Nagula Chavithi 2026 in the UK: Friday 13 November, the Same Day as India, with a Home Naga Puja for a British Winter

Quick answer: Nagula Chavithi 2026 UK falls on Friday 13 November 2026, which is the same day as in India. Drik Panchang gives this date for every UK city we checked, from London and Leicester to Glasgow and Belfast.

There is one quirk worth knowing. In the UK, Karthika Masam begins on Monday 9 November, a day earlier than in India, yet Nagula Chavithi still lands on the same Friday as at home. Your family in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana and your household in Britain will be keeping the festival together. All times here are UK time.

Nagula Chavithi 2026 UK date at a glance

Each date follows the tithi at local sunrise. The UK sits close enough to India in time that the Chaturthi falls on the same Friday, while North America, many hours further behind, keeps it on Thursday.

See Karthika Masam 2026 in the UK for all five Somavarams and Purnima times by city.

What the festival means

Nagula Chavithi is the Chaturthi of Karthika's bright fortnight, dedicated to the Naga devatas. In Telugu homes it is a mother's festival: women fast, visit a snake anthill (putta) at dawn, pour milk and offer turmeric, flowers, chalimidi and chimmili, praying for the wellbeing of their children and protection from snakebite. The day also recalls the great serpents of the Puranas: Adisesha, on whom Vishnu rests, and Vasuki, who serves Shiva.

Kannada families often do their main Naga worship at Naga Panchami in Shravana, but many who have Telugu links keep Karthika's Nagula Chavithi too. In British towns with large South Indian communities, the two traditions often sit side by side.

No anthill? Respectful options in Britain

There are practical reasons not to recreate the anthill puja in a British park or garden:

• Wildlife law: the adder, Britain's only venomous snake, is protected against killing and injury, and grass snakes and slow-worms are also native wildlife. By November they are hibernating and should not be disturbed.
• Milk harms, not helps: snakes do not drink milk as food. Milk left outdoors attracts foxes and rats instead.
• Public spaces: leaving food or offerings in parks can count as littering.

Instead, worship a small silver, brass or copper naga idol at home, or a naga drawn in rice flour and turmeric. Some South Indian temples in the UK have a naga image or Murugan shrine; ask whether a Nagula Chavithi abhishekam is planned and check the temple's website for current timings.

Home puja, step by step

• Bathe, wear clean clothes and light a lamp at your home altar.
• Place the naga idol in a plate and apply turmeric and kumkum.
• Pour a little milk over it, then water, while chanting "Om Nagadevatayai Namah".
• Offer flowers, chalimidi, chimmili, fruit and soaked chana.
• Pray for every child in the family, near and far, and share the prasadam.
• Drink the clean milk as prasadam or water an indoor plant with it. Don't pour it outside.

We don't publish a clock-time muhurat. Do the puja in the morning, or check Drik Panchang for your own city.

Short days: UK sunset times

Drik Panchang sunset times for Monday 9 November 2026 are below. On Friday 13 November the sun will set a few minutes earlier.

With sunset before 4:30 PM in most of the country, an evening lamp and family prayer can fit neatly in after work, and a sunset-to-sunset fast is shorter than it would be in India.

Fasting sensibly in November

Many women keep a fast until the puja, taking only milk and fruit. On a cold, damp working Friday, keep warm and drink enough water. Elders, diabetics, people with heart, kidney or blood-pressure conditions, pregnant or nursing women, children and anyone on regular medicine should check with their GP first. A short prayer is complete devotion on its own.

Explaining Nagula Chavithi to children

Some British children will have heard that Friday the 13th is an "unlucky" day. Nagula Chavithi is a nice way to flip that: in our tradition this Friday is a day of blessings for children. Explain that Hindus thank the serpents as part of nature, that real snakes are sleeping through winter, and that we honour the Naga devata at home instead. Let them help shape a naga out of rice flour.

Tips for UK households

• Friday is a school and work day. A ten-minute morning puja is enough; save the sweets for the evening.
• In rented flats, check your tenancy rules on open flames. Keep the lamp away from curtains and smoke alarms, or use an LED diya.
• Indian grocers in Leicester, Wembley, Southall, Birmingham and Manchester usually stock sesame, jaggery and small naga idols in the Diwali week.
• India is ahead of the UK, so your relatives will finish their puja before you start. A morning video call lets you see theirs.

Frequently asked questions

When is Nagula Chavithi 2026 in the UK?

Drik Panchang gives Friday 13 November 2026 for the UK. The date is the same in London, Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast.

Is it the same date as India?

Yes. India also keeps Nagula Chavithi on Friday 13 November. North American families keep it a day earlier, on Thursday 12 November, so if you have relatives in the USA or Canada, their date will differ from yours.

The UK's Karthika Masam starts on 9 November. Why isn't Nagula Chavithi on the 12th?

The start of the month and the Chaturthi are fixed separately, by the tithi at UK sunrise on each day. Drik Panchang for the UK gives Monday 9 November for the start of Karthika and Friday 13 November for Nagula Chavithi.

What is the puja time in London?

We do not give a clock-time muhurat. A morning puja is traditional. For an exact window, use Drik Panchang with your UK city selected, and do not use India's times.

Is it all right to leave milk out for snakes in the UK?

No. Britain's few native snakes hibernate over winter, and the adder is protected by law against being killed or injured. Snakes do not need milk. Keep the offering indoors on a naga idol.

Who should be careful with the fast?

Elders, diabetics, people with heart, kidney or blood-pressure conditions, pregnant or nursing women, children and anyone on regular medicine should consult a GP first and keep a gentle fast.

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 date and sunset times are from Drik Panchang for the UK, in UK time. We have not listed temple events or a clock-time muhurat; please check Drik Panchang for your city and your temple directly. The fasting advice is general, not medical advice.

Related guides

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• Shiva temples for Karthika Masam 2026 in the UK
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