Panchangam 24 December 2026, Thursday: Margashirsha Purnima, Annapurna Jayanti and Arudra Darshan, Tithi, Nakshatra and Puja Vidhi

Quick answer: Thursday 24 December 2026 is Margashirsha Purnima at sunrise, with Annapurna Jayanti, Arudra Darshan and Bhairavi Jayanti. In Hyderabad, Purnima prevails at sunrise and ends at 6:57 AM IST; Ardra nakshatra lasts all day, until 1:47 AM on 25 December. It is also a Margashirsha Thursday and the ninth dawn of Dhanurmasam.

Today gathers the Goddess who feeds the world and the Lord who dances it into being. In Kashi, devotees honour Annapurna; in Chidambaram and Shiva temples across Tamil Nadu, Nataraja's Arudra Darshan draws crowds before dawn. At home, the simplest way to keep the day is to cook a meal with care, offer it first, and share it.

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

Arudra Darshan

Arudra Darshan (Thiruvathirai) falls on Ardra nakshatra in the Tamil month of Margazhi. It celebrates Shiva as Nataraja, the Lord of Dance, whose cosmic dance (Ananda Tandava) represents creation, preservation, dissolution, concealment and grace. At Chidambaram, the festival culminates in an early-morning abhishekam and darshan of Nataraja; many Shiva temples hold similar rites. In Kerala, Thiruvathira in the month of Dhanu is a women's festival with the graceful Thiruvathirakali dance. Read more in our Dhanurmasa Arudra 2026 guide.

Annapurna Jayanti

Annapurna, "full of food," is the form of Parvati who nourishes all beings. A well-known story tells of Shiva himself holding out a begging bowl to her in Kashi, teaching that even the ascetic depends on the gift of food. The Annapurna temple in Varanasi stands close to Kashi Vishwanath. Adi Shankaracharya's Annapurna Stotram is widely recited today. See our Annapurna Jayanti 2026 guide and the Annapurna Stotram with meaning.

Margashirsha Purnima

The Purnima at sunrise is the day for a holy dip, charity and Vishnu worship. Since the tithi ends just fourteen minutes after sunrise in Hyderabad, those keeping a strict Purnima snanam bathe early. The Purnima vrat and Datta Jayanti were observed yesterday.

Puja vidhi for the day

• Bathe before or at sunrise, adding a few drops of Ganga water if you have it, in honour of the Purnima.
• Light a lamp before Shiva-Parvati, Nataraja or Annapurna. A picture is enough.
• If you keep Arudra Darshan, offer water or milk abhishekam to a lingam and offer bilva leaves.
• Cook a simple meal, perhaps rice, dal or thiruvathirai kali, and offer it to Annapurna before anyone eats.
• Chant the mantra below, or recite the Annapurna Stotram.
• Donate food grains, a meal or warm clothes.
• On this Margashirsha Thursday, families who keep the Lakshmi vrat can add a lamp for Lakshmi as usual.

No materials? Before your first meal, pause, offer it mentally to the Mother, and eat in silence for a minute. That is Annapurna puja in its purest form.

Mantra for the day

Om Annapurnayai Namah

Meaning: "Om, salutations to Annapurna, the Goddess full of food." It is a simple name-mantra suitable before cooking or eating. Chant it as thanksgiving for the food we receive, not as a promise of wealth.

What you can do today

• Take an early bath while Purnima prevails at sunrise.
• Feed someone: a neighbour, a worker, a hungry person or animals.
• Watch the Arudra Darshan from a Nataraja temple via live stream if you cannot go.
• Make thiruvathirai kali or another traditional sweet with the family.
• Read the Annapurna Stotram or listen to it.
• Avoid wasting food today; serve only what will be eaten.
• Note the start of Pausha in the North Indian calendar tomorrow.

For families and children

Let children help measure rice and jaggery, and tell them the story of Shiva holding out his bowl to Annapurna. Show them a picture of Nataraja and point out the drum (creation), the fire (dissolution) and the raised foot (grace). A short family meal eaten together, without screens, is a lovely way to honour the day.

Hindus abroad: Thu 24 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.

Abroad, Krishna Pratipada already prevails at sunrise in the Americas, the UK, Europe, Dubai and Durban, while Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney still see Purnima. Ardra prevails at local sunrise in most cities. Temples in the Tamil diaspora often hold Arudra Darshan abhishekam on the date their own panchang gives; please follow them. See also Nataraja Swamy in the UK: Dhanurmasam and the quiet dawn.

Frequently asked questions

Is Arudra Darshan on 24 December 2026?

Yes. Drik Panchang lists Arudra Darshan on Thursday 24 December 2026 for Hyderabad. Ardra (Thiruvathirai) nakshatra prevails all day, until 1:47 AM on 25 December, in the solar month of Dhanus (Margazhi).

When is Annapurna Jayanti 2026?

Drik Panchang lists Annapurna Jayanti on Thursday 24 December 2026, the day Margashirsha Purnima prevails at sunrise. Some calendars observe it on 23 December, when Purnima begins. Follow your temple or family tradition.

How long does Purnima last on 24 December?

Purnima prevails at sunrise (6:43 AM in Hyderabad) and ends at 6:57 AM IST, after which Krishna Pratipada begins. It is still counted as the Purnima day for holy baths and charity because the tithi is present at sunrise.

What is Bhairavi Jayanti?

It is the appearance day of Tripura Bhairavi, one of the ten Mahavidyas worshipped in Shakta and Tantric traditions. It is observed mainly within those traditions, usually under a teacher's guidance.

What is offered on Arudra Darshan?

In Tamil Nadu, the traditional offering is thiruvathirai kali, a sweet made with rice and jaggery, served with a mixed-vegetable kootu. Customs vary by family.

A closing thought

Nataraja dances the world into being; Annapurna feeds it. Between them is our part: to receive with gratitude and to share. Tomorrow begins the Krishna paksha and, in North India, the month of Pausha.

Previous day: Panchang Wednesday 23 December 2026. Next day: Panchang Friday 25 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

• Annapurna Jayanti 2026 and Varanasi
• Dhanurmasa Arudra 2026: importance and rituals
• Margasira Pournami 2026 guide
• Margashirsha Guruvar Vrat 2026 dates
• Datta Jayanti 2026