Hindu calendar · lunisolar
Hindu calendar: this month, festivals and months
The Hindu calendar (panchang) names each day by the tithi, the lunar day, running at sunrise. Months run from one full moon to the next in North India (purnimanta), and the year is counted in Vikram Samvat from Chaitra.
Today: Kartik, Pratipada · Vikram Samvat 2083 · Shaka Samvat 1948
Hindu calendar, October 2026
- Months: Ashwin · Kartik
- Vikram Samvat: 2083
- Shaka Samvat: 1948
S = Shukla paksha, K = Krishna paksha. The tithi is the one at sunrise, with the time it ends when it changes before the next sunrise. ☆ nakshatra, ☾ Moon sign, ☼ sunrise and sunset, for Nagpur, in IST.
Days to note in October 2026
| Date | Month | What |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct, Tue | Ashwin | Krishna Ekadashi |
| 10 Oct, Sat | Ashwin | Amavasya |
| 11 Oct, Sun | Ashwin | Sharad Navratri begins |
| 17 Oct, Sat | Ashwin | Tula Sankranti, 7:56 pm |
| 19 Oct, Mon | Ashwin | Durga Ashtami |
| 20 Oct, Tue | Ashwin | Dussehra (Vijayadashami) |
| 22 Oct, Thu | Ashwin | Shukla Ekadashi |
| 26 Oct, Mon | Ashwin | Purnima |
| 29 Oct, Thu | Kartik | Karwa Chauth |
Hindu festivals 2026
The main festivals of 2026, worked out for Nagpur. Open a festival to see its month.
| Date | Festivals |
|---|---|
| 14 January, Wed | Makar Sankranti |
| 23 January, Fri | Vasant Panchami |
| 15 February, Sun | Maha Shivaratri |
| 3 March, Tue | Holika Dahan |
| 4 March, Wed | Holi |
| 19 March, Thu | Chaitra Navratri begins |
| 26 March, Thu | Ram Navami |
| 2 April, Thu | Hanuman Jayanti |
| 14 April, Tue | Baisakhi |
| 19 April, Sun | Akshaya Tritiya |
| 16 July, Thu | Rath Yatra |
| 29 July, Wed | Guru Purnima |
| 17 August, Mon | Nag Panchami |
| 28 August, Fri | Raksha Bandhan |
| 4 September, Fri | Krishna Janmashtami |
| 14 September, Mon | Ganesh Chaturthi |
| 11 October, Sun | Sharad Navratri begins |
| 19 October, Mon | Durga Ashtami |
| 20 October, Tue | Dussehra (Vijayadashami) |
| 29 October, Thu | Karwa Chauth |
| 6 November, Fri | Dhanteras |
| 8 November, Sun | Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) |
| 10 November, Tue | Govardhan Puja |
| 11 November, Wed | Bhai Dooj |
| 15 November, Sun | Chhath Puja |
| 24 November, Tue | Kartik Purnima |
Tithi times, muhurat and days for each major festival: Hindu festivals 2026 and 2027.
Hindu calendar 2026, month by month
How the Hindu calendar works
A lunar month is about 29.5 days, so twelve of them fall about 11 days short of the solar year. Roughly every third year an extra month (adhik maas) is added to keep the festivals in their seasons. In the dark half of each month, North India uses the name of the coming month (purnimanta), while Maharashtra, Gujarat and the South use the name of the month that is ending (amanta); this calendar shows both.
The Vikram Samvat year begins on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the day after the new moon in March or April, which is also the first day of Chaitra Navratri.
| # | Month | Devanagari |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaitra | चैत्र |
| 2 | Vaishakha | वैशाख |
| 3 | Jyeshtha | ज्येष्ठ |
| 4 | Ashadha | आषाढ़ |
| 5 | Shravana | श्रावण |
| 6 | Bhadrapada | भाद्रपद |
| 7 | Ashwin | आश्विन |
| 8 | Kartik | कार्तिक |
| 9 | Margashirsha | मार्गशीर्ष |
| 10 | Pausha | पौष |
| 11 | Magha | माघ |
| 12 | Phalguna | फाल्गुन |
Other regional calendars
- Tamil calendar
- Telugu calendar
- Kannada calendar
- Malayalam calendar
- Marathi calendar
- Gujarati calendar
- Bengali calendar
- Odia calendar
For the full day (yoga, karana, Rahu kaal) see today's panchang, and the full lists of Amavasya, Purnima and eclipse dates.
Questions about the Hindu calendar
When is the Hindu New Year in 2026?
On 19 March 2026 (Chaitra Navratri begins). The Vikram Samvat year begins on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the day after the new moon in March or April, which is also the first day of Chaitra Navratri.
What are the months of the Hindu calendar?
Chaitra (चैत्र), Vaishakha (वैशाख), Jyeshtha (ज्येष्ठ), Ashadha (आषाढ़), Shravana (श्रावण), Bhadrapada (भाद्रपद), Ashwin (आश्विन), Kartik (कार्तिक), Margashirsha (मार्गशीर्ष), Pausha (पौष), Magha (माघ), Phalguna (फाल्गुन).
Is the Hindu calendar solar or lunar?
Lunisolar: months follow the Moon, and their names come from the Sun’s sign. A lunar month is about 29.5 days, so twelve of them fall about 11 days short of the solar year. Roughly every third year an extra month (adhik maas) is added to keep the festivals in their seasons. In the dark half of each month, North India uses the name of the coming month (purnimanta), while Maharashtra, Gujarat and the South use the name of the month that is ending (amanta); this calendar shows both.
Which city are the times for?
Sunrise, sunset and the tithi of each day are worked out for Nagpur, in IST. In other cities sunrise moves by some minutes, and now and then the tithi at sunrise can differ too.
Why can a festival date differ from my local panchang?
Each festival is kept on the day its tithi runs at a set time of day (sunrise, midday, pradosh or midnight). Traditions apply these rules a little differently, so confirm with your family tradition or priest.