Datta Jayanti 2026: Date (23 December), Lord Dattatreya, Datta Kshetras and Guru Charitra Parayana

Quick answer: Datta Jayanti 2026 falls on Wednesday 23 December 2026 in India, on Margashirsha Purnima, the full moon of the month of Margashirsha. It celebrates the appearance of Lord Dattatreya, who is worshipped as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in one form. Devotees fast, read the Guru Charitra or Datta Bavani, and visit Datta temples such as Ganagapur, Narsobawadi and Pithapuram.

This guide has been restored at its original hindutone.com address. The date below is calculated by the HinduTone ephemeris calculator for New Delhi. We checked our calculator against Drik Panchang, and it matched within one to two minutes. Please confirm the date for your city on Drik Panchang.

Datta Jayanti 2026 date and tithi

The date is calculated and should be confirmed on Drik Panchang. We do not give muhurat or tithi clock times on this page. Outside India the date can differ by a day, so check Drik Panchang for your own city.

Who is Lord Dattatreya?

Dattatreya is honoured as the Trimurti in a single form: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the protector and Shiva the transformer. He is usually shown with three heads and six arms. His hands hold symbols of the three gods, such as a water pot and rosary, a conch and discus, and a trident and drum. A cow stands behind him and four dogs sit at his feet. Many explain the cow as Mother Earth or dharma, and the four dogs as the four Vedas. He often stands under an audumbar (cluster fig) tree, which is sacred to Datta devotees.

Dattatreya is called the Adi Guru, the first and supreme teacher. Followers of the Nath, Mahanubhava and many Datta sampradayas honour him. He is also linked with the Avadhuta Gita and with the teaching of the 24 gurus, told in the Bhagavata Purana. In that teaching, an avadhuta explains to King Yadu that he learned lessons from nature, such as the earth, the wind, the sea, the bee and the child.

The story of Dattatreya's birth

As commonly told, the sage Atri and his wife Anasuya lived a life of great purity and devotion. Anasuya was famed for her faithfulness and virtue. The three goddesses, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati, wished to test her, and asked their husbands Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to do so.

The three gods came to her hermitage as wandering monks and asked for food, with a difficult condition. By the power of her purity, Anasuya turned them into infants and fed and cared for them as a mother. The goddesses then came and asked her to return their husbands. Pleased with her devotion, the three gods granted her a boon, and they were born as her son. The name Datta means 'given', and Atreya means 'son of Atri'. Different texts tell this story in different ways.

Great Datta kshetras

Datta devotion is especially strong in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat and Goa. Four well-known places of pilgrimage are linked with the Guru Charitra tradition:

• Pithapuram (Andhra Pradesh): Near Kakinada in the Godavari region. It is honoured as the birthplace of Sripada Srivallabha, revered as the first incarnation of Dattatreya in the Kali Yuga.
• Ganagapur (Karnataka): In Kalaburagi district, near the meeting of the Bhima and Amarja rivers. Sri Narasimha Saraswati, revered as the second incarnation, is believed to have lived here for many years. His padukas (sacred sandals) are worshipped here.
• Narsobawadi (Maharashtra): Also called Narsinhwadi, in Kolhapur district, at the meeting of the Krishna and Panchganga rivers. Sri Narasimha Saraswati is believed to have stayed here, and his padukas are worshipped.
• Audumbar (Maharashtra): On the banks of the Krishna river in Sangli district. It is linked with a stay of Sri Narasimha Saraswati and is named after the sacred audumbar tree.

Datta Jayanti is a major festival at these places, with palkhi (palanquin) processions, bhajans, readings and annadanam in many temples. We do not list event times or programmes. Check each temple's official website for current timings and festival details.

Guru Charitra and Datta Bavani parayana

Shri Guru Charitra: This Marathi text, composed by Saraswati Gangadhar, tells the lives and teachings of Sripada Srivallabha and Sri Narasimha Saraswati. Many devotees read it as a saptaha (seven-day reading) in the week before Datta Jayanti, so that they finish on the festival day. Families follow their own rules for the reading, such as eating simple food and keeping a regular daily time.

Datta Bavani: A Gujarati hymn of 52 verses by Shri Rang Avadhoot Maharaj. It is short enough to recite daily, and many Gujarati families recite it on Thursdays and on Datta Jayanti.

Other ways to read: Telugu devotees often read the Sripada Srivallabha Charitamrutam. Many people chant the simple name-chant 'Digambara Digambara Shripada Vallabha Digambara', or 'Shri Guru Dev Datta'. Use the text that your family or guru follows.

How to observe Datta Jayanti at home

1. Bathe early and clean the puja space. Place a picture of Lord Dattatreya, or the padukas if your family keeps them.
2. Light a lamp and incense. Offer flowers, tulsi or bilva leaves, akshata (rice) and water.
3. Offer a simple naivedyam such as a sweet made with milk or jaggery, and fruit.
4. Read a chapter of the Guru Charitra, recite Datta Bavani, or chant the Digambara name-chant.
5. Many devotees fast for the day or eat one simple meal. Fast only as your health allows.
6. In the evening, do aarti. In many temples the birth of Datta is celebrated in the evening with a cradle ceremony, and families may sing a cradle song at home.
7. Feed someone in need, or give food to a cow or to dogs, in memory of the animals shown with Dattatreya.

Datta Jayanti for NRI families

• Check your local date: Use Drik Panchang for your city. Do not convert India's times.
• Group parayana: Some Datta satsangs and temples abroad organise Guru Charitra readings. Check your local temple's own announcements.
• Thursday link: Thursday is the traditional day of the Guru. If your family keeps Thursday prayers, Datta Jayanti is a good time to start a regular practice.
• Teach children: Tell the story of Anasuya and the three gods, and the lessons of the 24 gurus from nature.

Frequently asked questions

When is Datta Jayanti 2026?

Datta Jayanti 2026 is on Wednesday 23 December 2026 in India, on Margashirsha Purnima. This date is calculated for New Delhi, so please confirm it for your city on Drik Panchang.

Who is Lord Dattatreya?

Lord Dattatreya is worshipped as the united form of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. As commonly told, he was born to the sage Atri and his wife Anasuya. He is honoured as the Adi Guru, the first teacher, and is usually shown with three heads and six arms, with a cow and four dogs.

What is Guru Charitra parayana?

It is the devotional reading of the Shri Guru Charitra, a Marathi text on the lives of Sripada Srivallabha and Sri Narasimha Saraswati, who are honoured as forms of Dattatreya. Many devotees read it over seven days, finishing on Datta Jayanti.

What is Datta Bavani?

Datta Bavani is a Gujarati hymn of 52 verses to Lord Dattatreya, composed by Shri Rang Avadhoot Maharaj. It is widely recited by Datta devotees, especially in Gujarat.

Which are the main Dattatreya temples?

Well-known Datta kshetras include Ganagapur in Karnataka, Narsobawadi and Audumbar in Maharashtra, and Pithapuram in Andhra Pradesh, the birthplace of Sripada Srivallabha. Check each temple's official website for current timings.

Is the date the same outside India?

Not always. Purnima timing depends on your location, so the date abroad can differ by a day. Check Drik Panchang for your own city.

Editor's note

Editor's note (6 October 2026): This guide has been restored at its original address after the earlier version was lost. The date is calculated by the HinduTone ephemeris calculator for New Delhi, which we checked against Drik Panchang to within one to two minutes. Please confirm the date for your city on Drik Panchang. We have not listed muhurat times, temple timings, event dates or programmes. Stories are presented as commonly told, and customs vary by region and sampradaya.

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