Hindu Calendar November 2026: Festival Dates, Rituals and Significance (Diwali, Chhath, Tulasi Vivah, Karthika Pournami)

Quick answer: the Hindu calendar for November 2026 is dominated by Diwali on Sunday 8 November, with Dhanteras on Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November. Karthika Masam begins on Tuesday 10 November, Chhath Puja and Skanda Sashti fall on Sunday 15 November, Devutthana Ekadashi on Friday 20 November, Tulasi Vivah on Saturday 21 November and Karthika Pournami (Dev Diwali) on Tuesday 24 November.

Last updated: 30 October 2026.

Every date below links to that day's full panchang, and the country table links to November calendars for Hindus in 11 countries.

November 2026 at a glance: months, moons and the festival season

November 2026 begins in the waning half of the lunar month. In the amanta calendar (new moon to new moon), used in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat, the month is Ashwina until the new moon of Diwali, and Karthika begins on Tuesday 10 November. In the purnimanta calendar of North India (full moon to full moon), the whole stretch up to the full moon on Tuesday 24 November is already Kartika, and Margashirsha begins on Wednesday 25 November. The festivals fall on the same days in both systems; only the month names differ.

The first half of the month belongs to Diwali: Ahoi Ashtami on Sunday 1 November, Rama Ekadashi on Thursday 5 November, then five days from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj. The second half is the bright fortnight of Karthika, the month of lamps, river baths and Shiva and Vishnu worship, which closes with the full-moon festivals of Tuesday 24 November. The Sun enters Scorpio (Vrishchika Sankranti) on Monday 16 November, and the Sabarimala Mandala season begins on Tuesday 17 November.

Hindu calendar November 2026: day-by-day dates (India)

Reference location: Hyderabad (IST), from Drik Panchang. The tithi shown is the one prevailing at sunrise, with its end time. Remember that some observances follow a different moment: Lakshmi Puja the evening, Masik Shivaratri midnight, Sankashti moonrise. Hyderabad sunrise moves from 06:15 AM on 1 November to 06:29 AM on 30 November. For other Indian cities, times shift by a few minutes.

Diwali week: Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj

Dhanteras (Friday 6 November): the festival of Dhanvantari, physician of the gods, and the day for buying a new vessel, silver or gold. In the evening a lamp is placed facing south for Yama (Yama Deepam). Guide: Dhanteras 2026.

Kali Chaudas and Masik Shivaratri (Saturday 7 November): Gujarati families worship Hanuman and Mahakali to drive away negativity, and Shiva devotees keep the monthly night vigil.

Naraka Chaturdashi and Diwali (Sunday 8 November): this year Chaturdashi is at sunrise and Amavasya rules the evening, so the pre-dawn oil bath for Krishna's victory over Narakasura, Tamil Deepavali, Lakshmi Puja, Kali Puja in Bengal and Chopda Puja in Gujarat all fall on one Sunday. See Diwali 2026 date and Lakshmi Puja muhurat and Naraka Chaturdashi 2026.

Govardhan Puja and Bali Pratipada (Tuesday 10 November): Krishna's lifting of Govardhan hill is honoured with Annakut, a mountain of food. In Maharashtra and Karnataka it is Bali Pratipada for King Bali, and Gujarat celebrates its New Year. Read Govardhan Puja and Annakut 2026.

Bhai Dooj (Wednesday 11 November): sisters feed their brothers and pray for their long life, remembering Yamuna's welcome to her brother Yama. Kayastha families also perform Chitragupta Puja. See Bhai Dooj 2026.

Karthika Masam, Nagula Chavithi and Labh Panchami

Karthika Masam opens on Tuesday 10 November with lamps lit at dawn and dusk, river or early-morning baths, and Monday fasts for Shiva on Monday 16 November, Monday 23 November, Monday 30 November. Read the Karthika Masam 2026 guide and the day-by-day Karthika calendar.

Nagula Chavithi, when Telugu and Kannada families offer milk at anthills for the serpent deities, is on Friday 13 November (Nagula Chavithi 2026). Gujarati traders reopen their shops on Labh Panchami, Saturday 14 November (Labh Panchami 2026).

Chhath Puja and Skanda Sashti (Sunday 15 November)

Chhath, the four-day sun worship of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, reaches its main evening arghya on Sunday 15 November, when devotees, mostly women, who have fasted without water stand in a river or pond to offer to the setting Sun and Chhathi Maiya; the fast ends with the dawn arghya next morning. See Chhath Puja 2026 and Chhath arghya times by city.

On the same day, Tamil Murugan devotees end the six-day Skanda Sashti fast with Soora Samharam, the enactment of Murugan's victory over the demon Surapadman. Guide: Skanda Sashti 2026.

Gopashtami, Akshaya Navami and Jagaddhatri Puja

Gopashtami (Tuesday 17 November) honours cows and Krishna's first day as a cowherd. Akshaya (Amla) Navami (Wednesday 18 November), believed to give lasting merit, is marked by worship under the amla tree, and Bengal and Chandannagar celebrate Jagaddhatri Puja the same day. Guides: Gopashtami 2026, Akshaya Navami 2026 and Jagaddhatri Puja 2026.

Devutthana Ekadashi, Tulasi Vivah and Bhishma Panchak

Vishnu wakes from his four-month sleep on Devutthana (Prabodhini) Ekadashi, Friday 20 November, ending Chaturmas and reopening the season for weddings. Vaishnava traditions, including Guruvayur, observe it on Saturday 21 November. Tulasi Vivah, the ceremonial marriage of the tulasi plant to Vishnu, and the Telugu Ksheerabdi Dwadashi are on Saturday 21 November. Bhishma Panchak, five days of austerity, runs from Friday 20 November to Tuesday 24 November. Read Karthika Ekadashi (Prabodhini) 2026, Ksheerabdi Dwadashi and Tulasi Vivah 2026 and Bhishma Panchak 2026.

Vaikuntha Chaturdashi and Karthika Pournami

Vaikuntha Chaturdashi (Monday 23 November) is the one night when Vishnu and Shiva are worshipped together, with Vishnu offering lotuses to Shiva at Varanasi (Vaikuntha Chaturdashi 2026).

Karthika Pournami, Tuesday 24 November, is the brightest night of the month: Telugu homes light 365 wicks, Varanasi celebrates Dev Deepawali on its ghats, Tamil Nadu lights Karthigai Deepam on the Arunachala hill, pilgrims bathe at Pushkar, and Sikhs celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti. See Karthika Pournami 2026, Karthigai Deepam 2026 and Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026.

The month ends with Ganadhipa Sankashti on Friday 27 November (Ganadhipa Sankashti 2026), and Kalabhairav Jayanti follows on Tuesday 1 December (Kalabhairava Jayanti 2026).

Ekadashi, Purnima, Amavasya, Pradosh and other vrats in November 2026

Ekadashi fasts are broken the next morning (parana); Pradosh worship is at dusk; Sankashti is broken after seeing the moon. Our November 2026 vrat and fasting calendar gives the rules for each. If you are pregnant, elderly, diabetic or on medication, choose a light fast or ask your doctor.

Regional differences in India

• Month names: the same day can be "Ashwina Amavasya" in Hyderabad and "Kartika Amavasya" in Delhi. Festival dates do not change, only the label.
• End of Chaturmas: Hyderabad's Drik calendar lists the last day of Chaturmas on Saturday 21 November, while New Delhi's lists it a day earlier. Follow your family's panchang.
• Diwali in the South: Telugu and Tamil homes centre the festival on the Naraka Chaturdashi morning; North India on the Lakshmi Puja night; Bengal on Kali Puja. This year all three fall on Sunday 8 November.
• Tamil and Kerala months: the solar month changes with Vrishchika Sankranti on Monday 16 November; in Kerala the Sabarimala Mandala season begins on Tuesday 17 November.
• State guides: November 2026 festivals state-wise and Tirumala calendar for November 2026.

November 2026 festival dates for NRIs: 11 country calendars

Because a festival day depends on the tithi at local sunrise, evening or midnight, Hindus abroad sometimes celebrate a day earlier or later than India. The table compares the days that move most this month. Each country name links to a full day-by-day November calendar with local tithi and sunrise.

Source: Drik Panchang country calendars; Karthika dates for Singapore, Germany and Europe are from HinduTone's calculator, validated against Drik. Europe's Diwali-week dates use Drik's Germany (Central European Time) calendar as the reference. * No country date in our data: the India date applies there for now, but abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple.

Also read: Hindu temples in New Jersey, Hindu temples in Toronto and the GTA and Hindu temples in London. Temple event guides: Hindu temple events in the USA, November 2026, Hindu temple events in Canada, November 2026 and Hindu temple events in the UK, November 2026. Next month: Hindu calendar December 2026: festivals, tithis and vrats.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali in November 2026?

Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) is on Sunday 8 November 2026 in India. Dhanteras is Friday 6 November, Naraka Chaturdashi Sunday 8 November (the same day as Lakshmi Puja this year), Govardhan Puja Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj Wednesday 11 November.

When does Karthika Masam 2026 start?

In the amanta calendar used in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat, Karthika Masam begins on Tuesday 10 November and runs to the new moon of 8 December. The Karthika Mondays in November are Monday 16 November, Monday 23 November, Monday 30 November.

When is Karthika Pournami 2026?

On Tuesday 24 November. The same full moon is Dev Diwali in Varanasi, Karthigai Deepam in Tamil Nadu and Guru Nanak Jayanti for Sikhs.

When are Devutthana Ekadashi and Tulasi Vivah in 2026?

Devutthana (Prabodhini) Ekadashi is Friday 20 November for most households; Vaishnava traditions keep it on Saturday 21 November. Tulasi Vivah and Ksheerabdi Dwadashi are on Saturday 21 November.

Is Chhath Puja on 15 November 2026?

Yes. The main evening arghya of Chhath is on Sunday 15 November in India, with the dawn arghya the following morning. Skanda Sashti and Soora Samharam fall on the same day.

Why does the month name change on 25 November?

North India uses the purnimanta calendar, where a month ends at the full moon. After Kartika Purnima on Tuesday 24 November, North Indian calendars move into Margashirsha from Wednesday 25 November, while amanta (South and West Indian) calendars stay in Karthika until the new moon.

Are the dates the same for NRIs abroad?

Not always. In the USA, Canada and the UK, Naraka Chaturdashi, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj each fall a day earlier than in India, and in Australia, Singapore and Malaysia Devutthana Ekadashi and Tulasi Vivah fall a day later. See the country table below.

Methodology and sources

India dates, tithis, nakshatras, sunrise times and festival names come from Drik Panchang's day panchang for Hyderabad, fetched on 9 October 2026. Country dates come from Drik Panchang's calendars for each country; where Drik data was not available, we used HinduTone's panchang calculator, which matched Drik on every checked date, and labelled it. We never convert Indian times to other time zones.

Editor's note (9 October 2026): This hub has been rewritten with a complete day-by-day table, links to every daily panchang page and new country calendars. Regional and sampradaya customs differ, and temples sometimes choose a different day, so please confirm with your family priest or local temple before a fast or puja. We will update this page if Drik Panchang revises any date.

Related guides

• Diwali 2026 complete 5-day guide
• Diwali 2026 5-day calendar at a glance
• Karthika Somavaram 2026 dates
• Karthika Pournami 2026 Purnima time by Indian city
• Sabarimala Mandala Pooja 2026
• Kartika Purnima significance and rituals