December 2026 Hindu Festivals in UAE: Dates and Tithi

Quick answer: the December 2026 Hindu festivals in the UAE follow the India dates below unless your temple says otherwise: Kalabhairav Jayanti on Tuesday 1 December, Utpanna Ekadashi on Friday 4 December, Masik (Karthika Masa) Shivaratri on Monday 7 December, Vivah Panchami on Monday 14 December, Subrahmanya Shashti on Tuesday 15 December, Dhanurmasam and Margazhi from Wednesday 16 December, Vaikuntha Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti on Sunday 20 December, Datta Jayanti on Wednesday 23 December and Mandala Pooja on Sunday 27 December. For the UAE, HinduTone's Drik-validated Karthika calculation confirms Kalabhairav Jayanti, Utpanna Ekadashi and Masik Shivaratri on the same days as India.

The Emirates are home to one of the largest Indian communities outside India: Malayali, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Punjabi and Sindhi families, many of whom have lived in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah for generations. December is the pleasant season in the Gulf, school winter breaks begin, and the month is full of devotional days that each community keeps in its own way.

For Malayali families it is the heart of the Sabarimala Mandalam season; for Telugu and Kannada families it is Margasira and Dhanurmasam; for Tamil families, Margazhi; for Gujarati and North Indian families, Gita Jayanti and Datta Jayanti. This calendar brings them together with Dubai's daily sunrise and tithi.

How these dates were made: India dates and the Observances column come from Drik Panchang's day panchang for Hyderabad. The Dubai columns (sunrise, and the tithi prevailing at local sunrise) were computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, which we validated against Drik Panchang. UAE dates for Kalabhairav Jayanti, Utpanna Ekadashi and Masik Shivaratri are from HinduTone's Karthika calculation for the UAE, which matched Drik Panchang's UAE data. For every other festival we give the India date: abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple.

December 2026 at a glance for the UAE

December 2026 opens in the final week of Karthika (amanta reckoning) and ends in the dark fortnight of Margashirsha. Karthika closes with the Amavasya on Tuesday 8 December; Margashirsha (Margasira) begins on Wednesday 9 December; Dhanurmasam starts with Dhanu Sankranti on Wednesday 16 December; and North Indian purnimanta calendars move into Pausha on Friday 25 December. The month's high point is Sunday 20 December, when Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Mokshada Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti coincide.

In Dubai, sunrise moves from 6:45 AM on Tue 1 Dec to 7:02 AM on Thu 31 Dec. On 1 day the tithi at Dubai's sunrise differs from Hyderabad's: Thu 24 Dec (Krishna Pratipada in Dubai, Shukla Purnima in Hyderabad). Dubai is ninety minutes behind India, so its calendar almost always agrees with India's; the one exception is 24 December, when the Purnima ends at 6:57 AM IST, after Hyderabad's sunrise but before Dubai's.

Because the UAE weekend has been Saturday and Sunday since 2022, Vaikuntha Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti on Sunday 20 December and Mandala Pooja on Sunday 27 December both fall on days off, which makes temple visits and family pujas easier to plan.

December 2026 Hindu calendar for the UAE: day by day

Each date links to that day's full panchang. The tithi and sunrise are for Dubai; the Observances column lists the festivals Drik Panchang gives for India on that date, so treat it as a guide and confirm local festival days with your temple.

Date	Weekday	Tithi at sunrise (Dubai)	Sunrise (Dubai)	Observances (India date)
Tue 1 Dec	Tuesday	Krishna Ashtami	6:45 AM	Kalabhairav Jayanti; Kalashtami; Masik Krishna Janmashtami
Wed 2 Dec	Wednesday	Krishna Navami	6:46 AM	—
Thu 3 Dec	Thursday	Krishna Dashami	6:47 AM	—
Fri 4 Dec	Friday	Krishna Ekadashi	6:47 AM	Utpanna Ekadashi
Sat 5 Dec	Saturday	Krishna Dwadashi	6:48 AM	Krishna Yogeshwara Dwadashi; Utpanna Ekadashi Parana
Sun 6 Dec	Sunday	Krishna Trayodashi	6:49 AM	Ravi Pradosh Vrat
Mon 7 Dec	Monday	Krishna Chaturdashi	6:50 AM	Bala Jayanti; Masik Shivaratri (Karthika Masa Shivaratri)
Tue 8 Dec	Tuesday	Krishna Amavasya	6:50 AM	Darsha Amavasya; Margashirsha Amavasya
Wed 9 Dec	Wednesday	Shukla Pratipada	6:51 AM	—
Thu 10 Dec	Thursday	Shukla Pratipada	6:52 AM	Chandra Darshana
Fri 11 Dec	Friday	Shukla Dwitiya	6:52 AM	—
Sat 12 Dec	Saturday	Shukla Tritiya	6:53 AM	—
Sun 13 Dec	Sunday	Shukla Chaturthi	6:53 AM	Vinayaka Chaturthi (Krichchhra Chaturthi)
Mon 14 Dec	Monday	Shukla Panchami	6:54 AM	Naga Panchami (Telugu); Vivah Panchami
Tue 15 Dec	Tuesday	Shukla Shashthi	6:55 AM	Champa Shashthi; Skanda Sashti; Subrahmanya Sashti
Wed 16 Dec	Wednesday	Shukla Saptami	6:55 AM	Dhanu Sankranti
Thu 17 Dec	Thursday	Shukla Ashtami	6:56 AM	Masik Durgashtami
Fri 18 Dec	Friday	Shukla Navami	6:56 AM	—
Sat 19 Dec	Saturday	Shukla Dashami	6:57 AM	—
Sun 20 Dec	Sunday	Shukla Ekadashi	6:57 AM	Gita Jayanti; Mokshada Ekadashi; Vaikuntha Ekadashi
Mon 21 Dec	Monday	Shukla Dwadashi	6:58 AM	Masik Karthigai; Matsya Dwadashi; Mokshada Ekadashi Parana; Soma Pradosh Vrat
Tue 22 Dec	Tuesday	Shukla Trayodashi	6:58 AM	Hanuman Jayanti (Karnataka)
Wed 23 Dec	Wednesday	Shukla Chaturdashi	6:59 AM	Dattatreya Jayanti; Margashirsha Purnima Vrat; Rohini Vrat
Thu 24 Dec	Thursday	Krishna Pratipada	6:59 AM	Annapurna Jayanti; Arudra Darshan; Bhairavi Jayanti; Margashirsha Purnima
Fri 25 Dec	Friday	Krishna Dwitiya	7:00 AM	Pausha begins (North Indian purnimanta)
Sat 26 Dec	Saturday	Krishna Tritiya	7:00 AM	Akhuratha Sankashti
Sun 27 Dec	Sunday	Krishna Chaturthi	7:01 AM	Mandala Pooja
Mon 28 Dec	Monday	Krishna Panchami	7:01 AM	—
Tue 29 Dec	Tuesday	Krishna Shashthi	7:01 AM	—
Wed 30 Dec	Wednesday	Krishna Saptami	7:02 AM	Kalashtami; Masik Krishna Janmashtami
Thu 31 Dec	Thursday	Krishna Ashtami	7:02 AM	—

Kalabhairav Jayanti: Tue 1 Dec

Kalabhairav Jayanti honours Kala Bhairava, the fierce form of Shiva who guards Kashi, on the Krishna Ashtami of Kartika. Drik Panchang lists it on Tuesday 1 December for India, together with Kalashtami. HinduTone's UAE calculation also gives Tuesday 1 December for Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the other emirates. Read our Kalabhairava Jayanti 2026 guide and the 1 December panchang.

The last week of Karthika: Utpanna Ekadashi, Pradosh and Shivaratri

Utpanna Ekadashi, remembered as the birth of the Ekadashi goddess who defeated the demon Mura, falls on Friday 4 December in India, with parana on Saturday 5 December. Ravi Pradosh follows on Sunday 6 December, and Masik Shivaratri on Monday 7 December coincides with the last Karthika Somavaram, which is why Telugu families call it Karthika Masa Shivaratri. For the UAE, the same calculation gives Utpanna Ekadashi on Friday 4 December and Masik Shivaratri with the last Karthika Somavaram on Monday 7 December, exactly as in India, and Karthika ends with the Amavasya of Tuesday 8 December. See Utpanna Ekadashi 2026 and Karthika Masa Shivaratri 2026.

Margashirsha begins: Amavasya, the new month and Margasira Thursdays

In the amanta calendar of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra, Margashirsha begins on Wednesday 9 December, the day after the Amavasya, and Chandra Darshana, the first sighting of the crescent moon, is on Thursday 10 December. Krishna names Margashirsha as the best of months in the Bhagavad Gita (10.35). Families who keep the Margasira Lakshmivara vratam worship Lakshmi on its Thursdays, which in December are Thu 10 Dec, Thu 17 Dec, Thu 24 Dec and Thu 31 Dec. Vinayaka Chaturthi follows on Sunday 13 December. Dubai's sunrise tithi matches Hyderabad's through this stretch, so a calendar printed in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana can be followed as it is. Our Margasira Masam 2026 guide has the vratam in full.

Vivah Panchami and Subrahmanya Shashti

Vivah Panchami on Monday 14 December celebrates the wedding of Rama and Sita and is kept with special devotion in Janakpur and Ayodhya; Telugu calendars mark Naga Panchami the same day. On Tuesday 15 December the Shukla Shashthi is Subrahmanya Shashti in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Champa Shashti for Khandoba devotees in Maharashtra and a monthly Skanda Sashti for Murugan devotees. Both are India dates; abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. Guides: Vivah Panchami 2026 and Subrahmanya Shashti 2026.

Dhanurmasam and Margazhi from Wed 16 Dec

Dhanu Sankranti on Wednesday 16 December opens Dhanurmasam, the solar month in which Vishnu temples hold pre-dawn worship and devotees sing Andal's Tiruppavai, one verse a day; for Tamil families it is the first day of Margazhi. Drik lists the Sankranti on this date for India, and we do not convert India's transit time to the UAE. Dubai's sunrise is close to 6:55 AM in mid-December, so families can recite the day's Tiruppavai verse before the school run. See Dhanurmasam 2026 and the Tiruppavai schedule and Margazhi 2026.

Vaikuntha Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti: Sun 20 Dec

Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi is Mokshada Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti, the day the Bhagavad Gita is remembered as spoken at Kurukshetra. Because it falls inside Dhanurmasam this year, South Indian Vishnu temples keep it as Vaikuntha (Mukkoti) Ekadashi and open the northern Vaikuntha Dwaram. In India it is Sunday 20 December, with parana on Monday 21 December, which is also Soma Pradosh. HinduTone's calculator shows Ekadashi prevailing at Dubai's sunrise on Sun 20 Dec too, but Vaishnava and Smarta rules can still separate the fast by a day, so abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. Read Vaikuntha Ekadashi in the UAE and Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 in India.

Hanuman Jayanti, Datta Jayanti and Margashirsha Purnima

Karnataka keeps Hanuman Jayanti (Hanumad Vratha) on Margashirsha Shukla Trayodashi, Tuesday 22 December. Datta Jayanti, the birth of Lord Dattatreya, is on Wednesday 23 December with the Purnima vrat, because the full-moon tithi begins during that day in India. Drik lists Margashirsha Purnima itself, Arudra Darshan (Nataraja's Thiruvathirai festival) and Annapurna Jayanti on Thursday 24 December; some calendars keep Annapurna Jayanti with Datta Jayanti on the 23rd. In Dubai, Chaturdashi prevails at sunrise on the 23rd and Krishna Pratipada at sunrise on the 24th. India dates; abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. Guides: Datta Jayanti 2026, Hanuman Jayanti in Karnataka and Annapurna Jayanti.

Year-end: Sankashti, Mandala Pooja and Kalashtami

North Indian purnimanta calendars begin Pausha on Friday 25 December. Akhuratha Sankashti Chaturthi, the Ganesha fast broken after moonrise, is on Saturday 26 December; Mandala Pooja at Sabarimala, which closes the 41-day Mandalam season, is on Sunday 27 December; and Kalashtami with Masik Krishna Janmashtami falls on Wednesday 30 December. India dates; abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. Many Malayali devotees in the Emirates who took the Ayyappa mala in Karthika complete their vratham around Mandala Pooja. Read Sabarimala Mandala Pooja 2026 and why Sankashti is broken at moonrise.

Keeping December in the UAE: community and temple notes

Temple life in the Emirates has grown fast. The Hindu temple in Jebel Ali, Dubai, opened in 2022, and the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi opened in 2024; both draw large crowds on major festival days. Expect queues on Vaikuntha Ekadashi and on the Sunday of Mandala Pooja, and check each temple's official channels for darshan timings and any registration rules.

Much of December worship still happens in apartments. Families gather for Lalitha Sahasranama or Vishnu Sahasranama recitation, Ayyappa bhajan groups meet in homes and community halls during the Mandalam weeks, and Telugu families keep the Margasira Thursday Lakshmi puja at home before work. A small lamp, a picture of the deity and a clean corner are enough; please follow your building's rules on open flames.

For a wider picture of Hindu life in the Emirates, see our Hindu temples and festivals in the UAE guide, and for the month that ends on 8 December, Karthika Masam 2026 in Dubai and the UAE.

December 2026 Hindu festivals in the UAE: frequently asked questions

What are the December 2026 Hindu festivals in the UAE?

Kalabhairav Jayanti (Tue 1 Dec), Utpanna Ekadashi (Fri 4 Dec), Masik Shivaratri and the last Karthika Somavaram (Mon 7 Dec), Vivah Panchami (Mon 14 Dec), Subrahmanya Shashti (Tue 15 Dec), Dhanurmasam from Wed 16 Dec, Vaikuntha Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti (Sun 20 Dec), Datta Jayanti (Wed 23 Dec) and Mandala Pooja (Sun 27 Dec). The first three are calculated for the UAE; the rest are India dates.

Are UAE festival dates the same as India's in December 2026?

Almost always. Dubai is only ninety minutes behind India, and its tithi at sunrise matches Hyderabad's on every December day except 24 December. Even so, a festival abroad may fall a day earlier or later, so check your local temple.

When is Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 in Dubai?

Sunday 20 December 2026 is the India date, and Ekadashi also prevails at Dubai's sunrise that day. Parana is on Monday 21 December after local sunrise; confirm the window with your temple or a Dubai panchang.

When is Masik Shivaratri in the UAE in December 2026?

Monday 7 December 2026, the same day as India and the last Somavaram of Karthika, according to HinduTone's UAE calculation.

Is 20 December 2026 a weekend in the UAE?

Yes. The UAE weekend has been Saturday and Sunday since 2022, and 20 December 2026 is a Sunday, so Vaikuntha Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti fall on a day off.

When is Mandala Pooja 2026 for Ayyappa devotees in the UAE?

Drik Panchang lists Mandala Pooja on Sunday 27 December 2026. Devotees in the UAE usually mark it with bhajans and puja at home or with their Ayyappa group; ask your group or temple about its plans.

Editor's note (9 October 2026)

Written on 9 October 2026. Daily India data and observances are from Drik Panchang (Hyderabad). Dubai sunrise and sunrise tithi were computed with HinduTone's calculator, validated against Drik Panchang (tithi at sunrise identical on every checked date, sunrise within about a minute). UAE dates for Kalabhairav Jayanti, Utpanna Ekadashi and Masik Shivaratri are from HinduTone's Karthika calculation for the UAE, which matched Drik Panchang's UAE data. India's tithi-ending times are never converted to the UAE time here. Panchang calculations abroad depend on the city and on each tradition's rules, so this page is a planning guide, not a ritual authority: confirm every festival day with your temple or priest. We will update this page if Drik Panchang revises any December 2026 date.