Margashirsha Guruvar Vrat 2026: Thursday Dates, Ghata Sthapana, Mahalakshmi Vrat Katha and Udyapan

Quick answer: Margashirsha Guruvar 2026 falls on five Thursdays: 10, 17, 24 and 31 December 2026 and 7 January 2027 (calculated). On each of these days, many Marathi women set up a ghata (kalash) for Goddess Mahalakshmi, read the vrat katha and offer naivedya. The udyapan, the closing ceremony, is traditionally done on the last Thursday, which by our calculation is 7 January 2027.

These Thursdays fall in the amanta month of Margashirsha, which runs from Wednesday 9 December 2026 to Thursday 7 January 2027 in the calendar used in Maharashtra. The dates are calculated by HinduTone's ephemeris calculator, which we checked against Drik Panchang to within one or two minutes. Please confirm them in your family calendar or on Drik Panchang.

Margashirsha Guruvar 2026 dates

Other important days in the month: Champa Shashti on Tuesday 15 December, Gita Jayanti and Mokshada Ekadashi on Sunday 20 December, and Datta Jayanti on Wednesday 23 December 2026 (all calculated). See Champa Shashti 2026, Gita Jayanti 2026 and Datta Jayanti 2026.

What is the Margashirsha Guruvar vrat?

The Margashirsha Guruvar vrat, also called the Mahalakshmi vrat, is a Thursday worship of Goddess Mahalakshmi kept through the month of Margashirsha. It is especially popular in Maharashtra, and the Telugu Margasira Lakshmivara vratam is a close cousin. Women pray for the health, harmony and prosperity of their families.

Margashirsha itself is a holy month. In the Bhagavad Gita (10.35), Krishna says that among months he is Margashirsha. Worshipping Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort, in this month is therefore seen as especially auspicious. For the Telugu tradition, see Margasira Masam 2026.

Ghata sthapana: setting up the kalash

Families follow their own customs, but a common setup on each Thursday morning looks like this:

• Clean the puja area and draw a rangoli. Place a chaurang (low wooden stool) and cover it with a clean red or yellow cloth.
• Spread a small heap of rice or wheat on the cloth and place a kalash on it.
• Fill the kalash with water and add a coin, a betel nut and a little haldi-kunku. Arrange mango leaves (or leaves of five trees, if that is your custom) at the mouth.
• Place a coconut on top, and set a picture or idol of Mahalakshmi, or a Shri Yantra, beside the kalash.
• Offer haldi, kunku, flowers, durva and a ghee lamp. Light incense.

Then read the vrat katha, sing the Mahalakshmi aarti and offer naivedya. Many families repeat the aarti and naivedya in the evening. The next morning, the kalash water is commonly poured at the foot of a tulsi plant, and the rice is used in cooking.

Mahalakshmi vrat katha, as commonly told

The Marathi vrat booklets tell the story in slightly different versions. In outline, as commonly told: Goddess Mahalakshmi once visited a kingdom in the form of a poor old woman. A proud queen turned her away, but a humble woman welcomed her and learned from her the Thursday vrat of Margashirsha. By keeping the vrat faithfully, the humble woman and her family were blessed with plenty.

The queen's household then fell on hard times. When she too learned the vrat, kept it with humility and understood her mistake, her fortune was restored. The lesson is simple: Lakshmi stays where there is respect for others, humility and a clean, devoted home, not merely where there is wealth.

Read the full katha from your family's vrat book on each Thursday. For more on the puja, see Margashirsha Guruvar Vrat: complete guide to Thursday Lakshmi puja.

Naivedya ideas

There is no single required menu. Families usually offer a sweet and a simple satvik meal, chosen by custom. Common choices include:

• Sheera (rava halwa), kheer or puran poli
• Fresh fruit, especially bananas, and dry fruits
• A simple meal of varan-bhaat, poli and a vegetable
• Milk with sugar, or panchamrut

Many women eat after the evening puja, or keep a single meal for the day. Follow your family's custom.

Udyapan on the last Thursday

The udyapan closes the vrat. By our calculation, the last Thursday of Margashirsha 2026 is 7 January 2027. On that day, after the usual puja, women commonly:

• Invite married women (suvasinis) for haldi-kunku. Many families invite five, seven or more, by custom.
• Offer each guest fruit, a small gift and often a copy of the Mahalakshmi vrat katha booklet, so the vrat spreads.
• Share the naivedya as prasad with guests and family.
• Pray to Mahalakshmi to forgive any mistakes made during the vrat.

Because 7 January is also the last day of the month, some families choose the udyapan day on the advice of their elders or priest. Either way, the spirit of the udyapan is sharing and gratitude.

Tips for Marathi families abroad

• Keep the vrat on Thursday in your own time zone. There is no need to convert anything from India.
• A small kalash from any Indian store works. If mango leaves are not available, use betel leaves or whatever your family considers suitable.
• If Thursday is a work day, do a short morning puja with a lamp and the katha, and a fuller aarti in the evening.
• For udyapan, invite friends from your local Marathi mandal or temple community for haldi-kunku.
• Tithi-based days such as Gita Jayanti and Datta Jayanti can fall a day earlier or later abroad. Check Drik Panchang for your city.

A note on health

Fasting is optional in this vrat. If you are pregnant, diabetic, unwell or on regular medication, consult your doctor and keep a lighter observance, such as eating a normal satvik meal and doing the puja. The goddess is worshipped with devotion; tradition does not ask anyone to put their health at risk.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Margashirsha Guruvar dates in 2026?

The Margashirsha Guruvar vrat falls on Thursday 10 December, Thursday 17 December, Thursday 24 December and Thursday 31 December 2026, and Thursday 7 January 2027. These are calculated for the amanta Margashirsha month, which runs from 9 December 2026 to 7 January 2027.

When is the udyapan of Margashirsha Guruvar 2026?

The udyapan is traditionally done on the last Thursday of Margashirsha. By our calculation that is Thursday 7 January 2027. Some families choose a different Thursday by custom, so check with your elders or your family calendar.

Why does the vrat start in December when North India's Margashirsha starts in November?

Maharashtra follows the amanta calendar, where Margashirsha begins after the new moon, on 9 December 2026. In North India's purnimanta calendar, Margashirsha began in late November and ends at the full moon on 23 December. The Guruvar vrat follows the amanta month.

Do I have to fast on Margashirsha Guruvar?

Customs differ. Many women eat a single meal or eat only after the evening puja, while others simply perform the puja without fasting. Anyone with a health condition, pregnant women and elders should consult a doctor and keep a lighter observance.

Can I do the Guruvar vrat outside India?

Yes. Perform the puja on Thursday in your own time zone. The weekday does not need converting. Use whatever is available locally for the kalash and naivedya; sincerity matters more than exact materials.

Can unmarried women or men keep this vrat?

In many families the vrat is kept by married women, but the vrat books generally describe it as open to anyone who wishes to worship Mahalakshmi. Follow your family's custom.

Editor's note

Editor's note (6 October 2026): This guide has been restored at its original hindutone.com address after the earlier version was lost. The Thursday dates are calculated by HinduTone's ephemeris calculator for the amanta Margashirsha month and checked against Drik Panchang. The vrat katha is summarised as commonly told; versions differ between families and booklets. Please follow your family tradition.

Related guides

• Margasira Lakshmi Vratam: rituals and benefits
• December 2026 Hindu festivals
• December 2026 festivals state-wise
• December 2026 vrat calendar
• Lakshmi Puja Vidhi 2026
• Margasira Pournami 2026