Panchangam 15 October 2026 (Thursday): Upang Lalita Vrat (Lalita Panchami), Navratri Day 5 (Maa Skandamata), Tithi and Nakshatra

Quick answer: Thursday 15 October 2026 is Upang Lalita Vrat (Lalita Panchami) and Navratri Day 5, dedicated to Maa Skandamata. In Hyderabad, Shukla Panchami prevails all day and ends at 03:25 AM IST on 16 October; Jyeshtha nakshatra lasts all day and through the night.

The fifth day is the most maternal of Navratri. Skandamata sits with her son on her lap, and Lalita, the Goddess of beauty and grace, is worshipped by many families with her thousand names. Thursday adds its own colour: it is Guru's day, kept by many for Vishnu and for honouring teachers. A good theme for today is gratitude to everyone who has nurtured you.

Today's panchang (Hyderabad)

Source: Drik Panchang for Hyderabad. Because Panchami began at 01:13 AM and runs past the next midnight, the whole civil day of Thursday falls within it.

Navratri Day 5: Maa Skandamata

Skandamata is the mother of Skanda, the commander of the gods. She is shown four-armed on a lion, holding lotuses, with the infant Skanda on her lap. She is worshipped as the loving mother whose tenderness and strength go together. Bananas are a common bhog and yellow is the Day 5 colour on many lists. The dhyana shloka and full steps are in our Navratri 2026 Day 5: Maa Skandamata guide. Expecting and new mothers may find our Navratri guide for mothers and pregnant women helpful.

Religious significance

Lalita Panchami: Goddess Lalita Tripura Sundari is celebrated in the Lalitopakhyana of the Brahmanda Purana, from which the Lalita Sahasranama, her thousand names, is traditionally drawn. Upang Lalita Vrat is kept on Ashwina Shukla Panchami, mostly in Gujarat and Maharashtra, with a day's fast and worship in the evening. Customs vary by family, and our Lalita Panchami 2026 guide covers the vrat in detail.

Thursday: Guruvara is traditionally kept for Vishnu and for Brihaspati, the guru of the gods; many people also use the day to honour their own teachers. Aligina Bathukamma: in Telangana, Bathukamma is traditionally not played on this sixth day, and many families keep a quieter observance. Jyeshtha nakshatra is traditionally presided over by Indra.

Simple puja vidhi for today

1. Light the Navratri lamp and offer a yellow flower to Maa Skandamata with her naam mantra. Offer bananas as bhog.
2. For Lalita Panchami, place a picture of the Goddess or use the kalash itself, offer kumkum, flowers and a sweet, and read the Lalita Sahasranama or as many names as you can.
3. If you keep Thursday worship, offer a tulasi leaf to Vishnu and a prayer of thanks for your teachers.
4. Water the sown grain and close with aarti.

Essentials vs optional: the lamp, a flower and sincere prayer are essential; the full Sahasranama, the vrat and specific offerings are optional. No materials? Hold a cup of water, think of your mother or someone who cared for you, and offer it to a plant with a prayer.

Mantra for the day

Om Devi Skandamatayai Namah (oṃ devī skandamātāyai namaḥ): "Salutations to Goddess Skandamata." Chant it 11 or 108 times, as a prayer of love for the Mother, not as a request for any outcome.

Vrat guidance

Upang Lalita Vrat is traditionally a day-long fast broken after the evening worship, and many keep it alongside their Navratri vrat. Fruit, milk and vrat foods are usual. Elderly people, pregnant women and anyone with a medical condition should not feel obliged to fast; please consult a doctor.

What you can do today

• Offer bananas and a yellow flower to Maa Skandamata.
• Read the Lalita Sahasranama, or 108 of its names, in the evening.
• Call your mother, grandmother or a mentor and thank them for something specific.
• Offer a tulasi leaf to Vishnu for Thursday.
• Give a book or school supplies to a child who needs them, in the spirit of honouring teachers.
• In Telangana, keep Aligina Bathukamma quietly as your family does.

With family and children

Skandamata's image of a mother with her child on her lap is easy for children to understand. Let them look at baby photographs of themselves with their parents and talk about how they were cared for. Older children can draw Skandamata and Skanda on a lion. For bedtime, read her story from our Navratri stories for kids.

Hindus abroad: today's panchang in your city

These are local clock times for each city, computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, validated against Drik Panchang; festival dates abroad can differ by a day — follow your temple's panchang. Never add or subtract hours from the Hyderabad times to get your local time.

Sydney is the exception today: its sunrise falls before Chaturthi ends, so its calendar day begins with Chaturthi and Anuradha. Follow your temple's panchang for local Lalita Panchami worship.

Frequently asked questions

What is Upang Lalita Vrat?

Upang Lalita Vrat, also known as Lalita Panchami, is a vrat for Goddess Lalita (Tripura Sundari) kept on Ashwina Shukla Panchami, the fifth day of Sharad Navratri. It is observed especially in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Drik lists it on Thursday 15 October 2026.

When is Panchami tithi on 15 October 2026?

In Hyderabad, Shukla Panchami runs from the early hours (Chaturthi ends at 01:13 AM IST on 15 October) until 03:25 AM IST on 16 October, so it prevails for the whole of Thursday.

Which goddess is worshipped on Navratri Day 5?

Maa Skandamata, the mother of Skanda (Kartikeya), worshipped on Thursday 15 October 2026. She is shown seated on a lion with the child Skanda on her lap.

Is it compulsory to recite the Lalita Sahasranama today?

No. Many devotees recite it on Lalita Panchami, but a few names, a lamp and a flower offered with devotion are a complete worship. Read at your own pace.

Why does Sydney show Chaturthi at sunrise today?

Sydney's sunrise on 15 October comes before Chaturthi ends, so its calendar day starts with Chaturthi. Families in eastern Australia should check their temple's panchang for the day they keep Lalita Panchami.

A reflection

Skandamata holds her son and still rides a lion. Gentleness and strength are not opposites. Today, honour the people whose patient care made you who you are.

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.

Previous and next day

Previous day: Panchang Wednesday 14 October: Kapardisha Chaturthi. Next day: Panchang Friday 16 October: Akal Bodhon, Bilva Nimantran. Whole month: October 2026 Hindu festival calendar.

Related guides

• Lalita Panchami 2026: Upang Lalita Vrat
• Lalita Sahasranama: the 1000 names of Devi
• Navratri 2026 Day 5: Maa Skandamata
• Navratri 2026 for women: daily rituals and mantras
• Navratri 2026: complete guide to the nine days