November 2026 Hindu Festivals in South Africa: Daily Tithi at Durban Sunrise, Deepavali Week and Karthika Dates

Quick answer: the main November 2026 Hindu festivals in South Africa are Dhanteras on Friday 6 November, Deepavali (Naraka Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Puja) on Sunday 8 November, Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November. Devutthana Ekadashi is Friday 20 November, Tulasi Vivah Saturday 21 November and Kartika Purnima Tuesday 24 November.

Only two of these differ from India: Govardhan Puja, Annakut, Bali Pratipada and Bhai Dooj / Yama Dwitiya, each a day earlier. For the Karthika observances, Skanda Sashti and the monthly vrats we have no South African dates, so the India date is shown and marked. The day-by-day table gives the tithi at Durban sunrise, the sunrise time and the observances, each date linked to its full panchang.

November 2026 in South Africa at a glance

South Africa's Hindu community is one of the oldest outside Asia. Families descended from the indentured and passenger migrants who arrived in Natal from 1860 onward keep Tamil, Telugu, Hindi-speaking and Gujarati traditions alive, and Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg have long-established temples. For many of these families November is Deepavali month, followed by the lamps and fasts of Karthika.

It is early summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Durban sees the sun rise at 5:00 AM on 1 November and at 4:46 AM on 30 November, with sunset moving from 6:19 PM to 6:43 PM. South Africa Standard Time is 3.5 hours behind India and does not use daylight saving, so the clock gives no surprises this month.

November 2026 Hindu calendar for South Africa, day by day

Tithi and sunrise are for Durban (SAST), computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, which is validated against Drik Panchang. Festival dates are from Drik Panchang's South African calendar where we have one. Remember that festivals follow their own rules: Lakshmi Puja is set by the evening, Masik Shivaratri by midnight and Sankashti by moonrise, so a festival is not always on the day its tithi is at sunrise. Items marked "India date" have no South African date in our data: abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple.

Key festival dates: South Africa versus India

* No country-specific date in our data for this festival, so the India date is shown: abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple.

Deepavali in South Africa

Dhanteras on Friday 6 November opens the festival with the cleaning of the home and the purchase of a new vessel. In South Africa, as in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, the heart of the festival is Naraka Chaturdashi on Sunday 8 November: an oil bath before dawn, new clothes, prayers at the family shrine and sweetmeats shared with neighbours, remembering Krishna's defeat of Narakasura. North Indian and Gujarati families add Lakshmi Puja on the evening of Sunday 8 November, the same Sunday. Read our South Africa Diwali 2026 guide and the Lakshmi Puja muhurat for South African cities.

Govardhan Puja and Annakut fall on Monday 9 November in South Africa, and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November, a day earlier than India. Gujarati families also mark their New Year with Govardhan Puja. See Govardhan Puja and Annakut 2026 and Bhai Dooj 2026.

Karthika Masam and the Monday fasts

Telugu-speaking families in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng keep Karthika Masam with Monday fasts, lamps at dusk and Shiva puja. In India the month begins on Tuesday 10 November and the November Somavarams are Monday 16 November, Monday 23 November, Monday 30 November. We have no South African Karthika dates: abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. Durban's table shows the Amavasya still at sunrise on 9 November and Pratipada on 10 November, so the start may well match India, but let your temple confirm. Guides: Karthika Masam 2026 and Karthika Somavaram 2026.

Nagula Chavithi (Friday 13 November in India) and Vrishchika Sankranti (Monday 16 November) also have no South African date in our data. For keeping Nagula Chavithi away from India, see how to celebrate Nagula Chavithi abroad.

Skanda Sashti for Durban's Murugan devotees

Murugan worship runs deep in South Africa's Tamil community, and Skanda Sashti, the six-day fast that ends with the Soora Samharam, is a major observance in its temples. In India it falls on Sunday 15 November. Our data has no South African date, so abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple's calendar, which will also give the start of the fast. Background: Skanda Sashti 2026 and Soora Samharam.

Chhath, Devutthana Ekadashi and Tulasi Vivah

Chhath Puja's evening arghya is on Sunday 15 November in India; we have no South African date, so check with your community. Devutthana (Prabodhini) Ekadashi, when Vishnu wakes and the four months of Chaturmas end, is Friday 20 November in South Africa, the same as India. Tulasi Vivah, the marriage of the tulasi plant to Vishnu, and the Telugu Ksheerabdi Dwadashi follow on Saturday 21 November. See Karthika Ekadashi 2026 and Ksheerabdi Dwadashi and Tulasi Vivah 2026.

Kartika Purnima and Karthigai Deepam

Kartika Purnima falls on Tuesday 24 November in South Africa. It is Karthika Pournami for Telugu families, Dev Diwali in the North Indian tradition and the night of rows of lamps. Tamil Karthigai Deepam, which follows the Krittika nakshatra, is Tuesday 24 November in India; our data has no South African date for it, so check your local temple. Vaikuntha Chaturdashi (Monday 23 November in India) is in the same position. See Karthika Pournami 2026 and Karthigai Deepam 2026.

Smaller vrats this month

Ahoi Ashtami (Sunday 1 November in India), Rama Ekadashi (Thursday 5 November), Masik Shivaratri (Saturday 7 November), Gopashtami (Tuesday 17 November), Akshaya Navami (Wednesday 18 November), Ravi Pradosh (Sunday 22 November) and Ganadhipa Sankashti (Friday 27 November) have no South African dates in our data. Abroad they may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. Our November 2026 vrat and fasting days guide explains each one.

Notes for South African families

• Weekend festivals: Deepavali falls on a Sunday this year and Tulasi Vivah on a Saturday, so families can celebrate without taking leave. Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj are a Monday and Tuesday.
• Fireworks: municipal by-laws restrict where and when fireworks may be set off. Check your municipality's rules, keep pets indoors and favour diyas.
• Lamps: keep clay lamps on a metal tray, well away from curtains, and never leave a flame unattended, especially on windy summer evenings.
• Temples: festival days are busy at established temples in Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg; check the temple's official website or notices for current timings.
• Fasting and health: if you are pregnant, elderly, diabetic or on medication, keep a light fast with fruit and milk, or speak to your doctor first.

Frequently asked questions

When is Deepavali 2026 in South Africa?

On Sunday 8 November, the same day as India, according to Drik Panchang's South African calendar. Naraka Chaturdashi, the morning oil bath that Tamil and Telugu families treat as Deepavali proper, falls on the same day, Sunday 8 November.

Are Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj on the same day as India?

No. In South Africa Govardhan Puja is Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj Tuesday 10 November, one day before India (Tuesday 10 November and Wednesday 11 November). South Africa is 3.5 hours behind India, which is enough to shift the tithi that covers the local morning.

When does Karthika Masam start in South Africa?

Our data has no South African Karthika dates. In India Karthika Masam starts on Tuesday 10 November. Abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. The Durban table above shows the tithi at each local sunrise, which is what temple calendars work from.

When is Kartika Purnima 2026 in South Africa?

On Tuesday 24 November, the same as India, according to Drik Panchang's South African calendar. Karthika Deepam and Dev Diwali are kept on the full-moon evening.

Does South Africa change its clocks in November?

No. South Africa Standard Time has no daylight saving, so the clock stays the same all month. Durban sunrise moves from 5:00 AM on 1 November to 4:46 AM on 30 November.

Editor's note and methodology

Editor's note (9 October 2026): This calendar has been restored at its original address. Daily tithi, nakshatra and sunrise for Durban are computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, validated against Drik Panchang (tithi at sunrise matched on every checked date). South African dates for Diwali week, Devutthana Ekadashi, Tulasi Vivah and Kartika Purnima are from Drik Panchang's South African calendar; India dates are from Drik Panchang for Hyderabad. Where we have no South African date, the India date is shown and marked. Times from India are never converted. Confirm with your temple before a fast.

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