Panchangam 15 December 2026, Tuesday: Champa Shashthi and Skanda Sashti (Subrahmanya Shashti), Tithi, Nakshatra and Puja Vidhi

Quick answer: Tuesday 15 December 2026 is Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi, the day Drik Panchang marks as Subrahmanya Shashti, Skanda Sashti and Champa Shashthi. Shashthi runs until 9:19 PM IST in Hyderabad and the nakshatra is Dhanishtha until 11:52 AM. It is one of the most important days of the year for devotees of Lord Subrahmanya (Kartikeya, Murugan) in the Telugu states and Karnataka.

A Tuesday Shashthi has a natural fit: Tuesday is traditionally associated with Mangala (Mars), and Kartikeya, the commander of the gods, is widely worshipped on Tuesdays in South India. If you can do only one thing today, light a lamp before an image of Subrahmanya, offer a flower and chant his six-syllable name for a few minutes. The rest of this page gives the full panchang, a home puja and ideas for the family.

Today's Panchang (Hyderabad)

Source: Drik Panchang day panchang for Hyderabad, Telangana (IST). Tithi and nakshatra end times are the same instant everywhere in India; sunrise, sunset and moonrise shift by a few minutes from city to city.

Why Margashirsha Shashthi matters

Shashthi, the sixth lunar day, is sacred to Skanda in Hindu tradition. Several Puranic narratives describe his birth to destroy the demon Taraka, and his six faces (Shanmukha) are often linked to the six Krittika mothers who nursed him. The Skanda Purana, one of the largest Puranas, is named after him.

What the Margashirsha Shashthi looks like depends on where you are:

• Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: Subbarayudu Shashti or Subrahmanya Shashti. Families visit Subrahmanya temples, and many offer milk at an anthill (putta) or a Naga stone, since Subrahmanya is closely associated with serpents in regional custom. Mopidevi in Krishna district is among the best-known Subrahmanya shrines of the region.
• Karnataka: Champa Shashti or Subrahmanya Shashti. The festival at Kukke Subramanya in Dakshina Kannada is one of the most famous, with a temple car procession (rathotsava).
• Maharashtra: Champa Shashthi marks the end of the six-day Khandoba Navaratra that begins on Margashirsha Shukla Pratipada. Jejuri near Pune is the main centre. Here the deity is Khandoba, a form of Shiva, not Kartikeya.
• Tamil Nadu and Murugan temples abroad: the day is kept as a monthly Sashti viratham. The grand Kanda Sashti with Soorasamharam was celebrated earlier, in the month of Aippasi.

The festival name and deity are both scriptural in origin, but the specific customs (anthill offerings, Khandoba rituals) are regional and community practices. Follow the custom your family or temple keeps. For a full explanation of the festival, see our Subrahmanya Shashti 2026 guide.

Simple Subrahmanya puja at home

• Bathe early and wear clean clothes. Clean the puja space and place a picture or small image of Subrahmanya (with or without Valli and Devasena). A vel (spear) symbol is also used in many Tamil homes.
• Light a ghee or oil lamp and an incense stick. Invoke Ganesha first with a short prayer, as is customary before any puja.
• Offer water or milk abhishekam if you have a metal image; for a picture, sprinkle a few drops of water and offer flowers instead.
• Offer red or yellow flowers, sandal paste and kumkum. Essentials are the lamp, a flower and a sincere prayer; the rest is optional.
• Chant the mantra below 11, 27 or 108 times, then offer naivedyam: fruit, jaggery, a banana, or a sweet such as payasam.
• End with aarti and share the prasadam with the family.

No materials? Sit quietly facing east, picture the six-faced Lord with his vel and peacock, and chant his name. A puja done with attention is complete in itself.

Mantra for the day

Om Saravanabhavaya Namah

Meaning: "Salutations to the one born in the Saravana (reed) pond." Saravanabhava is a name of Kartikeya, recalling the reed-filled lake where, according to the Puranic story, he appeared. Chant it slowly, with a steady breath, as an act of remembrance rather than a demand for results.

Fasting on Subrahmanya Shashti

Some devotees keep a fast from sunrise until the evening puja, taking only water, milk or fruit; others eat a single sattvic meal. Since Shashthi lasts until 9:19 PM IST, there is time for a relaxed evening puja before the tithi changes. Fasting is optional: elderly people, pregnant women, children and anyone with diabetes or another medical condition should not feel obliged, and should consult a doctor before any fast.

What you can do today

• Visit a Subrahmanya or Murugan temple, or watch a live stream from one if you cannot travel.
• If your family follows the custom, offer milk at an anthill or Naga shrine respectfully, without harming any living creature.
• Recite the 108 names of Subrahmanya, or Kanda Sashti Kavacham if that is your family's practice.
• Feed a cow, a dog or a hungry person in the name of the Lord.
• Take a small vow for the coming month, such as daily lamp-lighting during Dhanurmasam, which begins tomorrow.
• Read the story of Skanda's birth aloud at dinner time.

For families and children

Children love Murugan's peacock and his rooster flag. Ask them to draw the peacock vahana or make a simple vel from cardboard and gold paper, then place it near the lamp. Older children can learn the six faces and what each represents in the stories they hear. Keep the anthill visit gentle and supervised, and explain that the offering is an act of respect for nature.

Hindus abroad: Tue 15 Dec at local sunrise

Outside India, go by your local sunrise, not Indian clock times. The table gives local sunrise and sunset and the tithi and nakshatra at local sunrise, computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, validated against Drik Panchang; festival dates abroad can differ by a day — follow your temple's panchang.

Most countries in the table have Shukla Shashthi at local sunrise today. Murugan temples abroad, including Tamil and Malaysian-Singaporean communities, often follow the Tamil calendar and may schedule special abhishekams on a nearby weekend. See Skanda Sashti 2026 in the USA, Canada, UK and Australia and Skanda Sashti 2026 in Singapore and Malaysia.

Frequently asked questions

Is Subrahmanya Shashti on 15 December 2026?

Yes. Drik Panchang lists Subrahmanya Sashti, Skanda Sashti and Champa Shashthi on Tuesday 15 December 2026 for Hyderabad. Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi prevails at sunrise and runs until 9:19 PM IST.

What is the difference between Champa Shashthi and Subrahmanya Shashti?

They fall on the same tithi but honour different traditions. In Maharashtra and parts of north Karnataka, Champa Shashthi closes the six-day festival of Khandoba (Martanda Bhairava), a form of Shiva. In the Telugu states, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the same Shashthi is kept for Subrahmanya, also called Kartikeya, Skanda or Murugan.

Is this the same as the Skanda Sashti of Soorasamharam?

No. The six-day Kanda Sashti festival that ends in Soorasamharam is held in the Tamil month of Aippasi, in October or November. Every Shukla Shashthi is a monthly Skanda Sashti, and the Margashirsha one is especially observed in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.

What should I offer to Lord Subrahmanya today?

Water or milk for abhishekam, flowers, a lamp and a simple naivedyam such as fruit, jaggery or a sweet made at home are enough. Many Telugu families also offer milk at an anthill or a Naga shrine, a custom that links Subrahmanya with serpent worship.

Should I fast on Subrahmanya Shashti?

Fasting is a family custom, not a requirement. Some keep a fast until the evening puja, others eat one simple meal. Elderly people, pregnant women and anyone with a medical condition should not feel obliged and should consult a doctor before fasting.

A closing thought

Kartikeya is the young commander who leads with courage and wisdom together. On his day, ask not for victory over others but for the strength to defeat your own laziness, anger and fear. Tomorrow the Sun enters Dhanu and the sacred dawn month of Dhanurmasam begins.

Previous day: Panchang Monday 14 December 2026. Next day: Panchang Wednesday 16 December 2026. Whole month: December 2026 Hindu festivals, dates and rituals.

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

• Subrahmanya Shashti 2026: date, Kartikeya, vrat and mantra
• Skanda Sashti 2026 and Soorasamharam
• Dhanurmasam 2026 dates and Tiruppavai schedule
• What is a panchang? The five limbs explained
• December 2026 vrat and fasting calendar