365 Vattula Deepam (365-Wick Lamp) on Karthika Pournami 2026: Date, How to Light It, and How Many Lamps to Light in Karthika Masam and Where

Quick answer: The 365 vattula deepam (365-wick lamp) is lit on Karthika Pournami, Tuesday 24 November 2026 in India, at dusk. Purnima tithi runs from 11:42 PM on Monday 23 November to 8:23 PM on Tuesday 24 November (IST, Drik Panchang), and sunset that day is about 5:40 PM in Hyderabad. A bundle of 365 cotton wicks, one for each day of the year, is soaked in ghee or sesame oil and lit as a single lamp before Shiva or Vishnu.

Last updated: 25 October 2026. We rewrote this guide for 2026: the Drik Panchang date and tithi, a step-by-step method with safety notes, and a new section on how many lamps to light through Karthika Masam and where. We removed the earlier list of promised benefits; the custom is described here as devotion, not a guaranteed result.

Karthika Masam (Tuesday 10 November to Tuesday 8 December 2026 in the Telugu, Kannada and Marathi amanta calendar) is the month of lamps. Its brightest night is Karthika Pournami, when temples light the jwala thoranam and homes light the 365-wick lamp. For the whole month, see our Karthika Masam 2026 guide.

365 vattula deepam 2026: date and time

Source: Drik Panchang day panchang for New Delhi (tithi instants are the same across India) and HinduTone's Karthika sunset tables, approximate to plus or minus one minute. The lamp is lit after sunset, in pradosha kala. Because Purnima ends at 8:23 PM, many families light it soon after sunset rather than late at night. City-wise times are in our Karthika Pournami 2026 city-wise guide.

What the 365 vattula deepam is

In Telugu, "vattulu" are lamp wicks. The 365 vattula deepam is a single lamp lit with 365 cotton wicks, one for every day of the year. As traditionally explained, lighting a lamp every evening is a daily offering. Few households manage it every day of the year, so on Karthika Pournami they offer all 365 days' lamps together.

The custom is strongest in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. It is part of the wider Karthika tradition of deepa daanam (offering lamps), which the Karthika Puranam praises at length. Women in many families light it together at home or in temple courtyards, often along with the Karthika Pournami vratam. Other regions mark the same night differently: Dev Deepawali on the ghats of Varanasi, Karthigai Deepam in Tamil Nadu and Kartik Purnima deep daan in North India.

Like every vrat or offering, it is an act of devotion and gratitude. We share the traditional meanings, but we do not claim that it removes particular sins or brings particular results.

What you need

How to light the 365-wick lamp: step by step

Family customs differ. This is a simple, widely followed method.

1. In the evening, after your bath, clean the place where you will light it: the puja room floor, a stone courtyard or a temple courtyard.
2. Place the plate on the floor. Draw a small rangoli or put a little turmeric and kumkum on the plate, and spread rice or a banana leaf if that is your custom.
3. Soak the wick bundle in ghee or sesame oil for a few minutes so that every wick is coated. Place it in the lamp or directly on the plate, standing upright or laid in a ring.
4. Decorate the plate with flowers and a little kumkum. Many families place a picture of Shiva, Vishnu or the family deity nearby.
5. After sunset, light your daily lamp first. Then, with folded hands, light the bundle from it, starting from one side so the flame spreads evenly.
6. Offer a flower and pray in your own words for the family's wellbeing through the year. Chant Om Namah Shivaya or Om Namo Narayanaya, or a stotra your family knows.
7. Walk around the lamp three times if space allows, or bow to it. Stay with the lamp while the large flame settles.
8. Let it burn down safely. Do not blow it out; if you must, cover it gently with a plate.

Mantras you can use

For Shiva:

ॐ नमः शिवाय॥

oṃ namaḥ śivāya||

For Vishnu:

ॐ नमो नारायणाय॥

oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya||

The first verse of the Shiva Panchakshara Stotram of Adi Shankaracharya is often sung in Karthika:

नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय ।
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ १॥

nāgendrahārāya trilocanāya bhasmāṅgarāgāya maheśvarāya |
nityāya śuddhāya digambarāya tasmai nakārāya namaḥ śivāya || 1||

Meaning, in brief: salutations to the syllable 'na', to Shiva who wears the king of serpents as a garland, the three-eyed one smeared with sacred ash, the great lord, eternal and pure, clad in the directions.

Safety: a 365-wick flame is large

• Never light it on a wooden altar, a cloth or a plastic mat. Use a metal plate on a stone or tiled floor.
• Keep it away from curtains, hanging decorations and saris with loose ends. Tie back long hair.
• Keep children and pets at a distance, and keep water or a bowl of sand within reach.
• Indoors, open a window. Ghee and oil smoke can set off smoke detectors in flats abroad.
• Where flames are not allowed, light a smaller lamp with fewer wicks, or offer the 365 wicks at a temple that permits it.

How many lamps to light in Karthika Masam, and where

This is the question families ask most in Karthika. There is no single rule. Traditional accounts praise even one lamp lit with devotion, and each family keeps its own custom. The table shows the places and occasions most commonly kept.

Diwali has its own lamp customs, including the Yama Deepam on Dhanteras and the 13 lamps many families light; see lighting 13 diyas on Diwali. For which oil and how many wicks to use in an everyday lamp, see the meaning of lighting the lamp.

Karthika lamp days in 2026 (India)

Day-by-day details are in the Karthika Masam 2026 calendar, and evening lamp times for 13 cities are in Karthika deepam timings city-wise.

For families abroad

Tithis begin and end at the same instant everywhere, but local dates differ. Drik Panchang lists Kartika Purnima on Tuesday 24 November for most US and Canadian cities, and on Monday 23 November for the Bay Area, Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. The full-moon tithi itself is in force on the evening of Monday 23 November in North America, so temples there differ on which evening they light the Pournami lamps. In the UK, the UAE, Singapore and Australia, Karthika Pournami is on Tuesday 24 November, as in India. Your temple's calendar is the best guide. See Karthika Masam 2026 in the USA and in the UK.

Also read: Kartik Purnima 2026: snan, deep daan and puja vidhi, Kartik snan and deepdaan 2026, Akasha Deepam in Karthika Masam and Karthigai Deepam 2026.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 365 vattula deepam lit in 2026?

On Karthika Pournami, Tuesday 24 November 2026 in India, at dusk. Purnima tithi runs from 11:42 PM on Monday 23 November to 8:23 PM on Tuesday 24 November (IST, Drik Panchang), so the lamp is lit after sunset on the 24th, about 5:40 PM in Hyderabad and 5:25 PM in New Delhi.

Why 365 wicks?

One wick stands for each day of the year. Families who could not light a lamp every day light all 365 together on Karthika Pournami, as an offering for the whole year. It is a devotional custom, mainly in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.

Which oil should be used for the 365-wick lamp?

Ghee or sesame oil, as your family does. Some families use a mix. The wick bundle should be soaked well before lighting, and the lamp must be on a metal plate because the flame is large.

How many lamps should be lit every day in Karthika Masam?

There is no fixed number. Traditional accounts praise even one lamp lit with devotion. Many families light one at the home shrine at dusk, one beside the tulasi and one or two at the main door. Many also offer one at a temple on Somavarams, Ekadashi and Pournami.

Where should Karthika deepam be placed at home?

Common places are the puja room, beside the tulasi plant, at the main door or threshold, and on the balcony or terrace. An akasha deepam is raised on a pole. Keep lamps on a plate or stand, away from curtains, shoes and children's reach.

Can I light the 365 vattula deepam in a flat abroad?

Yes, with care. Light it on a steel plate on the floor or a stone surface, near an open window, away from smoke detectors and curtains, and never leave it unattended. In the USA and Canada the full-moon tithi is in force on the evening of Monday 23 November local time, while Drik Panchang lists Kartika Purnima on Tuesday 24 November for most cities, so temples differ. Follow your temple's calendar.

Editor's note (25 October 2026)

Karthika Pournami date, Purnima tithi and Krittika times are from Drik Panchang (New Delhi day panchang, as compiled in HinduTone's Karthika 2026 data). Sunset times are from our Karthika deepam timings tables, approximate to plus or minus one minute. The abroad dates come from Drik Panchang city pages checked on 21 October 2026. Mantra and verse texts are from sanskritdocuments.org. The customs are described as commonly practised; they vary by region and family, and no ritual promises a particular result. This page was first published for Karthika 2025 and fully rewritten for 2026.