Margashirsha Masam 2026 UK Dates City by City: Five Thursdays (10 Dec to 7 Jan) for Guruvar Vrat and Lakshmivara Vratam

Quick answer: Margashirsha Masam 2026 UK dates (amanta) run from Wednesday 9 December 2026 to Thursday 7 January 2027 in London, Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow. The month has five Thursdays for the Lakshmi vrat: 10, 17, 24 and 31 December 2026 and 7 January 2027. Pausha begins on Friday 8 January 2027.

Margashirsha, called Margasira in Telugu, is the month Krishna names as his own in the Bhagavad Gita (10.35): "of months I am Margashirsha". For Marathi and Gujarati families it is the month of the Margashirsha Guruvar Mahalakshmi vrat, and for Telugu families the month of Margasira Lakshmivara vratam. In Britain it covers the whole Christmas and New Year season.

About these dates: the UK dates are computed with HinduTone's sunrise-tithi calculator (Drik Panchang method, validated against Drik Panchang to within 1–2 minutes). Please confirm on Drik Panchang for your city, and follow your mandir's calendar.

Margashirsha Masam 2026 UK dates: city-by-city table

All six cities share the same result, and the dates match India's amanta Margashirsha (Wed 9 Dec 2026 to Thu 7 Jan 2027). Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast and other UK towns are on the same time and will usually match, but please confirm on Drik Panchang.

The five Margashirsha Thursdays 2026 in the UK

These are the same five Thursdays in all six UK cities we calculated and in India. Families who complete the vrat with an udyapan usually do so on the last Thursday of the month, but customs differ, so follow your family's practice or ask your priest.

Margashirsha Guruvar vrat (Marathi families)

In Maharashtra and among Marathi families abroad, the Thursdays of Margashirsha are kept as a vrat for Goddess Mahalakshmi. A kalash is set up with a coconut and mango or betel leaves, decorated as the Goddess, with a small rangoli in front. The Mahalakshmi vrat katha is read, an aarti is sung, and a simple meal or prasad follows. On the last Thursday many households invite women for haldi-kumkum and complete the vrat.

Our Margashirsha Guruvar vrat 2026 dates guide and the complete guide to Thursday Lakshmi puja explain the steps in full.

Margasira Lakshmivara vratam (Telugu families)

Telugu families keep the Margasira Thursdays (Lakshmivaram) with a puja to Lakshmi, often with a kalash or the Goddess's picture, lamps, flowers, turmeric and kumkum, and a naivedyam such as pulihora or payasam, with the vrata katha read aloud. See Margasira Masam 2026 dates and Lakshmivara vratam and Margasira Lakshmi vratam: rituals and benefits.

Kannada and Gujarati families have their own Margashirsha observances, and many simply add a Thursday Lakshmi or Vishnu puja through the month.

Festivals inside Margashirsha 2026: UK dates

Every date in this table is the same in all six cities we calculated: London, Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow.

• Vivah Panchami (Mon 14 Dec): the wedding of Rama and Sita, as commonly told. See Vivah Panchami 2026.
• Champa Shashti (Tue 15 Dec): for Marathi families, Khandoba's victory over Mani and Malla, as commonly told; for Kannada and Tamil families, Subrahmanya Shashti.
• Gita Jayanti and Vaikuntha Ekadashi (Sun 20 Dec): the same day for Smarta and Vaishnava families in the UK. See Gita Jayanti 2026 in the UK, city by city.
• Datta Jayanti (Wed 23 Dec): Margashirsha Purnima, also Annapurna Jayanti. See Datta Jayanti 2026 in the UK.
• Saphala Ekadashi (Sun 3 Jan 2027): the Krishna-paksha Ekadashi near the end of the month, on the first Sunday of 2027.

From Wednesday 16 December the month also overlaps with Dhanurmasam and Tamil Margazhi; see Dhanurmasam 2026 in the UK, city by city.

Amanta vs purnimanta: why calendars disagree

This guide follows the amanta (new-moon-ending) calendar used by Telugu, Kannada, Marathi and Gujarati families, in which Margashirsha begins after the Karthika Amavasya and ends on the next Amavasya. North Indian families follow the purnimanta (full-moon-ending) calendar, in which Margashirsha begins and ends about a fortnight earlier; in India, purnimanta Paush begins on Thursday 24 December 2026.

The festivals do not move: Gita Jayanti is still Mokshada Ekadashi and Datta Jayanti is still the Margashirsha full moon. Only the month label for the dark fortnight differs, which is why a Hindi calendar and a Telugu calendar can name the same day differently. If your family keeps the Thursday vrat, use the amanta Thursdays above.

Practicalities for British Hindus in Margashirsha

• Dark, cold mornings: sunrise is around 8 AM in December and early January. A Thursday puja before work is easily done before dawn; keep lamps on a metal plate away from curtains and smoke alarms.
• Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve Thursdays: the third and fourth Thursdays fall on 24 and 31 December. Do the puja early, prepare the naivedyam the night before, and enjoy the evening with family.
• School Christmas holidays: children are usually at home for the 24 and 31 December Thursdays and can help with rangoli and the kalash.
• Boxing Day and travel: Christmas Day is Friday 25 December and Boxing Day Saturday 26 December. If you travel, a small picture of Lakshmi and a lamp are enough to keep the Thursday vrat wherever you are; if you fly to India, the Thursdays there are the same dates.
• Mandirs: the UK has many Hindu mandirs in Leicester, Wembley, Birmingham and elsewhere. Check your mandir's own website for anything it plans this month; we do not list programmes or timings.

For the full month at a glance, see December 2026 Hindu festivals in the UK, and for Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 in the UK and Ireland.

Frequently asked questions

When does Margashirsha Masam 2026 start in London?

Wednesday 9 December 2026, in the amanta calendar followed by Telugu, Kannada, Marathi and Gujarati families. It ends on Thursday 7 January 2027, and Pausha begins on Friday 8 January 2027. Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow have the same dates in our calculation.

What are the Margashirsha Thursdays in 2026 in the UK?

Thu 10 Dec 2026, Thu 17 Dec 2026, Thu 24 Dec 2026, Thu 31 Dec 2026 and Thu 7 Jan 2027. These are the days for Margashirsha Guruvar Mahalakshmi vrat and Margasira Lakshmivara vratam.

Is there a Margashirsha Thursday on Christmas Eve?

Yes. The third Thursday is Thursday 24 December, Christmas Eve, and the fourth is Thursday 31 December, New Year's Eve. Many families do the puja in the morning or early evening before any celebrations.

Why does my North Indian calendar show a different Margashirsha month?

North Indian (purnimanta) calendars end a month on the full moon, so their Margashirsha starts and ends about a fortnight earlier. In India, purnimanta Paush begins Thursday 24 December 2026. The festival dates themselves, such as Gita Jayanti and Datta Jayanti, are the same in both systems.

Are the Margashirsha dates in the UK the same as in India?

Yes for 2026. The month start, the five Thursdays and the festivals in this guide all fall on the same dates in the UK as in India.

Is the Guruvar vrat a strict fast?

Practice varies. Many keep a light fast until the puja or eat one simple vegetarian meal. Anyone pregnant, elderly, diabetic or unwell should speak to their GP before fasting.

Editor's note

Editor's note (6 October 2026): This guide has been restored at its original address after the earlier version was lost. The UK dates are computed with our sunrise-tithi calculator, which uses the Drik Panchang method and has been validated against Drik Panchang to 1–2 minutes. Please confirm on Drik Panchang for your city and follow your mandir's calendar. We do not list temple events, darshan or programme timings.

Related guides

• December 2026 Hindu festivals in the UK
• Margashirsha Guruvar vrat 2026 dates
• Margasira Masam 2026: Lakshmivara vratam
• Datta Jayanti 2026 in the UK, city by city
• Gita Jayanti 2026 in the UK, city by city
• Dhanurmasam 2026 in the UK, city by city
• Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 in UK and Ireland