Karthika Deepam Rituals: Complete Guide for Hindus in USA (2026)

Quick answer: In 2026, Karthika Pournami, the full moon on which Telugu families celebrate the great Karthika Deepam, falls on Tuesday 24 November 2026 in the USA. It sits inside Karthika Masam (10 November to 8 December 2026), whose Monday fasts fall on 16, 23 and 30 November and 7 December. Tamil Karthigai Deepam follows the Krittika nakshatra in the solar month of Karthigai and may fall on a different day, so confirm its date with your temple. Because 2026 has an extra lunar month, the season is about three weeks later than last year.

What is Karthika Deepam?

Karthika Deepam, known in Tamil as Karthigai Deepam, is a festival of lamps in honour of Lord Shiva. It recalls the legend in which Shiva appeared as an endless pillar of fire to end a dispute between Brahma and Vishnu, a moment celebrated at Tiruvannamalai with a huge flame lit on top of the Arunachala hill. In Telugu homes the lamps of the whole Karthika month reach their peak on Karthika Pournami, when families light 365 wicks, one for every day of the year.

The lamp represents:

• Dispelling darkness, ignorance and negativity
• Invoking the blessings of Lord Shiva
• Spiritual awakening and inner clarity
• Prosperity and well-being for the family

Karthika Deepam 2026: dates for US families

Karthika Pournami falls on a Tuesday this year, so most families will perform the main puja in the evening after work and school. Some temples may hold community deepotsavam on a nearby weekend; check your temple's schedule. More in our Karthika Pournami 2026 guide.

Light the main lamp after your local sunset. Sunset in November comes very early across the US, so you will have plenty of evening for the puja. Do not use a muhurat calculated for India and converted to Eastern or Pacific time; use a panchang set to your city.

Puja samagri (items needed)

Essential items

• Clay or brass diyas (oil lamps)
• Sesame (gingelly) oil or ghee
• Cotton wicks, ideally hand-rolled
• White, yellow or red flowers
• Incense sticks and camphor
• Kumkum, turmeric and sandalwood paste
• Fruits such as bananas, apples and oranges
• Betel leaves, betel nuts and a coconut

Optional items

• Panchamrit (milk, yogurt, ghee, honey and sugar) for abhishekam
• Vibhuti (sacred ash) and bilva leaves
• A bell and a conch

Indian grocery stores across the US carry most of these, and temple shops are a good way to support your local mandir.

Karthika Deepam puja vidhi (step by step)

Morning preparation

• Clean the house, especially the puja room
• Take a ritual bath
• Set up the altar with a clean cloth and a Shiva linga or picture of Lord Shiva

Evening puja after sunset

• Sankalpa:
• take a little water in your right hand and state your intention to perform the puja for the well-being of your family
• Ganesha first:
• light a lamp before Lord Ganesha, offer flowers and kumkum and chant "Om Gam Ganapataye Namah"
• Kalasha (optional):
• place a copper or brass pot of water topped with mango leaves and a coconut
• Shiva puja:
• apply sandalwood and kumkum to the linga or picture, offer bilva leaves or flowers, fruit, coconut and betel leaves, light incense and, for an elaborate puja, perform abhishekam with water, milk and honey
• Main deepam:
• fill the main lamp with sesame oil or ghee, use an odd number of wicks (1, 3, 5 or 7), light it facing east or north and place it in a prominent spot, then light lamps through the house
• Aarti:
• wave camphor while ringing the bell, then circumambulate or bow in reverence
• Prasadam:
• offer the food to the deity and share it with the family

Mantras for Karthika Deepam

Shiva Panchakshari: "Om Namah Shivaya" — chant throughout the puja.

Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra: "Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam, Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Mamritat" — traditionally chanted 108 times for health and liberation.

Deepa mantra (while lighting the lamp): "Shubham Karoti Kalyanam Arogyam Dhana Sampadah, Shatru Buddhi Vinashaya Deepa Jyotir Namostute."

Ganesha mantra: "Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha, Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva Karyeshu Sarvada."

Fasting (vratam) guidance

• Full fast: some devotees take no food until the evening puja
• Partial fast: fruit, milk and light sattvic food
• Avoid onion, garlic, non-vegetarian food and alcohol
• The fast runs from sunrise until the puja is complete

For working professionals, a fruit-and-nut day with a sattvic dinner after the puja is a perfectly sincere observance. Anyone with diabetes or other health conditions, and pregnant or nursing mothers, should not fast strictly.

Lighting arrangements in an American home

• Main lamp:
• a large brass or clay lamp with five or seven wicks in the puja room
• Entrance:
• lamps on either side of the front door
• Windows:
• small diyas on windowsills, safely away from curtains and blinds
• Porch or balcony:
• lamps outdoors where permitted and sheltered from wind
• Number of lamps:
• traditionally 14, 21, 28 or even 365 wicks; adjust to your space and safety rules

Safety

• Keep oil lamps on metal plates or trays
• Never leave a burning lamp unattended
• Use LED lamps in apartments with strict fire rules or sensitive smoke detectors
• Ventilate the room and keep a fire extinguisher handy
• Let children light lamps only under supervision

Naivedyam (food offerings)

• Sweet pongal with rice, jaggery and ghee
• Appam and adhirasam
• Sundal made from chickpeas or lentils
• Coconut rice
• Payasam (kheer)
• Fresh fruit

Short on time? Store-bought Indian sweets, seasonal fruit and dry fruits offered with devotion are entirely acceptable.

Joining temple celebrations

Many US temples hold Karthika Deepam or Karthika Pournami celebrations. Long-established temples that observe South Indian festivals include the Hindu Temple of Atlanta, Sri Venkateswara Temple in Pittsburgh, the Hindu Temple Society of North America (Ganesha Temple) in Flushing, New York, and Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearland, Texas. Check your nearest temple's website or newsletter for its 2026 schedule and any registration for special pujas.

Observing the whole of Karthika Masam

• Light a lamp morning and evening every day of the month
• Visit a Shiva temple or do abhishekam at home on the four Mondays (see our
• Karthika Somavaram 2026 guide
• )
• Read the Shiva Purana or other scriptures
• Keep a vegetarian diet and practise meditation

Our Karthika Masam 2026 guide covers the full month.

Important don'ts

• Once the first lamp is lit, light the others from it rather than striking new matches
• Avoid arguments and negative speech on the day
• Avoid non-vegetarian food, alcohol and intoxicants
• Try to keep the main lamp burning for at least three hours, safely supervised

Eco-friendly and virtual options

• Use clay lamps and natural cotton wicks rather than plastic
• Choose sesame oil or ghee; never kerosene
• Use fresh flowers and dispose of puja materials responsibly
• If you are travelling, watch a temple livestream, chant the mantras and light at least one lamp wherever you are

The true meaning of Karthika Deepam lies not in the number of lamps but in the devotion with which you light them. May Lord Shiva bless your family with health, prosperity and inner light.

Frequently asked questions

When is Karthika Deepam 2026 in the USA?

For Telugu families, the great lamp festival is Karthika Pournami, Tuesday 24 November 2026. Tamil Karthigai Deepam is fixed by the Krittika nakshatra in the Tamil solar month of Karthigai and can fall on a different day, so check your temple's 2026 calendar.

What time should I light the Karthika Deepam?

Light the main lamp after local sunset in your own city. Do not convert an Indian muhurat to US time; use a panchang set to your city or follow your temple's guidance.

Can I use ghee instead of sesame oil?

Yes. Both sesame (gingelly) oil and ghee are traditional and auspicious for Karthika lamps.

What if my apartment does not allow open flames?

Use LED or electric diyas. The devotion with which you offer the light matters far more than the type of lamp.

Is fasting compulsory on Karthika Deepam?

No. Fasting is optional. Many devotees fast until the evening puja; others eat fruit, milk and light sattvic food. Children, elders and anyone with a health condition should not undertake a strict fast.

Editor's note (4 October 2026)

This guide has been fully revised for 2026. Dates follow Drik Panchang for the USA. We have removed the fixed time-zone puja windows from the previous edition; please light the lamp after your local sunset and confirm the Tamil Karthigai Deepam date and temple programmes with your local mandir.

Related guides

• Karthika Pournami 2026
• Karthika Masam 2026
• Karthika Somavaram 2026
• Tulsi Vivah 2026
• November 2026 Hindu festival calendar