Panchang 23 Nov 2026: Vaikuntha Chaturdashi & Tithi

Quick answer: Monday 23 November 2026 is Vaikuntha Chaturdashi, the Hari-Hara day on which Vishnu and Shiva are worshipped together. Shukla Chaturdashi of Kartika runs until 11:42 PM, the nakshatra is Bharani, and sunrise in Hyderabad is at 6:25 AM. In the Telugu calendar it is also the second Karthika Somavaram, and the evening carries straight into Karthika Pournami.

Few Mondays in the year gather so much together. A Vaishnava festival, a Shaiva Monday, a sacred bath at Varanasi and the eve of the brightest full moon of Karthika all meet on the same day. Devotees who keep only one simple practice today can light a lamp at dusk and remember both Narayana and Shiva in the same prayer, which is exactly the spirit of the day.

Today's panchang (Hyderabad, IST)

Element	Details
Vara (weekday)	Monday
Lunar month	Kartika (amanta, as in the Telugu calendar); also Kartika in the purnimanta (North Indian) calendar
Paksha	Shukla paksha (waxing moon)
Tithi	Shukla Chaturdashi until 11:42 PM, then Purnima
Nakshatra	Bharani until 2:02 AM (Tue 24 Nov), then Krittika
Yoga	Variyana until 7:58 PM
Karana	Garaja (as listed for the day)
Sunrise	6:25 AM
Sunset	5:40 PM
Moonrise	4:27 PM
Moonset	5:49 AM
Rahu Kalam, Yamaganda, muhurtas	Not given here: please check a local panchang for your city

Source: Drik Panchang day panchang for Hyderabad. Tithi and nakshatra end times are in Indian Standard Time and change at the same instant everywhere in India; sunrise, sunset and moonrise differ by a few minutes from city to city.

What makes today special

Vaikuntha Chaturdashi: the Shukla Chaturdashi of Kartika, kept especially in Varanasi, Ujjain and across North India and Maharashtra. Read the full Vaikuntha Chaturdashi 2026 guide for the story and the regional customs.
Manikarnika Snan: a holy bath at Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi on this Chaturdashi, regarded in Kashi tradition as especially meritorious.
Kartika Chaumasi Chaudas: a Jain observance closing the four-month chaturmas retreat of monks and nuns.
Second Karthika Somavaram: for Telugu and Kannada households, a Monday of abhishekam and evening deepam. See the Karthika Somavaram 2026 dates for India.
Bhishma Panchak continues: the five-day Kartika vow that began on Prabodhini Ekadashi ends tomorrow. See our Bhishma Panchak 2026 guide.

Religious significance: when Hari worships Hara

As the story is commonly told in Puranic and Kashi tradition, Vishnu came to Varanasi on this Chaturdashi to worship Shiva with a thousand lotuses. When one lotus was found missing, Vishnu, called Kamalanayana (the lotus-eyed), offered one of his own eyes in its place. Moved by this devotion, Shiva is said to have given him the Sudarshana Chakra. The legend is the root of the custom of offering tulasi to Shiva and bilva to Vishnu on this one day, a reversal that teaches the unity of the two forms.

It helps to separate the layers. The importance of Kartika as a month of lamps and holy baths is widely described in Puranic literature, especially the Kartika Mahatmya sections. The specific temple rites, such as the night worship at Kashi Vishwanath and the bath at Manikarnika Ghat, are living regional customs of Varanasi. Families in the Telugu states usually experience the day mainly as a Karthika Monday, with Vaishnava elements added by those who follow them. None of these approaches is more correct than another.

If you cannot be at a ghat, a bath at home with a remembrance of the sacred rivers carries the same intention. Our Kashi Vishwanath temple guide gives background on the temple at the centre of today's Varanasi observances.

Simple puja vidhi for home

Essentials are only three: a clean place, a lamp and a sincere prayer. Everything else is optional custom.

Morning: bathe before or soon after the 6:25 AM sunrise. Clean the altar and place a picture or small image of Vishnu and a Shiva lingam or picture side by side.
Sankalpa: sit quietly and state in your own words that you are worshipping Hari and Hara together on this Chaturdashi.
Offerings: water and, if available, milk for the lingam; tulasi leaves for Vishnu and bilva for Shiva. Following today's custom, some families also offer a tulasi leaf to Shiva and a bilva leaf to Vishnu.
Evening deepam: light a ghee or sesame-oil lamp after the 5:40 PM sunset. This is also the Karthika Somavaram lamp.
Night (optional): devotees who follow the Varanasi tradition keep a quiet late-evening prayer to Vishnu. Check a local panchang for nishita timing in your city.

No-materials alternative: if you are travelling or at work, simply light a candle or a phone-safe lamp, close your eyes for five minutes and chant the mantra below. Intention matters more than items.

Mantra for the day

One short, widely chanted mantra for Vishnu, suitable for anyone:

Om Namo Nārāyaṇāya

Meaning: "Om, salutations to Narayana," the one in whom all beings rest. Chant it 11, 27 or 108 times. Shiva devotees can follow it with Om Namah Shivaya, keeping the Hari-Hara spirit of the day. Chanting is an offering of attention; it is not a transaction for results.

Fasting today

Many Telugu devotees keep the Karthika Somavaram fast today, either a full fast, a single meal (ekabhuktam) or a meal after nightfall (naktam). Our Karthika Somavaram upavasam rules explain the options. Fasting is a devotional choice. Elderly people, pregnant women and anyone with diabetes or another medical condition should not feel obliged to fast and should consult a doctor before changing their diet.

What you can do today

Take a pre-dawn or early-morning bath with a remembrance of Ganga and Manikarnika.
Offer one tulasi leaf and one bilva leaf, side by side, to Vishnu and Shiva.
Do a short abhishekam with water or milk for the second Karthika Somavaram.
Light the evening lamp after 5:40 PM and keep a second lamp ready for tomorrow's Pournami.
Read or listen to the story of Vishnu's thousand lotuses with the family.
Plan tomorrow: Purnima begins at 11:42 PM tonight, so Karthika Pournami rituals fall on Tuesday 24 November.

With family and children

Children love the lotus story because it has a clear moral: Vishnu gave something precious rather than leave his offering incomplete. Ask them to draw a lotus and a trident on one sheet of paper to show Hari and Hara together, then let them help arrange the leaves at the altar. Older children can be given the job of counting the 108 chants on a mala. Keep lamps out of reach of small hands.

Hindus abroad: sunrise, tithi and nakshatra in your city

If you live outside India, do not convert the Hyderabad times above. The table below gives each city's own local sunrise and sunset, with the tithi and nakshatra prevailing at that local sunrise.

Country	City	Sunrise (local)	Sunset (local)	Tithi at sunrise	Nakshatra at sunrise
USA	New York	6:50 AM	4:34 PM	Shukla Chaturdashi	Bharani
UK	London	7:29 AM	4:03 PM	Shukla Chaturdashi	Bharani
Canada	Toronto	7:20 AM	4:47 PM	Shukla Chaturdashi	Bharani
Australia	Sydney	5:38 AM	7:45 PM	Shukla Trayodashi	Ashwini
Brazil	São Paulo	5:10 AM	6:35 PM	Shukla Chaturdashi	Bharani
UAE	Dubai	6:40 AM	5:30 PM	Shukla Chaturdashi	Bharani
Singapore	Singapore	6:48 AM	6:53 PM	Shukla Chaturdashi	Bharani
Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	6:59 AM	6:59 PM	Shukla Chaturdashi	Bharani
Germany	Frankfurt	7:48 AM	4:33 PM	Shukla Chaturdashi	Bharani
South Africa	Durban	4:47 AM	6:37 PM	Shukla Chaturdashi	Bharani
Europe	Amsterdam	8:13 AM	4:39 PM	Shukla Chaturdashi	Bharani

Computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, validated against Drik Panchang; festival dates abroad can differ by a day, so follow your temple's panchang.

Note that in Sydney the tithi at sunrise is still Trayodashi, so Australian temples may observe Vaikuntha Chaturdashi on a different local day. For the Karthika month abroad, see our USA Karthika Masam dates and UK Karthika Masam dates.

Frequently asked questions

What is the tithi on 23 November 2026?

In Hyderabad (and across India, since tithi end times are the same instant everywhere in IST), the tithi at sunrise is Shukla Chaturdashi of Kartika. It ends at 11:42 PM, after which Purnima begins.

Is Vaikuntha Chaturdashi on 23 November 2026?

Yes. Drik Panchang lists Vaikuntha Chaturdashi on Monday 23 November 2026, together with Manikarnika Snan and Kartika Chaumasi Chaudas. Our detailed Vaikuntha Chaturdashi 2026 guide covers the legend and the Hari-Hara worship in depth.

Is 23 November a Karthika Somavaram?

Yes. In the amanta calendar followed in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, Karthika Masam began on 10 November, so Monday 23 November is the second Karthika Somavaram of 2026.

What is Kartika Chaumasi Chaudas?

It is a Jain observance. Chaumasi Chaudas marks the Chaturdashi that closes the four-month monsoon retreat (chaturmas) of Jain monks and nuns, and many Jain families observe it with fasting, pratikraman and temple visits.

When is Karthika Pournami 2026?

Karthika Pournami is on Tuesday 24 November 2026. Purnima tithi begins at 11:42 PM on 23 November and ends at 8:23 PM on 24 November (IST).

Is Rahu Kalam given for 23 November?

No. Our source data does not include Rahu Kalam or muhurta windows, so we do not print them. Please check a local panchang for your city.

A closing thought

Vaikuntha Chaturdashi asks a simple question: can we see the same divine presence behind different names and forms? Light one lamp tonight for Narayana and Shiva together, and carry that sense of unity into tomorrow's full moon.

Previous and next day

Previous day: Panchang Sunday 22 November 2026
Next day: Panchang Tuesday 24 November 2026
The month at a glance: November 2026 Hindu festivals: dates, rituals and significance

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.