Panchangam 18 November 2026, Wednesday: Akshaya Navami (Amla Navami), Jagaddhatri Puja and Sata Yuga Diwas (Hyderabad)

Quick answer: Wednesday 18 November 2026 is Akshaya Navami (Amla Navami), Jagaddhatri Puja and Sata Yuga Diwas. The tithi is Kartika Shukla Navami for the whole day and night and the nakshatra Shatabhisha until 06:10 AM on 19 November (Hyderabad, IST). Families worship the amla tree and share a meal beneath it, Bengal celebrates the lion-borne Goddess Jagaddhatri, and charity done today is traditionally believed to bring imperishable merit.

For depth, read our Akshaya Navami 2026 guide and Jagaddhatri Puja 2026 guide. This page gives the panchang and a short overview.

Today's panchang (Hyderabad)

Timings are from Drik Panchang for Hyderabad in IST. Tithi and nakshatra end times are the same instant across India.

Navami began at 06:04 AM, a few minutes before sunrise, and ends at 07:05 AM on Thursday, so it spans two sunrises. This is the ninth day of amanta Karthika Masam; North India's purnimanta Kartik ends on 24 November. For Rahu Kalam and muhurtas, check a local panchang.

Religious significance

Akshaya Navami: the amla tree and imperishable merit

Akshaya means that which does not decay. As traditionally held, Kartika Shukla Navami is the day Satya Yuga began, and good deeds, charity and worship done on it bear lasting fruit. The amla tree (dhatri) is honoured because, in popular devotion, it is dear to Vishnu and associated with Lakshmi. Devotees water the tree, wind raw cotton thread around the trunk while circling it, light a lamp at its base and eat a meal in its shade. In Mathura and Vrindavan, many pilgrims walk the parikrama on this day.

Telugu families know the amla-tree meal from the Karthika Vana Bhojanalu tradition, the forest picnics under amla trees held through Karthika. Today is a natural day for one.

Jagaddhatri Puja

Jagaddhatri, "she who holds the world", is a form of Durga depicted riding a lion over a slain elephant, symbolising the conquest of pride. Her worship became famous in eighteenth-century Bengal, and Chandannagar and Krishnanagar are celebrated for their tall images and illuminations. Though Drik lists it on Navami, the puja in Bengal is a multi-day celebration in many places, ending with immersion.

A Wednesday in Karthika

Wednesday is traditionally linked with Budha (Mercury) and, in many homes, with Ganesha and Vishnu. With Shatabhisha, the hundred-healers nakshatra associated with Varuna, it is a pleasant day for prayers for health and for watering trees.

Simple puja vidhi for today

• Morning: bathe early (sunrise 06:23 AM in Hyderabad) and take a sankalpa for charity.
• Amla puja: at an amla tree, offer water, turmeric, kumkum and a flower, light a lamp at the base and walk around it, winding a cotton thread if that is your custom.
• Durga or Jagaddhatri: offer red flowers and a lamp to a picture of the Devi and chant the mantra below.
• Meal: if possible, eat a simple sattvic meal under or near the tree with family and share it.
• Daanam: give food, warm clothes, grain or an amla fruit to someone in need.
• Evening: light the Karthika deepam after sunset (05:40 PM in Hyderabad).

No amla tree? Place an amla fruit on a plate before your altar, offer a flower and a lamp, and give something in charity. The essentials are prayer and giving; the thread, the parikrama and the outdoor meal are customs.

Mantra for the day

oṃ duṃ durgāyai namaḥ (Om Dum Durgayai Namah). Meaning: "Salutations to Durga." Jagaddhatri is worshipped as a form of Durga, and this short mantra is widely chanted by all devotees. Chant it calmly 108 times as an offering of love, not as a guarantee of outcomes.

What you can do today

• Water an amla tree, or plant a sapling where you have permission.
• Eat one meal outdoors with family under a tree, Vana Bhojanam style.
• Give one act of charity: food, grain, a blanket or a donation to an orphanage.
• Eat an amla fruit or amla pickle as prasadam, a seasonal winter food.
• Light a lamp to the Devi and chant Om Dum Durgayai Namah.
• Plan for Friday's Devutthana Ekadashi and Saturday's Ksheerabdi Dwadasi.

With family and children

Children enjoy picnics, so Akshaya Navami is easy to share. Take them to a park with an amla or any large tree, let them water it, and explain that the good we do today is believed to last forever. Show them pictures of Jagaddhatri riding the lion and ask what the elephant beneath her might stand for.

For Hindus abroad

Do not use India's timings abroad. Here is the tithi at local sunrise on 18 November:

These abroad figures are computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, validated against Drik Panchang; festival dates abroad can differ by a day — follow your temple's panchang. Times are local to each city and are not conversions of the India timings above.

In Sydney, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Ashtami still prevails at sunrise on 18 November, so temples there may mark Akshaya Navami on 19 November. Families abroad can see our Karthika Masam 2026 Singapore guide and Australia guide.

Previous and next day

Previous: Panchangam 17 November 2026: Gopashtami and Mandala season. Next: Panchangam 19 November 2026: Navami and Purva Bhadrapada. Monthly hub: November 2026 Hindu festivals.

Frequently asked questions

What is the tithi on 18 November 2026?

Kartika Shukla Navami. In Hyderabad it begins at 06:04 AM, just before sunrise, and lasts through the whole day and night, ending at 07:05 AM on Thursday 19 November (IST). Because it touches two sunrises, 19 November also starts as Navami.

Why is Akshaya Navami called Amla Navami?

Because the amla (Indian gooseberry) tree is worshipped on this day. Devotees offer water, thread and a lamp at the tree, eat a meal in its shade and give charity. Akshaya means imperishable: the merit of good deeds done today is traditionally believed not to diminish.

What is Jagaddhatri Puja?

It is the worship of Goddess Jagaddhatri, the upholder of the world, a form of Durga seated on a lion. It is celebrated in Bengal, most famously in Chandannagar and Krishnanagar, on Kartika Shukla Navami.

What is Sata Yuga Diwas?

Drik Panchang lists Sata Yuga Diwas on this date. As traditionally held, Kartika Shukla Navami marks the beginning of Satya Yuga, the first of the four ages, which is one reason the day's good deeds are considered imperishable.

A closing thought

Akshaya Navami reminds us that kindness compounds. Water a tree, feed someone, light a lamp; these small acts are the kind of wealth the day calls imperishable.

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

• Akshaya Navami (Amla Navami) 2026
• Jagaddhatri Puja 2026: Chandannagar
• Karthika Vana Bhojanalu 2026
• Karthika Masam 2026 calendar, day by day
• Karthika Masam 2026 (pillar guide)
• Karthika Ekadashi (Prabodhini) 2026