TL;DR
Hindu festivals follow the lunisolar Panchang calendar, with dates determined by Tithi (lunar day), Nakshatra, or solar transits. This calendar lists 50 festivals for 2026 with accurate Tithi-based dates.
Hindu Festival Calendar 2026
50 festivals • Complete dates with Tithi
Upcoming Festivals
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-03 | Holika Dahan | Poornima | Major |
| 2026-03-04 | Holi | Poornima +1 | Major |
| 2026-03-19 | Ugadi / Gudi Padwa | Shukla Pratipada | New_year |
| 2026-03-19 | Chaitra Navratri Begins | Shukla Pratipada | Major |
| 2026-03-28 | Ram Navami | Shukla Navami | Major |
January 2026
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-14 | Makar Sankranti | Poornima (approx) | Sun enters Capricorn. Harvest festival celebrated with sesame and jaggery sweets. |
| 2026-01-14 | Pongal | Solar transit | Tamil harvest festival thanking the Sun God. Four-day celebration starting with Bhogi. |
| 2026-01-24 | Vasant Panchami | Shukla Panchami | Festival of Goddess Saraswati. Marks the arrival of spring. Auspicious for starting education. |
| 2026-01-26 | Republic Day | National | India's Republic Day. National holiday. |
February 2026
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-15 | Maha Shivaratri | Krishna Chaturdashi | Great Night of Shiva. Night-long worship with fasting, vigil, and abhishekam of Shivalinga. |
March 2026
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-03 | Holika Dahan | Poornima | Bonfire night before Holi. Symbolizes victory of good over evil (Prahlad-Holika story). |
| 2026-03-04 | Holi | Poornima +1 | Festival of colors celebrating spring, love, and the triumph of good over evil. |
| 2026-03-19 | Ugadi / Gudi Padwa | Shukla Pratipada | Hindu New Year for Deccan and South India. New Panchanga reading begins. |
| 2026-03-19 | Chaitra Navratri Begins | Shukla Pratipada | Nine nights of Goddess Durga worship. Each day honors a different form of the Divine Mother. |
| 2026-03-28 | Ram Navami | Shukla Navami | Birthday of Lord Rama. Devotees fast and recite Ramayana. Marks the end of Chaitra Navratri. |
April 2026
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-02 | Hanuman Jayanti | Poornima | Birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman. Devotees recite Hanuman Chalisa and visit temples. |
| 2026-04-13 | Baisakhi / Vishu | Solar transit | Sikh New Year and Punjab harvest festival. Also Vishu in Kerala and Puthandu in Tamil Nadu. |
| 2026-04-20 | Akshaya Tritiya | Shukla Tritiya | Most auspicious day for new beginnings. Gold purchases, weddings, and charitable acts bring eternal merit. |
| 2026-04-20 | Parashurama Jayanti | Shukla Tritiya | Birthday of Lord Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. |
May 2026
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | Buddha Purnima | Poornima | Birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Gautama Buddha. Sacred for Buddhists and Hindus. |
| 2026-05-17 | Shani Jayanti | Amavasya | Birthday of Lord Shani (Saturn). Devotees perform Shani puja to mitigate Saturn's effects. |
| 2026-05-27 | Ganga Dussehra | Shukla Dashami | Descent of Ganga from heaven. Holy bath in Ganga at Haridwar, Varanasi, and other tirthas. |
| 2026-05-28 | Nirjala Ekadashi | Shukla Ekadashi | Strictest Ekadashi fast — no food or water. Equal merit to observing all 24 Ekadashis. |
June 2026
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-20 | Jagannath Rath Yatra | Shukla Dwitiya | Grand chariot festival in Puri. Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra ride through the city. |
July 2026
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-01 | Guru Purnima | Poornima | Day to honor spiritual teachers and gurus. Birthday of Ved Vyasa. Special pujas for knowledge. |
| 2026-07-22 | Naga Panchami | Shukla Panchami | Worship of serpent deities. Devotees offer milk and flowers to snake idols and anthills. |
| 2026-07-30 | Raksha Bandhan | Poornima | Sisters tie rakhi on brothers' wrists for protection. Celebrates the sacred bond between siblings. |
August 2026
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-05 | Kajari Teej | Krishna Tritiya | Women's festival in North India. Married women fast and swing on jhulas (swings). |
| 2026-08-14 | Krishna Janmashtami | Krishna Ashtami | Birthday of Lord Krishna. Midnight celebrations, Dahi Handi, fasting, and devotional singing. |
| 2026-08-27 | Ganesh Chaturthi | Shukla Chaturthi | Birthday of Lord Ganesha. 10-day festival with clay idol installation and visarjan procession. |
September 2026
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-02 | Onam | Thiruvonam | Kerala harvest festival welcoming King Mahabali. Pookalam, Onasadya, and boat races. |
| 2026-09-05 | Anant Chaturdashi | Shukla Chaturdashi | Last day of Ganesh festival. Grand Ganesh visarjan processions. Also Anant Vrat day. |
| 2026-09-07 | Pitru Paksha Begins | Krishna Pratipada | 16-day period for ancestral rites (Shraddha). Tarpan and pinda-daan for departed ancestors. |
| 2026-09-21 | Mahalaya Amavasya | Amavasya | Most important Shraddha day. End of Pitru Paksha. Dawn recitation of Mahishasura Mardini. |
| 2026-09-22 | Sharad Navratri Begins | Shukla Pratipada | Nine nights of Goddess Durga worship. The most celebrated Navratri. Garba and Dandiya in Gujarat. |
| 2026-09-29 | Durga Ashtami | Shukla Ashtami | Eighth day of Navratri. Kumari puja, havan, and Ayudha Puja. Weapons and tools are worshipped. |
| 2026-09-30 | Maha Navami | Shukla Navami | Ninth day of Navratri. Completion of Chandi Path. Culmination of Goddess worship. |
October 2026
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Dussehra / Vijayadashami | Shukla Dashami | Victory of Rama over Ravana. Burning of Ravana effigies. Triumph of good over evil. |
| 2026-10-06 | Sharad Purnima | Poornima | Brightest full moon. Devotees keep kheer under moonlight. Associated with Krishna's Rasa Lila. |
| 2026-10-17 | Karwa Chauth | Krishna Chaturthi | Married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for husbands' longevity. North Indian tradition. |
| 2026-10-19 | Dhanteras | Krishna Trayodashi | First day of Diwali festivities. Buying gold, silver, and utensils. Worship of Lord Dhanvantari. |
| 2026-10-20 | Narak Chaturdashi / Chhoti Diwali | Krishna Chaturdashi | Krishna's victory over Narakasura. Oil bath at dawn. Rangoli and diyas lit at dusk. |
| 2026-10-21 | Diwali / Deepavali | Amavasya | Festival of Lights. Lakshmi Puja at night. Firecrackers, sweets, and family gatherings. |
| 2026-10-22 | Govardhan Puja / Annakut | Shukla Pratipada | Day after Diwali. Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill. Mountains of food offered to deities. |
| 2026-10-23 | Bhai Dooj | Shukla Dwitiya | Sisters honor brothers with tilak and sweets. Celebrates the bond between Yama and Yamuna. |
| 2026-10-25 | Chhath Puja | Shukla Shashthi | Sun God worship in Bihar and eastern UP. Standing in water at sunrise and sunset with offerings. |
November 2026
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-05 | Dev Diwali | Poornima | Diwali of the Gods. Varanasi ghats illuminated with millions of diyas. Shiva honored Vishnu. |
| 2026-11-09 | Tulsi Vivah | Shukla Dwadashi | Ceremonial marriage of Tulsi plant to Lord Vishnu. Marks the beginning of wedding season. |
| 2026-11-12 | Utpanna Ekadashi | Krishna Ekadashi | Origin of Ekadashi vrat. Vishnu created Ekadashi Devi to defeat demon Mura. |
| 2026-11-22 | Vivah Panchami | Shukla Panchami | Marriage anniversary of Lord Rama and Sita. Celebrated in Janakpur, Nepal and Ayodhya. |
| 2026-11-27 | Geeta Jayanti | Shukla Ekadashi | Anniversary of Krishna's Bhagavad Gita discourse to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. |
| 2026-11-27 | Mokshada Ekadashi | Shukla Ekadashi | Ekadashi that grants moksha. Also called Geeta Jayanti as Gita was spoken on this day. |
December 2026
| Date | Festival | Tithi | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-12-12 | Saphala Ekadashi | Krishna Ekadashi | Fasting on this Ekadashi fulfills all desires and grants success in endeavors. |
| 2026-12-16 | Margashirsha Purnima | Poornima | Full moon in the month Krishna considers most sacred (Bhagavad Gita 10.35). |
| 2026-12-27 | Vaikuntha Ekadashi | Shukla Ekadashi | Most sacred Ekadashi. Gates of Vaikuntha (Vishnu's abode) open. Fasting brings moksha. |
Festival Categories
| Category | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Pan-Indian festivals celebrated across the country | Diwali, Holi, Dussehra, Ganesh Chaturthi |
| Ekadashi | Sacred fasting days on the 11th Tithi, dedicated to Lord Vishnu | Nirjala Ekadashi, Devshayani Ekadashi |
| Solar | Festivals based on solar transits (Sankranti) | Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Vishu |
| National | India's national holidays | Republic Day, Independence Day |
| Regional | Festivals prominent in specific regions | Onam, Baisakhi, Chhath Puja |
| New Year | Regional and traditional new year celebrations | Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Puthandu |
How Hindu Festival Dates Are Determined
Most Hindu festivals follow the lunisolar calendar (Surya Siddhanta), where dates are determined by the Tithi (lunar day), Nakshatra (Moon star), or the Sun's entry into a zodiac sign (Sankranti). This means festival dates shift each year on the Gregorian calendar.
Tithi-based festivals (e.g., Diwali on Kartik Amavasya, Ganesh Chaturthi on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi) can fall on different Gregorian dates because the lunar month drifts by about 11 days per year, corrected periodically by an intercalary month (Adhik Maas).
Solar festivals (e.g., Makar Sankranti, Pongal) fall on nearly the same Gregorian date each year because they track the Sun's sidereal transit. Makar Sankranti is always around January 14-15.
Regional variations: North and South Indian calendars differ in their month names and start dates. The Amanta system (used in Gujarat, Maharashtra) starts months from the new moon, while the Purnimanta system (used in North India) starts from the full moon. Festival dates may vary by one day between these systems.
Explore Related Panchang Pages