Karthika Pournami 2026 Purnima Time in India: Tithi Start and End, City-Wise Sunset and the Evening Lamp Window
Karthika Pournami 2026 falls on Tuesday 24 November in India. Purnima tithi begins at 11:42 PM IST on Monday 23 November and ends at 8:23 PM IST on Tuesday. Because sunset comes well before 8:23 PM in every Indian city, the evening lamps fall within Purnima. Here are city-wise sunset and sunrise times, the lamp window for 13 cities, and what else falls on the same day.
Karthika Pournami 2026 falls on Tuesday 24 November in India. Purnima tithi begins at 11:42 PM IST on Monday 23 November and ends at 8:23 PM IST on Tuesday.
Quick answer: Karthika Pournami 2026 is on Tuesday 24 November 2026 in India. Purnima tithi begins at 11:42 PM IST on Monday 23 November and ends at 8:23 PM IST on Tuesday 24 November. Sunset on 24 November ranges from 4:52 PM in Kolkata to 6:00 PM in Mumbai, so in every Indian city the evening deepam is lit while Purnima is still running.
This page is the India time guide. For the story, Jwala Thoranam and full rituals, see our main Karthika Pournami 2026 guide. Dates and tithi times are from Drik Panchang; city sunrise and sunset are in IST, approximate to plus or minus one minute, and local panchangams may differ slightly.
Karthika Pournami 2026: key times at a glance
| Item | Time (IST, all India) |
|---|---|
| Chaturdashi (Vaikuntha Chaturdashi) ends | 11:42 PM, Mon 23 Nov |
| Purnima tithi begins | 11:42 PM, Mon 23 Nov |
| Purnima tithi ends | 8:23 PM, Tue 24 Nov |
| Krittika nakshatra ends | 11:25 PM, Tue 24 Nov |
| Krishna Pratipada ends | 4:50 PM, Wed 25 Nov |
Tithi and nakshatra end times are single moments in time, so they are the same in Hyderabad, Chennai or Delhi. Only sunrise and sunset change from city to city.
City-wise sunset and the evening lamp window on 24 November
The Karthika Pournami lamps, the 365-wick lamp, the Jwala Thoranam and temple deepotsavams all happen after sunset. The table shows sunset in each city and how long Purnima continues after it.
| City | Sunset, Tue 24 Nov | Purnima continues until | Window after sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyderabad | 5:40 PM | 8:23 PM | about 2 h 43 min |
| Vijayawada | 5:33 PM | 8:23 PM | about 2 h 50 min |
| Visakhapatnam | 5:21 PM | 8:23 PM | about 3 h 2 min |
| Tirupati | 5:42 PM | 8:23 PM | about 2 h 41 min |
| Warangal | 5:35 PM | 8:23 PM | about 2 h 48 min |
| Rajahmundry | 5:28 PM | 8:23 PM | about 2 h 55 min |
| Srisailam | 5:41 PM | 8:23 PM | about 2 h 42 min |
| Bengaluru | 5:51 PM | 8:23 PM | about 2 h 32 min |
| Chennai | 5:40 PM | 8:23 PM | about 2 h 43 min |
| Mumbai | 6:00 PM | 8:23 PM | about 2 h 23 min |
| New Delhi | 5:25 PM | 8:23 PM | about 2 h 58 min |
| Kolkata | 4:52 PM | 8:23 PM | about 3 h 31 min |
| Varanasi | 5:09 PM | 8:23 PM | about 3 h 14 min |
In practice, even a family that gets home from work at 7 PM in Bengaluru or Hyderabad still has well over an hour to light lamps within Purnima. If you want to finish the main lamp-lighting with time to spare, aim to complete it by about 8 PM. Lamps lit after 8:23 PM are still Karthika lamps and still meaningful; the tithi simply moves on to Pratipada.
Sunrise for the Pournami snanam
The holy bath on Karthika Pournami is traditionally taken before sunrise, and Purnima is already running from the previous midnight, so a pre-dawn bath on Tuesday is fully within Purnima. Sunrise on 24 November (IST):
| City | Sunrise | City | Sunrise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyderabad | 6:24 AM | Bengaluru | 6:21 AM |
| Vijayawada | 6:14 AM | Chennai | 6:10 AM |
| Visakhapatnam | 6:06 AM | Mumbai | 6:49 AM |
| Tirupati | 6:14 AM | New Delhi | 6:49 AM |
| Warangal | 6:21 AM | Kolkata | 5:53 AM |
| Rajahmundry | 6:10 AM | Varanasi | 6:20 AM |
| Srisailam | 6:20 AM |
Drik Panchang also lists Pushkara Snana on this day, the Kartika Purnima bath associated with the sacred lake at Pushkar. For bathing traditions in rivers such as the Godavari and Krishna, see Karthika Pournami snanam mahatmyam.
Why Monday 23 November is not Pournami
A common point of confusion: Purnima begins on Monday night, so why is the festival on Tuesday? Hindu festival days are generally fixed by the tithi that prevails at sunrise. On Monday, Shukla Chaturdashi is running at sunrise and right through the evening until 11:42 PM, which makes Monday Vaikuntha Chaturdashi and also the second Karthika Somavaram. Purnima prevails at sunrise on Tuesday, so Tuesday is Karthika Pournami, and the Purnima vrat and Satyanarayana vratham are kept that day. See the Karthika Somavaram 2026 dates in India for the Monday.
What else falls on 24 November 2026
- Karthigai Deepam: Krittika nakshatra prevails at sunset (until 11:25 PM IST), so the Tamil Karthigai Deepam coincides with Karthika Pournami this year. See Karthigai Deepam 2026.
- Dev Deepawali: the festival of lamps on the ghats of Varanasi, celebrated on Kartik Purnima.
- Guru Nanak Jayanti: the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, observed on Kartik Purnima.
- Bhishma Panchak ends: the five-day observance that began on Devutthana Ekadashi (20 November) concludes.
- End of purnimanta Kartik: in North India the month of Kartik ends today and Margashirsha begins on Wednesday 25 November. In the Telugu and Kannada amanta calendar, Karthika Masam continues until Amavasya on Tuesday 8 December.
How Pournami evening is kept in the Telugu states
- 365 vattulu: a lamp of 365 wicks, one for each day of the year, is lit at home or in a temple. As traditionally believed, it makes up for days in the year when a lamp could not be lit.
- Jwala Thoranam: at many Shiva temples a burning arch of straw is lit after dusk and the deities are carried beneath it. Check your temple's own announcement for the time.
- Satyanarayana vratham: Pournami is a favoured day for the vratham. See Satyanarayana Vratham in Karthika Masam 2026 and our Annavaram temple guide.
- Deepa daanam and floating lamps: lamps are gifted or floated on rivers and temple tanks. See Karthika Snanam and Deepa Daanam 2026.
2026 temple and event news (as of 9 October 2026)
We list only what official or news sources have reported. Several big events have not announced 2026 plans yet:
- Tiruvannamalai: Drik Panchang lists Karthigai Deepam on Tuesday 24 November 2026, but the temple's flag-hoisting, Bharani Deepam and Maha Deepam dates are not yet officially announced (Drik Panchang, checked 9 Oct 2026).
- Varanasi Dev Deepawali: no official 2026 plan announced yet by the district administration or UP government (News On AIR, latest coverage is from 2025).
- Pushkar Fair: Rajasthan Tourism lists Pushkar Fair 2026 from 17 to 24 November (Rajasthan Tourism, checked 9 Oct 2026).
- Sonepur Mela: expected to begin 22 November 2026 with main Kartik Purnima celebrations on 23 and 24 November, per a district review meeting (Patna Press, 30 Aug 2026).
Outside India
These IST times do not apply abroad. See our pages for the UK, UAE, Singapore, Europe and USA.
Frequently asked questions
When is Karthika Pournami 2026 in India?
Tuesday 24 November 2026. Drik Panchang lists Kartika Purnima, the Purnima vrat, Karthigai Deepam and Dev Deepawali on this day across India.
What time does Purnima start and end?
Purnima tithi begins at 11:42 PM IST on Monday 23 November and ends at 8:23 PM IST on Tuesday 24 November. These are single instants, so the times are the same in every Indian city.
Why is the festival on Tuesday and not Monday night?
Hindu festival days are generally fixed by the tithi prevailing at sunrise. On Monday 23 November, Chaturdashi is running at sunrise and until 11:42 PM, so Monday is Vaikuntha Chaturdashi. Purnima prevails at sunrise on Tuesday, so Tuesday is Karthika Pournami.
Will my evening lamp on 24 November be within Purnima?
Yes, anywhere in India. The latest sunset among major cities is about 6:00 PM in Mumbai, and Purnima ends at 8:23 PM IST. Hyderabad has a window of about 2 hours 43 minutes after sunset; Kolkata has about 3 hours 31 minutes.
Is Karthigai Deepam on the same day?
Yes. Krittika nakshatra prevails at sunset on 24 November (it runs until 11:25 PM IST), so Karthigai Deepam is on the same Tuesday as Karthika Pournami in 2026. Tiruvannamalai's own festival dates are announced by the temple.
I live outside India. Can I use these times?
No. Purnima begins and ends at the same instant worldwide, but the local clock time and the festival date can differ. Use our UK, UAE, Singapore, Europe or USA pages instead.
Editor's note
Editor's note (9 October 2026): This page has been restored at its original address. The date and tithi times are from Drik Panchang and are IST instants valid across India. City sunrise and sunset are computed for each city and are approximate to plus or minus one minute; local panchangams may differ slightly. Event information is limited to what official or news sources had published by 9 October 2026.
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