Quick answer: Datta Jayanti 2026 USA date: Wednesday 23 December 2026 in every city we checked, from New York and Atlanta to Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, the Bay Area and Seattle. It is the same day as India. The main puja is traditionally done in the evening, around local sunset.

Datta Jayanti, also called Dattatreya Jayanti, celebrates the appearance of Lord Dattatreya on Margashirsha Purnima, the full moon of the month of Margashirsha. The same full moon is Annapurna Jayanti, and in South India it is the full moon inside Dhanurmasam. For Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu and Kannada families in the USA it is a day of Guru Charitra reading, Datta bhajans and an evening lamp.

How these dates were made: the US dates below are computed with HinduTone's sunrise-tithi calculator (Drik Panchang method, validated to within 1–2 minutes), using the rule that Datta Jayanti is kept on the day Margashirsha Purnima prevails at local evening. Please confirm on Drik Panchang for your own city and follow your temple's calendar.

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Datta Jayanti 2026 date by US city

CityTime zoneDatta Jayanti 2026Same as India (Wed 23 Dec)?
New YorkEasternWed 23 Dec 2026Yes
Edison, NJEasternWed 23 Dec 2026Yes
Washington DCEasternWed 23 Dec 2026Yes
AtlantaEasternWed 23 Dec 2026Yes
ChicagoCentralWed 23 Dec 2026Yes
HoustonCentralWed 23 Dec 2026Yes
DallasCentralWed 23 Dec 2026Yes
PhoenixMountain (no DST)Wed 23 Dec 2026Yes
Los AngelesPacificWed 23 Dec 2026Yes
San Jose / Bay AreaPacificWed 23 Dec 2026Yes
SeattlePacificWed 23 Dec 2026Yes

If your city is not listed, check Drik Panchang for it. Across all four mainland time zones the answer is the same this year, but that is not true of every December festival, so it is always worth checking.

Why the date is the same in the USA and India

Datta Jayanti follows the Purnima tithi at evening, because Dattatreya is said to have appeared at dusk, as commonly told. In India, Purnima begins around 10:48 AM IST on Wednesday 23 December and lasts until early on 24 December (calculated), so it covers India's evening on 23 December.

The same full moon covers the evening of Wednesday 23 December in every US time zone in our calculation as well, so the American date matches India's. That is different from several other December days, such as Saphala Ekadashi (Saturday 2 January 2027 in the USA, Sunday 3 January in India), which move by one day. Never convert India's clock times to US time to plan your puja; use your own local evening.

Who is Lord Dattatreya?

As commonly told, Dattatreya was born to the sage Atri and his wife Anasuya, famed for her devotion and purity. Pleased by her virtue, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva came to her as one child, so Dattatreya is worshipped as the Trimurti in a single form. He is usually shown with three heads and six arms, standing beneath an audumbar (cluster fig) tree, with a cow behind him and four dogs at his feet. The cow is often read as the earth or dharma, and the dogs as the four Vedas.

Dattatreya is above all the Adi Guru, the first teacher. In the Bhagavata tradition, as commonly told, he learned from 24 gurus found in nature, including the earth, the sky, the bee and the river. Devotees regard Sripada Sri Vallabha and Sri Narasimha Saraswati as his later incarnations, and the Guru Charitra tells their stories. Datta worship is especially strong in Maharashtra, north Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, at Datta kshetras such as Ganagapur, Narsobawadi, Pithapuram and Girnar.

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For the full story and the major Datta kshetras in India, see Datta Jayanti 2026: Lord Dattatreya, Datta kshetras and Guru Charitra parayana.

How Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu and Kannada families observe it

  • Marathi families: Guru Charitra parayana is central. Many read the book over the days leading up to Datta Jayanti and finish on the day. Homes sing "Digambara Digambara Shripad Vallabh Digambara" and other Datta bhajans, and offer a simple evening puja with a lamp, flowers, tulasi and sweets.
  • Gujarati families: Datta bhajans and an evening aarti are common, and families with roots near Girnar remember the Datta shikhar there. Satsang groups often meet for group singing.
  • Telugu families: the day is kept as Datta Jayanti and Margasira Pournami. Families remember Pithapuram, the birthplace of Sripada Sri Vallabha as commonly told, read from the Sri Guru Charitra in Telugu and do an evening Datta puja at home.
  • Kannada families: families from north Karnataka keep a close link to Ganagapur, associated with Sri Narasimha Saraswati. Bhajans and Guru Charitra reading are typical, and many families share prasadam with friends.

A simple chant suitable for everyone is "Om Dram Dattatreyaya Namah", or simply "Sri Guru Datta". Children can learn the story of the 24 gurus and draw their own list of "teachers from nature".

A simple evening Datta Jayanti puja at home

  • 1. Prepare: clean the puja space and set a picture of Dattatreya on a cloth, with a ghee lamp, incense, flowers, tulasi or bilva, and a small plate of fruit and sweets.
  • 2. Begin at dusk: start around your local sunset on Wednesday 23 December. Check the time for your city; it is not India's sunset time.
  • 3. Invoke and offer: chant Ganesha's name first, then offer flowers and naivedyam to Dattatreya while chanting his name 11 or 108 times.
  • 4. Read: read a chapter of the Guru Charitra, or the birth story of Dattatreya, aloud for the family.
  • 5. Bhajans and aarti: sing a few Datta bhajans and close with an aarti. Many Marathi homes sing "Trigunatmaka Trimurti Datta ha jana".
  • 6. Annapurna offering: because it is also Annapurna Jayanti, offer freshly cooked food to the goddess before the family eats, and share some with neighbours or a food bank.

Many families also keep a light fast until the evening puja. Anyone who is pregnant, elderly, diabetic or on medication should choose a light fast or ask a doctor first.

Annapurna Jayanti and Margasira Pournami on the same day

Margashirsha Purnima is a full moon with several layers. It is Annapurna Jayanti, honouring Parvati as the goddess of food and nourishment. In the South Indian calendar it is Margasira Pournami, the last full moon of the lunar month of Margasira. It also falls inside Dhanurmasam, so many Vaishnava homes treat it as Dhanurmasa Pournami. For more on the Pournami vrat, see Margasira Pournami 2026: complete guide and Margashirsha Masam 2026 in the USA.

A Wednesday before Christmas: practical tips

  • Weekday timing: 23 December is a working Wednesday for many, just before Christmas Eve. Plan the puja for after work, or prepare the naivedyam the night before.
  • Winter break: many school districts are already on winter break by this date, so children can help prepare and join the evening bhajans.
  • Temples: some Hindu temples and Datta mandirs in the USA hold Datta Jayanti programmes. Plans vary every year, so check your temple's website or newsletter.
  • Travel: if you are flying to India for the holidays, the date is the same there, Wednesday 23 December, so no adjustment is needed.
  • Winter weather: in New York, Chicago, DC and Seattle, a late-evening drive in snow or rain may not be wise; a home puja is a complete observance. Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and Southern California are mild.
  • Lamps indoors: keep diyas on a metal plate, away from Christmas trees and curtains, and never leave a flame alone.

Three days before Datta Jayanti, Vaikuntha Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti fall on Sunday 20 December in most of the USA; see Gita Jayanti 2026 in the USA, city by city and the Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 guide for Hindus in the USA. For every December date, see December 2026 Hindu festivals in the USA.

Datta Jayanti 2026 USA: frequently asked questions

When is Datta Jayanti 2026 in New York?

Wednesday 23 December 2026. Margashirsha Purnima prevails at evening in New York that day, and Edison, Washington DC and Atlanta have the same date.

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When is Datta Jayanti 2026 in California?

Wednesday 23 December 2026 in Los Angeles and San Jose / Bay Area, as in the rest of the USA. Seattle also keeps Wednesday 23 December.

Is Datta Jayanti on the same day in the USA and India in 2026?

Yes. In India it is Wednesday 23 December 2026 (calculated), and every US city in our table also has Wednesday 23 December. Unlike some December festivals, there is no one-day shift this year.

What time should I do Datta Jayanti puja in the USA?

Traditionally the main puja is in the evening, around dusk, because Lord Dattatreya is said to have appeared at that time, as commonly told. Do the puja around your local sunset on Wednesday 23 December. Do not use India's clock times.

Is Annapurna Jayanti the same day as Datta Jayanti?

Yes. Margashirsha Purnima is also kept as Annapurna Jayanti, honouring the goddess of food. Many families offer freshly cooked food to Annapurna and share a meal on the same evening.

Can I read the Guru Charitra if I cannot finish it in seven days?

Yes. A full seven-day reading is the traditional ideal, but reading selected chapters, or one chapter a day in the week before, is a common choice for working families. Devotion matters more than speed.

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 US Datta Jayanti dates are computed with our sunrise-tithi calculator (Drik Panchang method, validated to 1–2 minutes), using Margashirsha Purnima at local evening. Please confirm on Drik Panchang for your city and follow your temple's calendar. We do not list temple events, darshan timings or programmes; check your temple directly. Legends are given as commonly told.