Bhadrapada Masam 2026: Dates, Festivals, Puja Timings and Complete Calendar

Quick answer: Bhadrapada Masam 2026 runs from about 29 August to 26 September under the Purnimanta reckoning followed in North India, and from about 12 September to 11 October under the Amanta reckoning followed across Andhra, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Confirm the exact start with your local panchang, as tithi timing decides the first day.

Bhadrapada (also written Bhadrapad, Bhadra, or Bhado) is the sixth month of the traditional Hindu lunar year and one of the busiest devotional months of the whole calendar. In 2026 it carries an extraordinary density of festivals: Ganesh Chaturthi, Radha Ashtami, Vamana Jayanti, two Ekadashis, Anant Chaturdashi with Ganesh Visarjan, the full-moon of Bhadrapada Purnima, and the opening of Pitru Paksha. This pillar page maps the whole month for 2026, states the dates in both major reckonings, and links out to the detailed guides for each festival.

The single most important thing to understand about this month is that it does not begin on the same day everywhere in India. The Purnimanta calendar of the North and the Amanta calendar of the South and West define the month boundaries differently, so the very name "Bhadrapada" points to two overlapping but distinct windows in 2026. We explain that below and give both sets of dates so you can follow whichever tradition your family keeps.

• Month: Bhadrapada (6th lunar month)
• Purnimanta window 2026: approx. 29 August - 26 September
• Amanta window 2026: approx. 12 September - 11 October
• Season: Late monsoon / early autumn (Varsha into Sharad)
• Headline festivals: Ganesh Chaturthi, Radha Ashtami, Anant Chaturdashi, Bhadrapada Purnima
• Pitru Paksha begins: 26 / 27 September 2026 (by tradition)
• Always confirm via: your local panchang, because tithi start/end times decide each date

Bhadrapada Masam 2026 in both reckonings

Hindu lunar months are reckoned two ways. In the Purnimanta system, a month ends on the full moon (Purnima) and the next begins the day after; the month is named after the star near which the full moon falls. In the Amanta system, a month ends on the new moon (Amavasya). Because the full moon falls roughly in the middle of an Amanta month, the two systems name the same fortnight differently, and their Bhadrapada windows are offset by about a fortnight.

Neither system is more "correct" than the other; they are two valid regional conventions of equal antiquity. What matters is consistency: follow the one your family and your local temple use. For a fuller treatment of why the fortnights carry different month-names, read our Amanta vs Purnimanta explained guide, and diaspora readers deciding which to keep abroad can see which panchang NRIs should follow.

Why Janmashtami sits in different months

A neat illustration: Krishna Janmashtami in 2026 falls on 4 September. Under the Purnimanta reckoning that day is in Bhadrapada (Bhadrapada Krishna Ashtami), which is why North Indians say "Janmashtami is in Bhadon." Under the Amanta reckoning the same day is still in Shravana, so Telugu, Kannada and Marathi families place Janmashtami in Shravana Masam. Same festival, same date, two month-labels. This is the clearest everyday example of the two systems in action, and it is why our calendar states the tradition next to each entry.

Bhadrapada 2026 festival calendar

The table below lists the month's major observances. Dates are given by tithi and reflect the most widely followed panchang consensus; because a tithi can span parts of two English-calendar days, the exact observance day in your city can shift by one day. Always confirm with a local panchang before fixing travel, fasting, or muhurat plans.

Ganesh Chaturthi: Monday 14 September 2026

The peak of the month is Ganesh Chaturthi, falling on Monday 14 September 2026. Idols of Lord Ganesha are installed at home and in public pandals, worshipped for a fixed number of days, then given a ceremonial farewell. Because we maintain a dedicated cluster for this festival, we do not restate the muhurat and city-wise details here. See the full Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 date, muhurat and city-wise guide for the puja timing windows and regional customs.

Rishi Panchami and the Gauri days

The day after Ganesh Chaturthi, Rishi Panchami (15 Sep) honours the Sapta Rishi and is observed with a fast, mainly by women, as an act of purification and gratitude to the sages. Around the same window, Maharashtra and Karnataka welcome Jyeshtha and Kanishtha Gauri (Gauri Habba), inviting the goddess as a beloved daughter for a two- or three-day home stay alongside Ganesha. These are quiet, home-centred observances that complement the public exuberance of the pandals.

Radha Ashtami: Saturday 19 September 2026

Radha Ashtami, the appearance day of Shri Radha, falls on Saturday 19 September 2026 (Bhadrapada Shukla Ashtami by tithi). It is celebrated with special intensity in Barsana, Vrindavan and across Vaishnava sampradayas, with abhishekam, kirtan and midday darshan since Radha's appearance is traditionally observed near noon. Falling on a Saturday, it is especially convenient for working families and the diaspora in 2026. Many devotees keep a partial fast until the midday puja.

Vamana Jayanti and the Ekadashis

Vamana Jayanti, around 23 September 2026, marks the appearance of Vamana, the dwarf-Brahmin avatar of Vishnu who measured the universe in three steps. It is closely linked with Parivartini Ekadashi (also called Vamana or Parsva Ekadashi), the Shukla-paksha Ekadashi of the month, on which Vaishnavas fast and keep vigil. There is a second Ekadashi in the dark fortnight later in the cycle. For the year's full list of fast days with their two reckonings, see our Ekadashi dates guide linked below.

• Parivartini / Vamana Ekadashi - Shukla paksha, around 23 September 2026, a Vaishnava fasting day linked to the Vamana appearance.
• Indira Ekadashi - Krishna paksha, falling within the Pitru Paksha window, observed with fasting and offerings for ancestors.
• Both are observed by abstaining from grains; break the fast (parana) the next morning within the window your local panchang specifies.

Anant Chaturdashi and Ganesh Visarjan: Friday 25 September 2026

Anant Chaturdashi, on Friday 25 September 2026, is the day of Ananta-Padmanabha Vishnu worship, on which devotees tie the sacred anant sutra. It is also the concluding day of the ten-day Ganesh festival, when the large public and many home idols are taken in grand processions for immersion. Read the Anant Chaturdashi 2026 guide for the vrat method, and the Ganesh Visarjan 2026 dates and vidhi for immersion timing and eco-friendly guidance.

Bhadrapada Purnima and the start of Pitru Paksha

Bhadrapada Purnima, the full moon on Saturday 26 September 2026, closes the Purnimanta month. The very next day, or from the Purnima itself by some traditions, begins Pitru Paksha - the sixteen-day fortnight dedicated to shraddha and tarpana for departed ancestors, running roughly 26/27 September into mid-October 2026. During this period many families avoid new auspicious beginnings and focus on ancestral remembrance. See the Pitru Paksha 2026 pillar for the daily tithi-wise shraddha schedule.

Vrat and fasting overview for the month

Bhadrapada is a fasting-rich month. Alongside the festival fasts above, the recurring monthly vrats fall as usual, and observers should note the following pattern rather than fixed clock times, which vary by location.

1. Sankashti / Ganesh-linked chaturthi fasts frame the start of the festival cluster around Ganesh Chaturthi.
2. The two Ekadashis (Parivartini in the bright fortnight, Indira in the dark fortnight) are the principal grain-free fasts of the month.
3. Pradosh vrat (thirteenth tithi, evening worship of Shiva) occurs in each fortnight for Shaiva devotees.
4. Purnima (26 Sep) and the Pitru Paksha shraddha days call for satvik food, simplicity and, for many, abstention from onion, garlic and non-vegetarian food.
5. Break every fast (parana) only within the window your local panchang gives for that specific tithi.

Regional traditions

The same month is celebrated with strikingly different accents across regions, and each is equally valid. In Maharashtra, Bhadrapada is defined by the ten-day Ganeshotsav and Gauri arrival. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana it is Bhadrapada Masam of Vinayaka Chaviti and, in some communities, the season leading into Bathukamma. Karnataka blends Ganesha with Gauri Habba and Swarna Gauri Vrata. Gujarat marks the month with community Ganesh mandaps and the run-up to the autumn festival season. In North India the emphasis falls on Radha Ashtami in the Braj region and on the solemn opening of Pitru Paksha. Tamil communities observe Vinayaka Chaturthi and their own Purattasi-season devotions. None of these is a deviation; they are parallel living streams of the same lunar month.

Diaspora note: 2026's weekend advantage

For families abroad, two clusters of 2026 dates fall conveniently on or near a weekend. Radha Ashtami is a Saturday (19 September). The Anant Chaturdashi-Purnima-Pitru Paksha sequence runs Friday to Sunday (25-27 September), giving a rare three-day window for immersion, full-moon worship and beginning ancestral tarpana without taking leave. Ganesh Chaturthi itself is a Monday (14 September). If you are outside India, confirm the local sunrise-based tithi with a panchang set to your own city, since the tithi that decides each festival can begin a calendar day earlier or later than in India.

Related reading

• Bhadrapada Masam 2026 month pillar
• September 2026 Hindu festival calendar
• Amanta vs Purnimanta explained
• Which panchang should NRIs follow
• Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 date, muhurat, city-wise
• Anant Chaturdashi 2026
• Pitru Paksha 2026
• Ekadashi dates 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Bhadrapada Masam 2026 begin and end?

Under the Purnimanta reckoning followed in North India, Bhadrapada 2026 runs from about 29 August to 26 September. Under the Amanta reckoning of the South and West it runs from about 12 September to 11 October. Confirm the exact first day with your local panchang, because the tithi start time decides it.

Why do Purnimanta and Amanta give different Bhadrapada dates?

The Purnimanta month ends on the full moon and the Amanta month ends on the new moon. Since the full moon falls near the middle of an Amanta month, the same fortnight receives a different month-name in each system, offsetting the Bhadrapada windows by roughly a fortnight. Neither is more correct; follow the one your region and family keep.

Is Krishna Janmashtami in Bhadrapada or Shravana in 2026?

Both, depending on the reckoning. Janmashtami on 4 September 2026 falls in Bhadrapada under the Purnimanta system used in North India, and in Shravana under the Amanta system used in Andhra, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. It is the same festival on the same day, only the month-label differs.

When is Ganesh Chaturthi in Bhadrapada 2026?

Ganesh Chaturthi falls on Monday 14 September 2026, the Shukla Chaturthi of Bhadrapada. For puja muhurat windows and city-wise details, see our dedicated Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 guide, which we do not restate on this month pillar.

When is Radha Ashtami 2026?

Radha Ashtami falls on Saturday 19 September 2026, the Shukla Ashtami of Bhadrapada, marking the appearance of Shri Radha. It is traditionally worshipped near midday, and many devotees keep a partial fast until the noon puja. Confirm the exact tithi timing with a local panchang.

When is Anant Chaturdashi and Ganesh Visarjan 2026?

Anant Chaturdashi falls on Friday 25 September 2026, the concluding day of the ten-day Ganesh festival, when large idols are taken for immersion (visarjan). It is also the day of Ananta-Padmanabha Vishnu worship and the tying of the anant sutra.

When does Pitru Paksha begin in 2026?

Pitru Paksha, the sixteen-day fortnight of shraddha for ancestors, begins around 26 or 27 September 2026, just after Bhadrapada Purnima, and runs into mid-October. During it many families pause new auspicious beginnings and focus on ancestral tarpana. Check the tithi-wise schedule with your panchang.

Which fasts fall in Bhadrapada 2026?

The main fasts are the two Ekadashis (Parivartini in the bright fortnight around 23 September, Indira in the dark fortnight), the chaturthi fasts around Ganesh Chaturthi, Pradosh vrats each fortnight, and Purnima. The Pitru Paksha days call for satvik food. Break each fast only within the parana window your local panchang gives.