Quick answer: Two December festivals move by a day outside India in 2026. Kalabhairav Jayanti is on Monday 30 November in both London and the US East, against Tuesday 1 December in India. Vivah Panchami is on Sunday 13 December in the US East, against Monday 14 December in London and India. Utpanna Ekadashi is Friday 4 December in both London and the US East, but the parana (fast-breaking) times differ: Saturday 5 December, 7.49 to 9.26am in London and 7.06 to 8.59am in Edison, New Jersey. Arudra Darshan is Thursday 24 December in both places. All values are from Drik Panchang's city pages.

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Last updated: 5 November 2026.

Hindu festivals follow the tithi (lunar day) and nakshatra (lunar mansion). Both are worked out from the moment of local sunrise, or local night, in your own city. When the clock moves, a festival can move with it. This page covers four festivals that have no separate abroad page on HinduTone, using Drik Panchang's values for New Delhi, London, Edison NJ and New York City.

India vs London vs US East: the 2026 table

Edison and New York City share every date below; where the clock times differ by a minute, both are given.

Festival

India (New Delhi)

London

US East (Edison NJ = New York City)

Kalabhairav Jayanti

Tue 1 Dec

Mon 30 Nov

Mon 30 Nov

Utpanna Ekadashi

Not checked here: see the India guide

Fri 4 Dec (Smarta and Vaishnava same day). Ekadashi 5.33pm 3 Dec to 6.14pm 4 Dec GMT. Parana Sat 5 Dec, 7.49 to 9.26am

Fri 4 Dec (Smarta and Vaishnava same day). Ekadashi 12.33pm 3 Dec to 1.14pm 4 Dec EST. Parana Sat 5 Dec, 7.06 to 8.59am Edison (7.05 to 8.57am NYC)

Vivah Panchami

Mon 14 Dec

Mon 14 Dec

Sun 13 Dec

Arudra Darshan

Not checked here: see the India guide

Thu 24 Dec. Thiruvathirai 11.23pm 23 Dec to 8.17pm 24 Dec GMT

Thu 24 Dec. Thiruvathirai 6.23pm 23 Dec to 3.17pm 24 Dec EST

Bold marks a date that differs from India. We have not printed New Delhi values for Utpanna Ekadashi or Arudra Darshan because they were not part of this check. Use the linked India guides for those.

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Why the dates move: one moment, different clocks

A tithi begins and ends at a single instant, the same everywhere on Earth. Look at Utpanna Ekadashi: Drik's London page says the Ekadashi tithi begins at 5.33pm GMT on 3 December. Its Edison page says 12.33pm EST on 3 December. That is the same moment, read on clocks five hours apart. The Thiruvathirai nakshatra for Arudra Darshan works the same way: 11.23pm in London and 6.23pm in New York on 23 December are one instant.

What changes is where that instant falls against the local day. Most observances are fixed by the tithi current at local sunrise, or by the tithi current at the time the rite is performed. New York's sunrise in December comes during India's evening. So a tithi that begins in India's evening is already running at sunrise in New York that same morning. New York can then observe it on that date, while India first meets the tithi at its next sunrise, a day later. New York's clock runs 10.5 hours behind New Delhi in December and London's runs 5.5 hours behind, so the cut-off falls differently in each city.

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  • Kalabhairav Jayanti moves to Monday 30 November in both London and New York, so the UK and the US East observe it a day before India.
  • Vivah Panchami stays on Monday 14 December in London, the same day as India, but moves to Sunday 13 December in New York, five hours further west.
  • Utpanna Ekadashi keeps one date, Friday 4 December, in London and the US East, and Drik gives one date for Smarta and Vaishnava alike. The parana window still differs, because it depends on local sunrise and on when Dwadashi ends.
  • Arudra Darshan keeps Thursday 24 December in both, though the nakshatra window falls at different hours.
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What temples abroad are publishing

Official temple calendars show the same pattern, and also show that some temples follow India's dates:

  • Utpanna Ekadashi, 4 December. Bhaktivedanta Manor's Vaishnava calendar (Watford), Shree Ghanapathy Temple (Wimbledon, "Ekathasi") and the Hindu Center in Flushing, New York, all list Friday 4 December.
  • Arudra Darshan, 24 December. Sri Venkateswara Temple in Bridgewater, New Jersey, lists Ardrotsavam, and Ganesh Temple in Flushing lists Ardra Darsanam, both on Thursday 24 December.
  • Vivah Panchami. The Hindu Center in Flushing lists the SitaRam Wedding Anniversary (Ram Janaki Vivahotsav) on Monday 14 December. That is the India date, not Drik's New York date of 13 December. Its calendar also follows India for Annakut (10 November) and Bhai Dooj (11 November).
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So a New York family may see Vivah Panchami on 13 December in a panchang app and on 14 December at their temple. Neither is a misprint: one follows local sunrise, and the other follows the Indian reference calendar.

Canada and other cities

We have not validated Toronto or other Canadian values for these four festivals, so we do not give Canadian dates here. Canada's Eastern cities share New York's time zone, but sunrise times differ with latitude, so check your city on a city-specific panchang. Then confirm with your temple. See our Hindu temples in Toronto and the GTA guide and December 2026 Hindu festivals in Canada.

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Practical tips for NRI families

  • Set your panchang to your city, not to India. Most date mix-ups come from a phone app or printed calendar set to an Indian city.
  • Pick one reference and stay with it. If your temple follows the Indian dates, as the Hindu Center does for Vivah Panchami, keep to the temple. If you observe at home, use your local panchang.
  • Kalabhairav Jayanti on 30 November falls on a Monday in London and New York, which is also the last Karthika Somavaram of November for many South Indian families. Plan both observances together.
  • For Utpanna Ekadashi, break the fast on Saturday 5 December within your city's window: 7.49 to 9.26am in London and 7.06 to 8.59am in Edison (7.05 to 8.57am in New York City).
  • Arudra Darshan on 24 December is Christmas Eve. Temple programmes may shift to fit holiday hours, so check your temple's page that week.
  • Relatives in India will usually be a day later for Kalabhairav Jayanti, and for Vivah Panchami if you are in the US East. Send greetings on your own date, not theirs.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is Kalabhairav Jayanti 2026 in the UK and USA?

Monday 30 November 2026 in both London and the US East (Edison and New York City), according to Drik Panchang. India (New Delhi) observes it on Tuesday 1 December.

When is Vivah Panchami 2026 in the USA?

Sunday 13 December 2026 in Edison and New York City, according to Drik Panchang, a day before India and London (Monday 14 December). Some US temples follow the India date: the Hindu Center in Flushing lists the Ram Janaki Vivahotsav on 14 December.

When is Vivah Panchami 2026 in the UK?

Monday 14 December 2026, the same day as India, according to Drik Panchang's London calendar.

When should I break the Utpanna Ekadashi fast in 2026?

On Saturday 5 December 2026. Drik gives 7.49 to 9.26am in London, 7.06 to 8.59am in Edison NJ and 7.05 to 8.57am in New York City. The fast itself is on Friday 4 December for both Smarta and Vaishnava observers in these cities.

When is Arudra Darshan 2026 abroad?

Thursday 24 December 2026 in London and the US East. The Thiruvathirai nakshatra runs from 11.23pm on 23 December to 8.17pm on 24 December in London. In the US East it runs from 6.23pm on 23 December to 3.17pm on 24 December (EST).

Why is a festival a day earlier in America than in India?

Because the tithi or nakshatra is a single astronomical moment, but each city judges it against its own sunrise or local day. New York's clock is 10.5 hours behind New Delhi's in December, so New York's sunrise comes during India's evening. A tithi that begins in India's evening is already running at sunrise in New York that morning, while India first meets it at its next sunrise, a day later.

What about Canada?

We have not validated Toronto values for these festivals, so check your city on a city-specific panchang and confirm with your temple.