Karthika Masam Puja Samagri Checklist 2026: Complete Shopping List for Home and Apartment

Quick answer: For Karthika Masam 2026 you need a daily deepam kit (diyas, cotton wicks, sesame oil or ghee, a non-flammable tray), Shiva puja items for the Somavarams, extra wicks and diyas for Karthika Pournami, Tulasi puja basics, a Karthika Puranam text and a few picnic items for Vanabhojanam. Buy in the first week and keep a small reserve of wicks and oil.

Karthika Masam is the month of lamps. Families light a deepam every evening, keep the Somavaram vratam, worship Tulasi and gather for the Karthika Pournami lamps. This checklist puts every item in one place, grouped by occasion, so that you can shop once and not run out halfway through. It also covers what to do if you live in an apartment or abroad, where some items are harder to find. For the full festival overview, start with our Karthika Masam 2026 complete guide.

Karthika Masam 2026 Dates at a Glance

Plan your shopping around these dates. All are from our verified festival calendar; for every tithi day by day, see the Karthika Masam 2026 day-by-day calendar.

• Karthika Masam in India (amanta): Tuesday 10 November to Tuesday 8 December 2026.
• USA, UK and Canada: the month begins on Monday 9 November, which gives five Somavarams: 9, 16, 23 and 30 November and 7 December.
• Karthika Somavarams in India: 16, 23 and 30 November and 7 December.
• Devuthani (Prabodhini) Ekadashi: Friday 20 November.
• Tulsi Vivah: Saturday 21 November.
• Karthika Pournami / Karthigai Deepam: Tuesday 24 November in India.
• Karthika Amavasya (end of the month): Tuesday 8 December.

Living abroad? Local dates and times differ by city. Check our Karthika Masam 2026 USA city guide, the UK city-by-city dates and the Canada guide before you fix your puja days.

Daily Deepam Essentials (Karthika Deepam Items)

The evening lamp is the heart of the month, so this is the kit you will use most. Buy enough for about 30 evenings, plus a margin for Pournami.

• Diyas: two to four clay or brass diyas. Clay diyas are inexpensive and traditional; brass diyas are reusable and easier to clean.
• Cotton wicks (vattulu): a large pack of round (poo vatti) or long wicks. Wicks are the item families most often run out of.
• Oil or ghee: sesame oil or ghee, as your family prefers. One bottle of oil and one small tin of ghee usually covers the daily lamp; buy extra for Pournami.
• A non-flammable tray: a steel or brass plate under every lamp to catch drips and keep the flame off wood, cloth and paper.
• Matchbox or long lighter: a long lighter is safer for lamps at the back of a shelf or altar.
• Kumkum, turmeric and flowers: a small daily offering beside the lamp.

If you live in a flat or rented home, read our Karthika Deepam safety guide for apartments and abroad before you pick a spot for the lamp. A stable tray, distance from curtains and a working smoke alarm matter more than any single item on this list.

Karthika Somavaram Puja Items

Mondays in Karthika are dedicated to Lord Shiva. Many families keep a fast and perform a simple puja at home in the evening. Our guide to the Karthika Somavaram 2026 dates in India explains the vratam step by step; these are the items to keep ready.

• Shivalingam or picture of Lord Shiva: a small home lingam or a framed image on a clean cloth.
• Abhishekam items: clean water in a kalash or lota, and milk if your family offers it. Keep a bowl underneath to collect the water.
• Bilva (bel) leaves: traditional for Shiva puja. Fresh leaves may be hard to find abroad; ask at your local temple.
• Vibhuti (sacred ash) and sandalwood paste.
• White flowers, akshata (rice with turmeric) and a small bell.
• Naivedyam: fruit, a simple sweet or whatever your family offers.
• The daily deepam kit: lit as usual in the evening.

If you are fasting, plan your meals in advance. Our Karthika Somavaram upavasam rules explain full fasts, ekabhuktam, naktam and phalahara, so you know which fruits, milk or simple foods to keep in the kitchen before Monday arrives.

Karthika Pournami and 365-Wick Deepam Items

Karthika Pournami falls on Tuesday 24 November 2026 in India, the same day as Karthigai Deepam 2026. It is the brightest evening of the month, and many families light many more lamps than usual. Read the story and rituals in our Karthika Pournami 2026 guide.

Many Telugu households light the 365-wick deepam (365 vattula deepam) on this day. Our complete guide to the 365-wick deepam explains how it is prepared. For shopping, add the following:

• 365 wicks: ready-made bundles of 365 wicks are sold at many Indian stores, or you can twist your own from cotton in advance.
• A wide, deep lamp or plate: large enough to hold the wick bundle and plenty of ghee or oil.
• Extra ghee or oil: a 365-wick lamp uses far more than the daily diya.
• Extra small diyas: for the doorway, windows and puja area, as your home and building rules allow.
• A large metal tray and a sand or water container nearby: a big lamp needs a wide, non-flammable base.
• Flowers, fruit and naivedyam for the Pournami puja.

Tulasi Puja Items for Karthika Masam

Tulasi is worshipped throughout Karthika, and the month includes Devuthani Ekadashi on Friday 20 November and Tulsi Vivah on Saturday 21 November. For the daily method, see our Tulsi pooja vidhi at home.

• A healthy Tulasi plant: in a pot or a Tulasi kota (brindavanam). Abroad, keep it indoors near a bright window once nights turn cold.
• Water in a small vessel for daily offering.
• Turmeric, kumkum and flowers.
• A small diya: placed on a tray beside, not under, the plant.
• Naivedyam: fruit or a simple sweet.

For Tulsi Vivah, families add a small decorative cloth, bangles or a little decoration for the plant, and sweets. Our Tulsi Vivah 2026 guide has the full samagri and puja vidhi.

Karthika Puranam Reading

Reading the Karthika Puranam during the month is a long-standing practice in Telugu homes. Many families read one chapter a day, often after the evening lamp. You need very little:

• A Karthika Puranam text: a printed book from a temple shop or Indian bookshop, or a reliable digital edition.
• A clean cloth or book stand to keep the text off the floor.
• A quiet spot near the deepam: with good light so that nobody leans over the lamp to read.

Vanabhojanam Basics

Vanabhojanam (vana bhojanalu) is the Karthika custom of a shared meal outdoors, traditionally under an amla (usiri) tree. Our Karthika Vana Bhojanalu 2026 guide explains the tradition. For an outing, pack:

• Banana leaves or reusable plates, cups and serving spoons.
• Home-cooked food in sealed containers.
• A mat or sheet to sit on, drinking water and a bag for rubbish.
• A small puja kit: turmeric, kumkum, flowers and a few amla fruits if available.
• An LED diya: many parks do not allow open flames, so check the rules for the park or community hall first.

Puja Samagri for NRIs and Apartment Living: Smart Substitutions

Families in the USA, UK, Canada and elsewhere rarely find every item in one shop. These practical swaps keep the month simple:

• Where to shop: Indian grocery stores usually stock cotton wicks, ghee, sesame oil, kumkum, turmeric, camphor and clay diyas during the festival season. Temple shops and temple counters often sell Karthika Puranam books, wick bundles and puja kits.
• Buy early: stock thins out after Diwali and before Karthika Pournami. Buy wicks and ghee in the first week of the month.
• Bilva leaves: fresh leaves are rare abroad. Ask at your local temple, or offer flowers and water with the same devotion.
• Brass items: a clean steel plate, cup and spoon work perfectly well for daily puja.
• Banana leaves: some Indian and Asian grocery stores sell them frozen; otherwise use clean plates.
• Tulasi plant: some temples and Indian community groups share Tulasi plants; keep it indoors in cold climates.
• LED diyas: where your building, dormitory, hostel or lease does not allow open flames, battery LED diyas let you keep the evening lamp without breaking the rules.
• Small spaces: one well-placed diya on a metal tray is better than many lamps crowded on a narrow shelf.

Before lighting anything in a flat, read the lamp-placement and smoke-alarm advice in the safety guide linked above.

Karthika Masam Puja Samagri Checklist by Occasion

Use this grouped list as your shopping checklist. Tick off each group before the date it is needed.

Daily evening deepam (from 10 November in India, 9 November abroad)

• Two to four diyas (clay or brass)
• Large pack of cotton wicks
• Sesame oil and/or ghee
• Steel or brass tray for every lamp
• Matchbox or long lighter
• Kumkum, turmeric, flowers
• Cloth for wiping oil
• LED diya as a backup where flames are not allowed

Every Somavaram (Mondays)

• Shivalingam or picture of Lord Shiva
• Water kalash or lota, and milk if offered
• Bilva leaves (or flowers)
• Vibhuti and sandalwood paste
• White flowers and akshata
• Fruit and naivedyam
• Fasting foods planned in advance

Devuthani Ekadashi (20 November) and Tulsi Vivah (21 November)

• Healthy Tulasi plant
• Water vessel, turmeric, kumkum, flowers
• Small diya on a tray
• Decorative cloth and simple decorations for Tulsi Vivah
• Fruit and sweets

Karthika Pournami (24 November in India)

• 365-wick bundle (if lighting the 365 vattula deepam)
• Wide, deep lamp or plate
• Extra ghee or oil
• Extra small diyas for doorway and windows
• Large metal tray
• Flowers, fruit and naivedyam

Through the month

• Karthika Puranam text and a book stand
• Vanabhojanam picnic kit: plates, mat, water, rubbish bag, LED diya
• A reserve of wicks and oil for the last week before Karthika Amavasya (8 December)

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the basic Karthika deepam items I need every day?

A diya (clay or brass), cotton wicks, sesame oil or ghee, a matchbox or lighter, a non-flammable tray or plate under the lamp, and a little kumkum, turmeric and a flower. That small kit covers the daily evening lamp for the whole month.

Which oil is used for the Karthika deepam?

Families most often use sesame oil (nuvvula nune) or ghee. Some homes use other oils by family custom. Follow your own family or temple practice; there is no need to buy several oils.

What extra items do I need for Karthika Somavaram puja?

On top of the daily deepam kit, keep water or milk for abhishekam, bilva leaves if you can find them, vibhuti, white flowers, fruit and a simple naivedyam. If you fast, read the upavasam rules first so that you plan meals and fast-breaking in advance.

Can NRIs do Karthika puja without every traditional item?

Yes. Most families abroad adapt. Use what is available at Indian grocery stores or your local temple shop, and substitute where you must: a steel plate for a brass one, an LED diya where open flames are not allowed. Sincerity and regularity matter more than a perfect list.

When should I buy items for Karthika Pournami and the 365-wick deepam?

Buy them in the first week of the month. Karthika Pournami falls on Tuesday 24 November 2026 in India, and wicks, ghee and small diyas often sell out at Indian stores in the days before it.

Is a printed Karthika Puranam book necessary?

No. A printed book, a temple-published edition or a reliable digital text all work. What matters is reading regularly and calmly; many families read one chapter a day through the month.

Do I need anything special for Tulsi puja in Karthika Masam?

A healthy Tulsi plant, water, a small diya, turmeric, kumkum, flowers and a simple naivedyam. For Tulsi Vivah on Saturday 21 November, families add decorations, a small cloth and sweets; our Tulsi Vivah guide lists those items.

Your shopping is done. Return to the Karthika Masam 2026 guide for the meaning of each observance, and keep the day-by-day calendar handy through the month.