Panchangam 1 November 2026 (Sunday): Ahoi Ashtami, Bhanu Saptami and Kalashtami, Tithi, Nakshatra and Puja Vidhi

Quick answer: Sunday 1 November 2026 is Ahoi Ashtami, the day North Indian mothers fast for the wellbeing of their children. It is also Bhanu Saptami (Saptami on a Sunday), Kalashtami and Masik Krishna Janmashtami. In Hyderabad, Saptami runs until 02:51 PM and Ashtami prevails through the evening; the nakshatra is Pushya.

Few days pack in as many observances as this one. The morning belongs to the Sun, because Saptami on a Sunday is Bhanu Saptami. The afternoon turns to Ashtami, and the evening belongs to mothers, who sit before a simple wall drawing of Ahoi Mata, tell her story and wait for the first stars before they eat. You do not need to do all of it. Choose what belongs to your family's tradition and do it with a quiet heart.

Today's Panchang (Hyderabad)

Source: Drik Panchang day panchang for Hyderabad, IST. Tithi and nakshatra end times are the same instant everywhere in India; sunrise and sunset change by city.

Religious significance

Ahoi Ashtami: the mothers' vrat

Ahoi Ashtami falls on the Krishna Ashtami of Kartika in the North Indian (purnimanta) calendar, about eight days before Diwali. Mothers worship Ahoi Mata, a form of the Divine Mother (Parvati, or Durga, in many households), and pray for the long life and health of their children. It is a family tradition, and details vary from home to home.

The story usually told is of a woman who, while digging soil near her home, accidentally killed the cub of a syahu (porcupine). Grieving and repentant, she worshipped Ahoi Mata, who forgave her and blessed her children. That is why many families draw Ahoi Mata on the wall with the syahu and its young beside her. For the full katha and vidhi, read our Ahoi Ashtami 2026 vrat katha and puja vidhi guide.

Bhanu Saptami, Kalashtami and Radha Kunda Snan

Bhanu Saptami: Saptami is the tithi associated with Surya, and when it falls on his own weekday it is considered especially suited to sun worship: an early bath, an arghya of water to the rising sun and, for those who know it, the Aditya Hridayam from the Ramayana.

Kalashtami and Masik Krishna Janmashtami: every Krishna Ashtami is Kalashtami, sacred to Kala Bhairava, the guardian form of Shiva, and is also kept by Krishna devotees as a monthly Janmashtami. See our Kalabhairava mantras and puja guide for Bhairava worship.

Radha Kunda Snan: at Radha Kund near Govardhan in Braj, this Ashtami of Kartika (also called Bahulashtami) is marked by a holy bath at midnight. Devotees elsewhere simply remember Radha and Krishna in their evening prayers.

Puja vidhi for Ahoi Ashtami at home

These are simple home steps. What is essential is the sankalpa, the prayer and the story; the rest are optional customs that vary by family.

• Morning (essential): bath, a short prayer and the sankalpa (intention) for the fast. Many mothers keep the fast from sunrise.
• Afternoon (optional custom): draw Ahoi Mata on a clean wall with geru (red ochre) or place a printed Ahoi Mata calendar picture. Many families also draw the syahu and its cubs.
• Evening puja (essential): place a kalash of water, light a ghee lamp, offer roli, rice, flowers and a simple sweet, and read or listen to the Ahoi Ashtami katha with the children nearby.
• Star sighting (essential in most families): after the stars appear, offer water to them and then break the fast. Check a local panchang for the exact star-sighting time.
• Optional customs: a silver Ahoi pendant (syahu mala) worn by the mother, offering food to an elder of the family, and keeping the kalash water for later rituals.

No materials? Sit facing the east or north, light a single lamp (or simply fold your hands), say the name of each of your children, chant the mantra below eleven times and offer a glass of water to the evening sky. That is a complete prayer.

Mantra for the day

Om Dum Durgayai Namah (IAST: oṃ duṃ durgāyai namaḥ). Meaning: "Om, salutations to Durga," with Dum as her seed syllable. It is a short, widely chanted mantra of the Divine Mother and suits the Ahoi Mata worship of the evening. Chant it 11, 27 or 108 times with attention rather than speed.

Vrat guidance

The Ahoi Ashtami fast is a mother's offering of love, not a test of endurance. Some keep it nirjala (without water) until the stars appear; others take water, fruit or milk. Elderly women, pregnant women, nursing mothers and anyone with diabetes, low blood pressure or another medical condition should not feel obliged to fast strictly, and should consult a doctor. The evening katha and prayer are the heart of the vrat.

What you can do today

• Offer water to the rising sun at 06:15 AM (Hyderabad sunrise) for Bhanu Saptami.
• If you are keeping Ahoi Ashtami, take the sankalpa in the morning and plan the evening puja after 05:45 PM sunset.
• Draw or place Ahoi Mata's picture and prepare a simple sweet such as halwa or puri for the evening offering.
• Read the Ahoi Ashtami katha aloud so the children hear the story of forgiveness and protection.
• Light a lamp for Kala Bhairava at night if your family observes Kalashtami.
• Start your Diwali list: Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November and Lakshmi Puja on Sunday 8 November.

For families and children

Ahoi Ashtami is one of the few vrats that is openly about children, so involve them. Let them colour the syahu and the seven little cubs, hand the flowers to their mother during the puja and run outside to spot the first star. Older children can help prepare the evening meal so that a fasting mother can rest.

Hindus abroad: today's sunrise, tithi and nakshatra

Local sunrise, sunset, and the tithi and nakshatra at local sunrise on 1 November 2026. Do not use Hyderabad times abroad.

Computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, validated against Drik Panchang; festival dates abroad can differ by a day — follow your temple's panchang. All times in this table are local clock times for each city.

In New York and Toronto, Ashtami already prevails at local sunrise, so Indian temples in North America may list the Ahoi Ashtami vrat on this same Sunday or advise a different date; follow your temple's panchang. Note that daylight saving time ends in the USA and Canada on this day.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Ahoi Ashtami on 1 November when Saptami prevails at sunrise?

Ahoi Ashtami is a vrat whose main worship happens in the evening, when the stars appear. On 1 November 2026, Saptami ends at 02:51 PM in Hyderabad and Ashtami prevails from then through the evening, so Drik Panchang places Ahoi Ashtami on this day.

When do mothers break the Ahoi Ashtami fast?

Traditionally after sighting the stars in the evening and offering water (arghya) to them. Some families wait for moonrise instead, but the moon rises very late tonight (11:55 PM in Hyderabad), so most follow the star-sighting custom. Check a local panchang for the exact star-sighting time in your city.

What is Bhanu Saptami?

When Saptami tithi falls on a Sunday (Bhanuvara, the Sun's day), it is called Bhanu Saptami. It is a day for honouring Surya, usually with an arghya of water at sunrise and a recitation such as the Aditya Hridayam if you know it.

Is Ahoi Ashtami observed in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh?

It is mainly a North Indian observance (Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and nearby regions). In the Telugu states it is kept mostly by families with North Indian roots. In the Telugu amanta calendar this is still Ashwina month, while in the North it is Kartika Krishna Ashtami.

Do I have to fast without water?

Many mothers keep a nirjala (waterless) fast, but it is not compulsory. Elderly women, pregnant women and anyone with a medical condition should not feel obliged; a fruit-and-water fast or simply the evening puja is a sincere observance. Consult a doctor if unsure.

A closing thought

A mother's prayer is among the oldest prayers there are. Whether you keep a full fast, light one lamp or simply look up at the evening stars and name your children before God, today invites you to turn love into blessing. May Ahoi Mata and the Divine Mother keep every child safe.

Editor's note

Editor's note (9 October 2026): Panchang timings and festival observances can vary by location, regional calendar and family tradition. This guide follows Drik Panchang for Hyderabad (IST). Please verify local puja timings with a trusted panchang or priest.

Related guides

• Previous day: Panchangam 31 October 2026 (Saturday)
• Next day: Panchangam 2 November 2026 (Monday)
• November 2026 Hindu festival calendar
• Ahoi Ashtami 2026: vrat katha, puja vidhi and NRI guide
• Diwali 2026: 5-day festival calendar at a glance
• Rama Ekadashi 2026 (5 November)