November 2026 Hindu Festivals in the UK: Daily Tithi at London Sunrise, Diwali Week, Karthika Somavarams and Pournami

Quick answer: the headline November 2026 Hindu festivals in the UK are Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) on Sunday 8 November, Dhanteras on Friday 6 November, Naraka Chaturdashi on Saturday 7 November, Govardhan Puja and Annakut on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November. Karthika Masam opens on Monday 9 November, Tulasi Vivah is Saturday 21 November and Karthika Pournami Tuesday 24 November.

Below you will find a full daily calendar for London, the dates where Britain and India part company, and short notes on each festival with links to our detailed guides.

How November 2026 looks from Britain

British Hindus enter November already on Greenwich Mean Time: the clocks went back on Sunday 25 October, so London is now five and a half hours behind India. Sunrise in London is 6:52 AM on 1 November and slips to 7:40 AM by the end of the month, while sunset falls from 4:35 PM to 3:57 PM. Evening lamps for Diwali and the Karthika deepam therefore go up before most people have left work.

The month runs in three movements. The first week belongs to Ahoi Ashtami and Rama Ekadashi; the second to Diwali and its companion days; and the rest to Karthika Masam, with Monday fasts, Nagula Chavithi, Devutthana Ekadashi, Tulasi Vivah and the great full moon. In 2026 the UK calendar differs from India for these: Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali), Karthika Masam begins (amanta), Govardhan Puja, Annakut, Bali Pratipada, Bhai Dooj / Yama Dwitiya.

November 2026 Hindu calendar for the UK, day by day

The tithi and sunrise columns are for London, computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, which we have checked against Drik Panchang. Festival dates are from Drik Panchang's UK calendar. A festival is not always on the day its tithi is at sunrise: Lakshmi Puja follows the evening, Shivaratri and Kalabhairav Jayanti follow midnight, and Sankashti follows moonrise. Where a row says "India date", we have no UK-specific date: abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple.

UK and India festival dates side by side

* 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.

Diwali week in Britain

Dhanteras on Friday 6 November is the traditional day to buy a steel vessel, silver coin or gold, and many British Gujarati and Punjabi families also light a small lamp for Yama at the front door. Naraka Chaturdashi falls on Saturday 7 November in the UK (India: Sunday 8 November), a Saturday, so the early oil bath and Krishna's victory over Narakasura can be marked without rushing for work. Diwali itself, with Lakshmi and Ganesha worshipped at dusk, is Sunday 8 November.

Govardhan Puja and Annakut come on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November in the UK, each a day earlier than India. Large Diwali light switch-ons and community melas are a familiar part of the season in cities with long-settled Hindu communities, such as Leicester and north-west London; check your council or temple for this year's details. Guides: Diwali 2026 UK dates, Lakshmi Puja muhurat by UK city and Govardhan Puja 2026 in the UK.

Karthika Masam in the UK: an early start and four Mondays

Drik Panchang's UK calendar begins Karthika Masam on Monday 9 November, whereas India begins it on Tuesday 10 November. The new moon ends earlier on the British clock, so Pratipada is already running at London sunrise on the Monday. That gives the UK four Karthika Somavarams in November: Monday 9 November, Monday 16 November, Monday 23 November, Monday 30 November. Telugu and Kannada families keep these with a fast until evening, a Shiva abhishekam and a deepam by the tulasi. Read Karthika Masam 2026 in the UK, city by city and Karthika Monday rituals in the UK.

Nagula Chavithi, the serpent-worship day of the Telugu calendar, is Friday 13 November in the UK, the same as India. Vrishchika Sankranti, the Sun's entry into Scorpio, is Monday 16 November; Ayyappa devotees begin the Mandala season around this time. Skanda Sashti has no separate UK date in our data, so we give India's, Sunday 15 November: abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. See Skanda Sashti 2026 in the USA, Canada, UK and Australia.

Chhath Puja

India's main evening arghya for Chhath is on Sunday 15 November, with the dawn arghya the following morning. We have no UK-specific date, so abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple or Bihari community association. With November water temperatures in Britain, families often stand at a reservoir edge or use a tub at home; see Chhath Puja in the UK.

Devutthana Ekadashi, Tulasi Vivah and the full moon

Devutthana (Prabodhini) Ekadashi, when Vishnu is woken from his four-month sleep, is Friday 20 November in the UK, and Tulasi Vivah with the Telugu Ksheerabdi Dwadashi follows on Saturday 21 November. Both match India. Vaikuntha Chaturdashi has no separate UK date in our data; India keeps it on Monday 23 November, and abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. See Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Tulsi Vivah 2026 in the UK and Ksheerabdi Dwadashi in the UK.

Karthika Pournami, Dev Diwali and Tamil Karthigai Deepam all fall on Tuesday 24 November in the UK. Lamps are lit at dusk at home and at Shiva and Murugan shrines, and Sikh friends mark Guru Nanak Jayanti on the same full moon. For London's Purnima times and lamp guidance, see Karthika Pournami 2026 in the UK.

Kalabhairav Jayanti and the monthly vrats

Kalabhairav Jayanti is Monday 30 November in the UK, one day before India (Tuesday 1 December). For Rama Ekadashi (India: Thursday 5 November), Ahoi Ashtami (Sunday 1 November), Masik Shivaratri (Saturday 7 November), Ravi Pradosh (Sunday 22 November) and Ganadhipa Sankashti (Friday 27 November) we have no UK dates: abroad they may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. Our November 2026 vrat and fasting days guide explains each one, and Kalabhairava Jayanti 2026 covers the Bhairava puja.

Practical notes for UK families

• One date across Britain: Drik Panchang's Karthika dates are identical for London, Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast. Only sunrise and sunset differ, and Scotland's evenings are darker earlier.
• Weekend pattern: Naraka Chaturdashi is a Saturday and Diwali a Sunday, so mandirs will be busiest on 7 and 8 November. Plan parking and arrive early.
• Bonfire Night: 5 November fireworks come just before Diwali week; pets and elderly relatives may appreciate a quieter Diwali evening indoors.
• Weather: draw rangoli on a board or inside the porch, and use LED or covered diyas outdoors in wind and rain.
• Fasting and health: anyone pregnant, older, diabetic or on medication should keep a light fast or check with their GP first.

Temples to visit in Karthika are listed, in general terms, in Shiva temples in the UK for Karthika Masam. Please check each temple's website for current timings.

Frequently asked questions

What is the date of Diwali 2026 in the UK?

Drik Panchang's UK calendar gives Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) on Sunday 8 November, the same date as India. Naraka Chaturdashi is a day earlier than in India, on Saturday 7 November, and Govardhan Puja (Monday 9 November) and Bhai Dooj (Tuesday 10 November) also come one day before India's dates.

How many Karthika Somavarams are there in November 2026 in the UK?

Four: Monday 9 November, Monday 16 November, Monday 23 November, Monday 30 November. Karthika Masam starts on Monday 9 November in the UK, a day before India (Tuesday 10 November), so British families gain a Monday that India does not have in November.

Is Karthika Pournami on the same day in the UK and India?

Yes, Tuesday 24 November. In London the Purnima tithi runs from Mon 23 Nov, 6:12 PM to Tue 24 Nov, 2:53 PM (UK time). Karthigai Deepam is also Tuesday 24 November in the UK.

Why does the UK sometimes keep a festival a day before India?

Since the clocks went back on 25 October, the UK is 5 hours 30 minutes behind India. A tithi that begins in India's afternoon can already be running at the British sunrise or evening of the previous date, and festival days are fixed by the tithi at a local moment.

When is Kalabhairav Jayanti 2026 in the UK?

Drik Panchang's UK data gives Monday 30 November, one day before India (Tuesday 1 December). It falls on the last Karthika Monday of November.

Do the dates differ between London, Leicester, Birmingham and Glasgow?

Not for the Karthika festivals: Drik Panchang gives the same dates for every UK city in our data, from London and Leicester to Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast. Sunrise and sunset times do differ, so use your own city's times for lamps and puja.

Editor's note and methodology

Editor's note (9 October 2026): This page has been restored at its original address. London's daily tithi, nakshatra and sunrise come from HinduTone's panchang calculator, validated against Drik Panchang (the tithi at sunrise matched on every date we checked). UK festival dates are from Drik Panchang's UK calendar, and India dates from Drik Panchang for Hyderabad. Where there is no UK date, we show the India date and say so. We never convert Indian times to UK time. Family and regional customs vary, so confirm with your mandir before a fast.

Related guides

• Hindu calendar November 2026: dates, rituals and significance
• November 2026 Hindu festivals in Europe
• November 2026 Hindu festivals in Germany
• November 2026 Hindu festivals in the USA
• Karthika Masam 2026 for UK Hindus
• Panchang for Diwali, 8 November 2026