Panchangam 22 December 2026, Tuesday: Hanuman Jayanti (Karnataka Hanumad Vratha) and the Shortest Day of the Year, Tithi and Puja Vidhi

Quick answer: Tuesday 22 December 2026 is Hanuman Jayanti in the Kannada tradition (Hanumad Vratha), on Margashirsha Shukla Trayodashi, and Drik Panchang also marks it as the shortest day of the year. In Hyderabad, Trayodashi lasts until 2:23 PM IST and Krittika nakshatra until 10:45 AM, followed by Rohini.

A Tuesday Hanuman festival feels natural, since Tuesday is the most common day for Hanuman worship across India. And on the year's shortest day, there is something fitting about remembering Hanuman, whose devotion is described as tireless: the light may be brief, but strength and faith do not shrink with it. Read our full guide: Hanuman Jayanti Karnataka 2026: Hanumad Vratha.

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.

Religious significance

Hanuman Jayanti in Karnataka

Hanuman's birthday is remembered on several dates across India, each rooted in a regional tradition. In Karnataka, Margashirsha Shukla Trayodashi is observed as Hanuman Jayanti and Hanumad Vratha. Devotees visit Hanuman (Anjaneya) temples, offer special abhishekams, and in many homes worship a thirteen-knotted thread before tying it on the wrist as a mark of the vow. Karnataka has a deep link to Hanuman: tradition identifies Anjanadri hill near Hampi, in the region of ancient Kishkindha, as his birthplace, though other places in India hold similar beliefs.

Hanuman's story in the Valmiki Ramayana, especially the Sundara Kanda, presents him as the ideal devotee: strong yet humble, learned yet devoted entirely to Rama. That is why prayers to Hanuman ask less for favours and more for courage, clarity and steadiness.

The shortest day of the year

The December solstice is an astronomical event, not a Hindu festival, but Drik Panchang notes it because many readers ask about it. In Hyderabad today the Sun is up for about 11 hours and 6 minutes. From tomorrow, days slowly lengthen. Indian tradition marks the Sun's northward movement (Uttarayana) ritually at Makara Sankranti in January, which is why the solstice itself carries no special rite.

Simple Hanuman puja at home

• Bathe early and light a lamp before Hanuman, or Rama with Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman. Sesame oil lamps are traditional for Hanuman.
• Offer sindoor mixed with oil if that is your family's custom, red flowers, and a garland of betel leaves or tulasi if available. These are optional.
• If you keep Hanumad Vratha, worship a thread with thirteen knots and tie it on the wrist after puja, as your family or priest advises.
• Chant the mantra below, recite the Hanuman Chalisa, or read a portion of the Sundara Kanda.
• Offer naivedyam such as bananas, jaggery with roasted chana, or a sweet made at home.
• Complete the main puja before Trayodashi ends at 2:23 PM if you wish to keep it within the tithi.

No materials? Say "Jai Shri Ram" and "Jai Hanuman" with folded hands. Hanuman, tradition says, is present wherever Rama's name is sung.

Mantra for the day

Om Hanumate Namah

Meaning: "Om, salutations to Hanuman." It is short enough for children to learn and suitable for 108 repetitions. Chant it as an expression of devotion and a reminder of Hanuman's courage, not as a promise of any particular result. For more prayers, see 11 Hanuman mantras for daily chanting.

Vrat guidance

Some devotees fast until the vratha puja is complete, and then eat a simple meal. Fasting is optional. Elderly people, pregnant women and anyone with a medical condition should not feel obliged and should consult a doctor.

What you can do today

• Visit an Anjaneya temple, or pray at home before 2:23 PM IST.
• Recite the Hanuman Chalisa once with the whole family.
• Read one chapter of the Sundara Kanda, or its summary.
• Use the long evening of the shortest day for an extra lamp and a few minutes of quiet reflection.
• Help someone physically: carry groceries for an elderly neighbour, in Hanuman's spirit of service.
• Read the seventh Tiruppavai pasuram at dawn if you are following Dhanurmasam.
• Keep tomorrow free for Datta Jayanti and the Margashirsha Purnima vrat.

For families and children

Children love Hanuman's leap across the ocean to Lanka. Read it aloud and ask them why he could do it (his faith in Rama, and Jambavan reminding him of his own strength). Older children can learn that the shortest day is about the Earth's tilt, and that Indian astronomers tracked these movements carefully for centuries.

Hindus abroad: Tue 22 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.

In the southern hemisphere, today is the longest day: Sydney's sunset is after 8 PM. Note too that in New York and Toronto, Chaturdashi already prevails at local sunrise, so Karnataka temples abroad may hold Hanumad Vratha on 21 December; follow your temple.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Hanuman Jayanti in December in Karnataka?

Different regions remember Hanuman on different dates. North India keeps Hanuman Jayanti on Chaitra Purnima, the Telugu states on Vaishakha Krishna Dashami, and Tamil Nadu in Margazhi. In Karnataka, Margashirsha Shukla Trayodashi is kept as Hanuman Jayanti, also called Hanumad Vratha. Each date is valid within its own tradition.

What is Hanumad Vratha?

It is a vow of worship to Hanuman observed on Margashirsha Shukla Trayodashi, popular in Karnataka. A sacred thread with thirteen knots, matching the thirteenth tithi, is commonly worshipped and then tied on the wrist. Details vary by family and temple.

How long does Trayodashi last on 22 December 2026?

According to Drik Panchang for Hyderabad, Shukla Trayodashi prevails at sunrise and ends at 2:23 PM IST, after which Chaturdashi begins. Plan the main puja for the morning or early afternoon.

Is 22 December really the shortest day of the year?

Drik Panchang lists the shortest day of the year on 22 December for Hyderabad, where the Sun rises at 6:42 AM and sets at 5:48 PM. This is the December solstice, when the northern hemisphere has its shortest day and the southern hemisphere its longest.

Is the winter solstice the same as Makara Sankranti?

No. The solstice is the astronomical turning point of the Sun's northward journey. Makara Sankranti is the Sun's entry into sidereal Capricorn, which in our era falls around 14 or 15 January. The two were close many centuries ago and have drifted apart because of the precession of the equinoxes.

A closing thought

On the shortest day, Hanuman reminds us that strength is measured not by how much light we have but by what we do with it. Tomorrow is Datta Jayanti, with Margashirsha Purnima beginning late in the morning.

Previous day: Panchang Monday 21 December 2026. Next day: Panchang Wednesday 23 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

• Hanuman Jayanti Karnataka 2026: Hanumad Vratha
• Sankat Mochan Hanuman Ashtak: lyrics and meaning
• Makara Sankranti: date, punya kala and significance
• December 2026 festivals state-wise in India