhan Puja / Annakut

  Krishna lifted Govardhan — annakut at every Vaishnav temple.

  Watch live darshan →
• 10 Nov

  Tuesday

  All India

  Bhai Dooj / Bhratru Dwitiya

  Sister-brother festival; Yama-Yami tradition.

• 15 Nov

  Sunday

  East

  Chhath PujaSpotlight

  Bihar, Jharkhand, UP

  Four-day Surya vrat — Arghya at sunset and sunrise on ghats of Ganga, Yamuna, Sone.

• 20 Nov

  Friday

  All India

  Tulsi Vivah

  Tulsi married to Shaligram — wedding season opens.

• 23 Nov

  Monday

  All India

  Kartik Purnima / Dev DeepawaliSpotlight

  Devas descend; every Kashi ghat lit with diyas at sunset. Pushkar Mela climax.

  Watch live darshan →
• 24 Nov

  Tuesday

  All India

  Guru Nanak JayantiSpotlight

  Punjab

  First Sikh Guru's prakash purab — Nagar Kirtan and Akhand Path.

  Watch live darshan →
• 25 Nov

  Wednesday

  All India

  Margashirsha begins

  Krishna's favourite month — Geeta jayanti chanting begins.

• 24 Nov

  Tuesday

  North

  Vivah Panchami

  UP, Bihar

  Marriage of Sri Ram and Sita celebrated at Janakpur and Ayodhya.

  Watch live darshan →
• 19 Dec

  Saturday

  All India

  Gita Jayanti

  Bhagavad Gita revealed at Kurukshetra — parayan in every Krishna mandir.

• 23 Dec

  Wednesday

  West

  Dattatreya Jayanti

  Maharashtra, Karnataka

  Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh as one — Gangapur, Audumbar processions.

• 25 Dec

  Friday

  All India

  Christmas

  Birth of Jesus Christ.

• 23 Dec

  Wednesday

  South

  Veerabhadra Day / Arudra Darshan

  Tamil Nadu

  Cosmic dance of Nataraja at Chidambaram.

• 4 Dec

  Friday

  All India

  Hanukkah

  Jewish festival of lights — observed in Cochin's Pardesi synagogue.

• 30 Dec

  Wednesday

  South

  Vaikuntha EkadashiSpotlight

  Vaikuntha Dwaram opens at Tirumala, Srirangam — millions throng for darshan.

  Watch live darshan →