Quick answer: Sri Dattatreya Swami Mandiram at Mogalicherla (Mogilicherla), Lingasamudram mandal, Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, will hold a Sri Chandi Homam on Ashwayuja Pournami, Monday 26 October 2026. Devotees who wish to sit in the homam should reach the temple by 8:00 AM. Free anna prasadam will be served to all visitors at lunch and dinner. To take part, call 7207875712, 91828 82632 or 99089 73699.

Last updated: 19 October 2026

The temple announced the homam on Maha Navami, 19 October 2026, greeting devotees with "Om Sri Matre Namah, Jai Gurudeva Datta". The invitation describes the homam as a great yajna in which the Mother of the universe is worshipped in her form as Chandi, the Goddess who as Mahishasuramardini destroyed the forces of evil and protects her devotees with compassion. Devotees pray for the Mother's power, compassion and protection, and for the grace of the Datta Guru tradition.

Chandi Homam 2026 at a glance

  • Event: Sri Chandi Homam (శ్రీ చండీ హోమం)
  • Date: Monday 26 October 2026, Ashwayuja Masa Pournami
  • Venue: Sri Dattatreya Swami Mandiram, Mogalicherla village, Lingasamudram mandal, Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh 523114
  • Reporting time: Devotees taking part directly in the homam should reach the mandiram by 8:00 AM
  • Annadanam: Free anna prasadam for all devotees, at lunch and at dinner
  • Contacts for direct participation: 7207875712 / 91828 82632 / 99089 73699
  • Remote (paroksha) participation: Through the temple's online registration form (see below)

Why Ashwayuja Pournami, 26 October

Ashwayuja Pournami is the full moon of the lunar month of Ashwayuja (Ashwin), which follows Sharannavaratri and Vijayadashami. In 2026 the Purnima tithi begins at about 11:55 AM on Sunday 25 October and ends at about 9:41 AM on Monday 26 October (Hyderabad timings from Drik Panchang). Because the full moon tithi is current at sunrise on Monday, Telugu calendars and the temple keep Ashwayuja Pournami on 26 October.

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The moonlit night of Sharad Purnima, or Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, is observed the evening before, on Sunday 25 October, when the full moon tithi prevails at night. Both dates are correct for their own observances; see our Sharad Purnima 2026 guide for that festival.

What is the Chandi Homam?

According to Vedic, Puranic and Shakta traditions, the Sri Chandi Homam is among the most sacred fire offerings of Shakti worship. It invokes the grace of Sri Chandi Devi, the Mother of the world and Adi Parashakti. The homam recalls the glory of the Goddess as told in the Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati), the 700-verse text of the Markandeya Purana that narrates her victories over Madhu and Kaitabha, Mahishasura, and Shumbha and Nishumbha. In a full Chandi Homam the priests recite the Saptashati and offer oblations into the sacred fire with its verses.

In the words of the temple's invitation, devotees pray through the homam for the removal of evil forces, the protection of dharma, protection from dangers, courage of mind, peace, good fortune and the welfare of all people. These are prayers, made in faith; the temple does not present them as guaranteed results.

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Holding a Chandi Homam at a Datta kshetra joins two strands of devotion: the worship of the Divine Mother and the Guru tradition of Lord Dattatreya, whose followers greet each other with "Jai Gurudeva Datta". The Mahishasuramardini aspect of the Goddess is also celebrated in the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram.

How to take part in person

  • Call one of the temple's numbers before you travel: 7207875712, 91828 82632 or 99089 73699. Ask what you should bring and whether there is a seva amount for sitting in the homam.
  • Reach Sri Dattatreya Swami Mandiram, Mogalicherla, by 8:00 AM on Monday 26 October 2026.
  • Wear clean traditional clothes, and follow the instructions of the priests and temple volunteers at the homa kunda.
  • Stay for the purnahuti and aarti if you can, and take anna prasadam at the temple; it is served free at lunch and dinner.

Remote (paroksha) participation

Devotees in other towns or abroad can take part remotely. The temple's invitation gives an online form, chandioct.netlify.app, for paroksha participation, in which the devotee's name, family name, gotra and family members are included in the homam sankalpam. When HinduTone checked the form on 19 October 2026 it offered:

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  • gotra and names recited together with other devotees in the homam sankalpam (₹516);
  • participation with a ritvik (priest) at a separate homa kunda (₹5,116), which the form marked as full;
  • an optional donation towards annadanam, and an address field for prasadam sent by post.

Payment is by UPI to the temple's mobile number. Note: on 19 October the form's heading still showed an earlier homam (Shravana Purnima, 28 August 2026). Before paying, call 99089 73699 or one of the other numbers to confirm the form is open for the 26 October homam and that the amounts are current. HinduTone does not collect any payment or registration.

About Sri Dattatreya Swami Mandiram, Mogalicherla

The mandiram at Mogalicherla stands at the brindavanam of Avadhuta Sri Dattatreya Swami. According to the temple, he was a young sadhaka who wandered as a digambara avadhuta, performed intense tapas and attained siddhi at this spot through kapalamoksham. The temple is a well-known Datta kshetra in Prakasam district. On Mahashivaratri its managers expect tens of thousands of devotees for darshan of the brindavanam, with special RTC buses and anna prasadam for thousands. Annadanam, run with devotees' help, is a central part of the temple's service.

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Read more on HinduTone's Telugu site: the kapalamoksham of Sri Dattatreya Swami, Mahashivaratri 2026 at Mogalicherla, Ardha Mandala Datta Deeksha 2026 and devotees' experiences at Mogalicherla. For the wider Datta tradition, see Datta Jayanti 2026.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Chandi Homam at Mogalicherla in 2026?

On Monday 26 October 2026, Ashwayuja Pournami, at Sri Dattatreya Swami Mandiram, Mogalicherla. Devotees taking part in person should reach the temple by 8:00 AM.

How can I take part in the homam?

To take part in person, call the temple on 7207875712, 91828 82632 or 99089 73699. Devotees who cannot travel can register for remote (paroksha) participation, in which their names and gotra are included in the sankalpam, through the temple's online form; confirm with the temple by phone before paying.

Is food provided at the temple?

Yes. The temple says free anna prasadam will be served to all devotees who visit, at lunch and at dinner, on the day of the homam.

Why is the homam on 26 October when Sharad Purnima is 25 October?

The Purnima tithi runs from about 11:55 AM on Sunday 25 October to about 9:41 AM on Monday 26 October (Hyderabad timings, Drik Panchang). The moonlit Kojagari or Sharad Purnima night is observed on 25 October, while Telugu calendars mark Ashwayuja Pournami on 26 October, the day the full moon tithi is current at sunrise.

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Where is Mogalicherla?

Mogalicherla (also written Mogilicherla or Moghalicherla) is a village in Lingasamudram mandal of Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, PIN 523114. The temple gives its postal route as via Kandukur.

Is this the same as Sri Dattatreya Swami's Brindavanam?

Yes. The mandiram at Mogalicherla stands at the brindavanam of Avadhuta Sri Dattatreya Swami, a digambara avadhuta who, according to the temple, attained siddhi there through kapalamoksham. It draws large crowds on Mahashivaratri and Datta festivals.

Editor's note (19 October 2026)

This page is based on the invitation issued by Sri Dattatreya Swami Mandiram, Mogalicherla, on 19 October 2026 and shared with HinduTone. The Pournami timings are from Drik Panchang for Hyderabad; local timings in Prakasam district differ by a few minutes. The details of the remote-participation form are as HinduTone saw them on 19 October 2026. Event details can change, so confirm with the temple on the numbers above before travelling or paying. HinduTone is not the organiser.