Quick answer: Skanda Sashti and Soora Samharam 2026 fall on Sunday 15 November 2026 in the UK and Australia, as in India. In the USA and Canada, Shashti tithi is in force at sunrise on Sunday 15 November but already prevails at sunset on Saturday 14 November, so temples may hold Soora Samharam on either day. Both are weekend days this year. These are HinduTone calculated dates (Drik method); confirm with your temple.

Soora Samharam 2026 date by country

CountrySkanda Sashti / Soora SamharamWhyTirukalyanam (commonly next day)
IndiaSun 15 Nov 2026Drik Panchang listingMon 16 Nov
USASun 15 Nov or Sat 14 Nov 2026Shashti at sunrise Sun 15; already at sunset Sat 14Day after your temple's Soora Samharam
CanadaSun 15 Nov or Sat 14 Nov 2026Same as the USADay after your temple's Soora Samharam
UKSun 15 Nov 2026Shashti at sunrise and at sunsetMon 16 Nov
AustraliaSun 15 Nov 2026Shashti at sunrise and at sunsetMon 16 Nov

Why the split in North America? Hindu festivals are tied to the lunar day (tithi), which begins and ends at the same moment worldwide but lands at different local clock times. Most festivals follow the tithi at local sunrise, which points to Sunday. Because Soora Samharam is enacted in the evening, some priests prefer the day on which Shashti prevails at sunset, which in the Americas is Saturday. Neither is wrong. Do not convert India's tithi times to your local time zone; follow your temple or a panchang set for your city. For India's day-by-day list, see the main Skanda Sashti 2026 page.

What Skanda Sashti celebrates

Skanda Sashti honours Lord Murugan (Skanda, Kartikeya, Subrahmanya), the son of Shiva and Parvati. As commonly told, Murugan fought the asura Surapadman for six days and, on the sixth, split him with the vel, the spear given by his mother. The two halves became Murugan's peacock mount and the rooster on his flag. Devotees see it as the victory of divine wisdom over ego. The six-day observance, called Kanda Sashti, begins right after Deepavali, and the most famous Soora Samharam is held on the beach at Tiruchendur in Tamil Nadu.

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What happens at Murugan temples abroad

Tamil, Sri Lankan Tamil and wider South Indian communities have built Murugan temples and shrines across North America, the UK and Australia. A well-known example is the Murugan Temple of North America in Lanham, Maryland; many other Hindu temples have a Murugan shrine and mark the festival. Programmes differ, but you can generally expect:

  • Daily abhishekam: the deity bathed with milk, curd, honey, panchamritam and sandalwood, then decorated, over the six days.
  • Group recitation: Kanda Sashti Kavasam, Thiruppugazh and other hymns to Murugan, often led by volunteers.
  • Soora Samharam enactment: where a temple stages it, Murugan's festival image with the vel confronts effigies of Surapadman and his brothers, who change heads and forms before the final victory. Indoors or in a car park, depending on the weather and space.
  • Tirukalyanam: the wedding of Murugan with Deivanai, commonly held the next day, with devotees attending as guests.
  • Prasadam and annadanam: many temples serve a meal after the main events, and devotees often break their fast there.

We do not list timings, programmes or fees. Check the temple's official website, newsletter or social media for current timings.

Keeping the six-day vratam abroad

Families keep the fast in many ways. Pick a form that fits your health and your work week:

  • One meal a day: a simple vegetarian lunch, with fruit and milk in the evening.
  • Fruit and milk only: only for those used to fasting and medically fit.
  • Strict fast on Sashti only: keeping the first five days vegetarian and simple.
  • What to avoid: meat, fish, eggs and alcohol; many also avoid onion and garlic.

Health first: anyone with diabetes, blood pressure problems or other conditions, pregnant or nursing women, children and older devotees should talk to a doctor before fasting. November is cold in North America and the UK and warm in Australia; either way, drink enough fluids. A lighter vratam is a full and valid offering.

At work and at school

  • In 2026 the vratam days fall mostly on weekdays and end at the weekend, so the main temple events are easier to attend than usual.If you are fasting, keep fruit, nuts and water at your desk, and avoid long drives home on an empty stomach.A short explanation helps colleagues: "It is a six-day fast for Lord Murugan, a much-loved Hindu deity, ending with a festival of his victory over evil this weekend."If your temple holds Tirukalyanam on Monday 16 November evening, plan to leave work on time.

With kids

  • Tell the Surapadman story in a short, age-appropriate way, focusing on courage and the peacock and rooster transformation.Let children draw Murugan's vel, peacock and rooster, or make a paper peacock with a fan of feathers.Older children can learn a few lines of Kanda Sashti Kavasam with a parent or from a temple class.Children should not fast. Let them join by lighting the lamp with an adult, offering fruit, or helping at the temple's prasadam table.

If there is no Murugan temple nearby

Light a lamp each evening in front of a picture of Murugan or a vel, recite or play Kanda Sashti Kavasam, offer fruit, and pray on Sashti evening. Some temples stream their programmes online. For how the festival is observed in Southeast Asia, see our Skanda Sashti 2026 in Singapore and Malaysia guide, and for the December Shashti of Murugan, our Subrahmanya Shashti 2026 page.

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Next on the calendar: Karthigai Deepam

Karthigai Deepam, the Tamil festival of lamps on the Krittika star, follows nine or ten days later: Monday 23 November 2026 in the USA and Canada and Tuesday 24 November 2026 in the UK and Australia by HinduTone's calculation. See our Karthigai Deepam 2026 abroad guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Soora Samharam 2026 on Saturday 14 or Sunday 15 November in the USA?

It can be either, and both have a sound basis. By HinduTone's calculation (Drik method), Shashti tithi is in force at sunrise on Sunday 15 November across the USA and Canada, which supports Sunday. But Shashti already prevails at sunset on Saturday 14 November, and Soora Samharam is an evening event, so some temples may hold it on Saturday. Follow your own temple's announcement.

When is Skanda Sashti 2026 in the UK and Australia?

Sunday 15 November 2026, the same day as in India, Singapore and Malaysia, by HinduTone's panchang calculation. Please confirm with your temple.

When does the six-day vratam start abroad?

The vratam begins the day after the Deepavali new moon and ends on Sashti. Our India Skanda Sashti page lists each day for India. Abroad, start counting six days back from the day your temple holds Soora Samharam, or follow the schedule your temple announces.

Do I have to fast for six days?

No. Many devotees fast only on Sashti or eat one simple vegetarian meal a day, and that is fully accepted in most families. People with medical conditions, pregnant or nursing women, children and older devotees should check with a doctor before fasting.

Is Tirukalyanam also held abroad?

Many Murugan temples abroad celebrate Tirukalyanam, the wedding of Murugan and Deivanai, on the day after Soora Samharam, but each temple decides its own programme. Check your temple's calendar.

My nearest temple has no Murugan shrine. What can I do?

Keep the vratam at home: light a lamp each evening, recite or play Kanda Sashti Kavasam, offer fruit, and pray on Sashti evening. Many families also join a temple's online stream if one is offered.

Editor's note (9 October 2026)

This guide was written in October 2026. Dates are HinduTone panchang calculations (Drik method): Shashti at sunrise on Sunday 15 November 2026 everywhere listed, but already prevailing at sunset on Saturday 14 November in the USA and Canada, which is why both days are given there. India's date is from Drik Panchang. Please confirm with your temple. No temple timings, programmes or prices are given. The Murugan story is told as commonly narrated in Tamil tradition.