September 2026 Hindu Festival Calendar: Complete Day-Wise Guide

Quick answer: The September 2026 Hindu festival calendar runs from Krishna Janmashtami on 4 September through Ganesh Chaturthi on 14 September and Anant Chaturdashi on 25 September, ending with the start of Pitru Paksha on 27 September. This month spans parts of the Bhadrapada month; because Amanta and Purnimanta systems begin the month differently, always confirm your local dates from a regional panchang.

September 2026 is one of the busiest devotional months of the Hindu year. Within a few weeks it carries Krishna Janmashtami, the celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi festival, Radha Ashtami, Anant Chaturdashi with Ganesh Visarjan, and the solemn opening of Pitru Paksha. This day-wise guide lays out the whole month in tables so you can plan vratas, temple visits and family observances at a glance.

One reason a single calendar can look confusing is that Hindu months are counted in two ways. Under the Purnimanta system (common across much of North India) the month of Bhadrapada runs roughly 29 August to 26 September 2026, while under the Amanta system (used across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and the wider south and west) Bhadrapada runs roughly 12 September to 11 October 2026. The festivals themselves fall on the same solar dates everywhere; only the month label attached to them differs. We note both wherever it matters.

• Month covered: September 2026 (parts of Bhadrapada masam)
• Purnimanta Bhadrapada: approx. 29 Aug - 26 Sep 2026
• Amanta Bhadrapada: approx. 12 Sep - 11 Oct 2026
• Key festivals: Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Anant Chaturdashi, Pitru Paksha begins
• Janmashtami: 4 September 2026 (Thursday)
• Ganesh Chaturthi: 14 September 2026 (Monday)
• Anant Chaturdashi / Visarjan: 25 September 2026 (Friday)
• Pitru Paksha begins: 27 September 2026
• Confirm timings: from your local/regional panchang

How the two calendar systems shape September 2026

Before the tables, it helps to understand why the same festival can be described as belonging to different months. A lunar month is made of two fortnights: the waxing Shukla Paksha (bright half, moon growing) and the waning Krishna Paksha (dark half, moon shrinking). The Purnimanta system ends its month on the full moon (Purnima) and begins the next month the very next day, so its month opens with Krishna Paksha. The Amanta system ends its month on the new moon (Amavasya), so its month opens with Shukla Paksha.

The clearest example this month is Krishna Janmashtami on 4 September 2026. It falls on Krishna Paksha Ashtami. Under the Purnimanta count that Ashtami belongs to Bhadrapada, so North Indian panchangs place Janmashtami in Bhadrapada. Under the Amanta count the same Krishna Paksha belongs to the previous month, Shravana, so many south and west Indian panchangs place Janmashtami in Shravana. Neither is wrong; both describe the same evening of devotion. You can read the full explanation on our Amanta vs Purnimanta explainer.

September 2026 Hindu festival calendar (day-wise table)

The table below lists the principal observances through September 2026. Tithi labels are given by tradition; because a tithi can begin or end at any hour, the calendar day on which a festival is observed depends on sunrise, moonrise or the specific vrata rule, so please confirm exact dates and any fasting or parana timing from a local panchang.

For the Ganesh festival itself, including city-wise muhurat guidance and the ten-day timeline, see our dedicated pillar on Ganesh Chaturthi 2026. For immersion dates and the visarjan procedure, see Ganesh Visarjan 2026.

Early October 2026: Pitru Paksha to Mahalaya Amavasya

Pitru Paksha, the fortnight dedicated to remembering ancestors through tarpana and shraddha, begins on 27 September and continues into early October 2026, closing on Sarva Pitru Amavasya (Mahalaya Amavasya). The short table below carries the calendar from the start of October to that closing day.

Because tithis of the shraddha fortnight are matched to the tithi on which an ancestor passed, the exact day for a family observance can differ. The dates above are the widely followed shraddha days; confirm your own family's day from a local panchang or family purohit. A fuller guide is on our Pitru Paksha 2026 page.

Vrata days at a glance

If you keep regular fasts, September 2026 has two Ekadashis, an Amavasya, a Purnima and Chaturthi and Ashtami observances. Here is the quick list of fasting and vrata days to note:

• Aja Ekadashi - around 6-7 September (Krishna Paksha) - a Vishnu-centred Ekadashi fast
• Bhadrapada Amavasya - 9 September - new-moon observance
• Ganesh Chaturthi - 14 September - Vinayaka vrata and sthapana
• Parivartini Ekadashi - 22 September (Shukla Paksha) - Vishnu turns on his side on Ananta Shesha
• Anant Chaturdashi - 25 September - Anant vrata and Ganesh visarjan
• Bhadrapada Purnima - 26 September - full-moon observance, precedes Pitru Paksha
• Pitru Paksha - 27 September onward - daily tarpana for ancestors

For the full year's fasting schedule, our Ekadashi dates 2026 page lists every Ekadashi with its paksha and month.

Regional names and how observances vary

The same festival often carries different names and customs across regions, and every one of these is a full and valid tradition. Ganesh Chaturthi is Vinayaka Chavithi in Telugu and Kannada households, with clay Ganesha idols, undrallu or modaka offerings and the reading of the Vinayaka vratam katha; in Maharashtra it is a grand ten-day public and household festival ending in visarjan; Gujarati and North Indian families keep it with equal devotion in their own style. Janmashtami likewise ranges from midnight abhishekam and jhankis in the north to Gokulashtami and Uriadi celebrations further south.

Vishwakamra Puja on 17 September is widely kept in eastern and northern India by artisans, engineers and factories honouring the divine architect, and it coincides with Kanya Sankranti when the sun enters Kanya rashi. Radha Ashtami is especially cherished in the Braj region and by Vaishnava communities everywhere. Treat the regional form you follow as complete in itself.

Planning tips for the month

1. Mark the four anchor dates first: Janmashtami (4 Sep), Ganesh Chaturthi (14 Sep), Anant Chaturdashi (25 Sep) and the start of Pitru Paksha (27 Sep).
2. Decide which calendar label your family follows - Amanta or Purnimanta - so month names in invitations and panchangs read consistently.
3. For any fast, confirm the sunrise-based date and the parana window from your local panchang, since a tithi can span two calendar days.
4. If you observe Pitru Paksha, ask your family purohit which tithi matches your ancestor's shraddha day.
5. NRIs should account for time-zone shifts in tithi start and end times before fixing a date abroad.

For readers outside India deciding which reckoning to keep, see our guide on which panchang NRIs should follow. For the complete month-by-month context, our Bhadrapada masam 2026 pillar ties every observance together.

Related reading

• Bhadrapada Masam 2026 - month pillar
• Amanta vs Purnimanta explained
• Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 - date, muhurat, city-wise
• Ganesh Visarjan 2026 - dates and vidhi
• Anant Chaturdashi 2026
• Pitru Paksha 2026
• Ekadashi dates 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Ganesh Chaturthi in September 2026?

Ganesh Chaturthi falls on 14 September 2026 (Monday), on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. It is called Vinayaka Chavithi in Telugu and Kannada tradition. For city-wise muhurat guidance see our dedicated Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 pillar page; confirm your local sthapana timing from a regional panchang.

What is the date of Krishna Janmashtami 2026?

Krishna Janmashtami is on 4 September 2026 (Thursday), on Krishna Paksha Ashtami. Under the Purnimanta calendar this Ashtami belongs to Bhadrapada, while under the Amanta calendar the same fortnight belongs to Shravana - so different panchangs may name the month differently for the very same day.

Why do Amanta and Purnimanta calendars label Janmashtami differently?

Purnimanta months end on the full moon and open with the dark half (Krishna Paksha), so Janmashtami's Krishna Paksha Ashtami falls in Bhadrapada. Amanta months end on the new moon, so that same Krishna Paksha belongs to the previous month, Shravana. Both describe the identical evening; only the month name differs.

When does Pitru Paksha begin and end in 2026?

Pitru Paksha, the fortnight of ancestral shraddha, begins on 27 September 2026 and concludes on Sarva Pitru (Mahalaya) Amavasya on 10 October 2026. The specific shraddha day for a family is matched to the tithi on which the ancestor passed, so confirm your day with a local panchang or family purohit.

What festivals fall between Ganesh Chaturthi and Anant Chaturdashi?

Between 14 and 25 September 2026 come Rishi Panchami (15 Sep), Vishwakarma Puja and Kanya Sankranti (17 Sep), Radha Ashtami (19 Sep), Vamana Jayanti (around 20 Sep) and Parivartini Ekadashi (22 Sep), before the ten-day Ganesh festival closes with Anant Chaturdashi and visarjan on 25 September.

When is Anant Chaturdashi and Ganesh Visarjan 2026?

Anant Chaturdashi falls on 25 September 2026 (Friday) on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi, and marks the main Ganesh Visarjan day that ends the ten-day festival. For the immersion procedure and regional visarjan dates, see our Ganesh Visarjan 2026 guide and confirm timings locally.

Which Ekadashi fasts fall in September 2026?

September 2026 has two Ekadashis: Aja Ekadashi around 6-7 September in Krishna Paksha, and Parivartini (Parsva) Ekadashi on 22 September in Shukla Paksha, when Vishnu is said to turn on Ananta Shesha. Confirm the exact fasting and parana day from your local panchang.

Do festival dates change by city or country?

The solar date of a festival is the same everywhere, but the calendar day on which a tithi-based vrata is observed can shift with sunrise and time zone. For observers abroad, tithi start and end times move with the clock, so NRIs should confirm dates from a panchang set to their own location.