Subrahmanya Shashti 2026 (Subbaraya Shashti, Margashirsha Skanda Shashti): Date, Shashthi Tithi, Dates Abroad, Vrat and Puja

Quick answer: Subrahmanya Shashti 2026 is on Tuesday 15 December 2026 in India. Drik Panchang gives the Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi from 7:15 PM IST on Monday 14 December to 9:19 PM IST on Tuesday 15 December. By our calculation the day is Tuesday 15 December in eastern North America, the UK, the Gulf, Singapore and Australia, and Monday 14 December on the US West Coast and in western Canada. The day is called Subbaraya Shashti in Karnataka and is the great festival of Kukke Subrahmanya.

Last updated: 21 October 2026. This page earlier gave only an approximate date. We have rewritten it with the exact date and tithi times from Drik Panchang, dates abroad from our validated calculator, the regional traditions, a home puja and a verse from the Subrahmanya Bhujangam.

Subrahmanya Shashti 2026 date and tithi (Subbaraya Shashti)

For the full day panchang see Panchangam for 15 December 2026.

Also read in this Margashirsha series: Sabarimala Yatra 2026-27: season dates and deeksha rules, Utpanna Ekadashi 2026, Kalabhairav Jayanti 2026, Margashirsha Guruvar and Margasira Lakshmivara Vratam 2026, Vivah Panchami 2026, Gita Jayanti and Mokshada Ekadashi 2026, Datta Jayanti 2026.

Subrahmanya Shashti 2026 date by country

The Shashti vrat is kept on the day Shashthi prevails at local sunrise. Dates abroad are calculated with our ephemeris calculator, which matches Drik to within one or two minutes. Western Canada keeps daylight time in 2026 (BC UTC-7, Alberta UTC-6, Manitoba UTC-5); the US, Ontario and Quebec moved to standard time on 1 November and the UK on 25 October.

On the American west and in western Canada, Shashthi begins before Monday's sunrise, so Monday is the vrat day there. Temples may still announce Tuesday or the nearest weekend for the main abhishekam; follow your temple. Do not convert India's times into your time zone.

Who is Lord Subrahmanya?

Subrahmanya, also called Kartikeya, Skanda, Murugan, Shanmukha, Kumaraswamy and Subbarayudu, is the son of Shiva and Parvati and the commander of the army of the gods. He rides a peacock and carries the vel (spear) given by his mother. As commonly told, he was born from Shiva's fiery energy, carried by Agni and the Ganga to the reed forest of Saravana, and raised by the six Krittika star-maidens, which is why he has six faces. He destroyed the demons Tarakasura and Surapadma and restored dharma.

The Shashthi, the sixth day of the bright fortnight, is sacred to him in every month. Two Shashthis stand out: Skanda Sashti in Aippasi (Kartika), celebrated above all in Tamil Nadu with Soora Samharam, and Subrahmanya Shashti in Margashirsha, the great festival of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. For the Aippasi festival, see Skanda Sashti 2026 and Soora Samharam.

How the regions keep Subrahmanya Shashti

• Karnataka (Subbaraya Shashti, Kukke Shashti): the annual festival at Kukke Subrahmanya in Dakshina Kannada reaches its peak on this Shashthi with the temple's chariot festival, and Ghati Subramanya near Doddaballapur is crowded with devotees. Many families keep the day for the wellbeing of their children. See our Kukke Subramanya temple guide.
• Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (Subrahmanya Shashti): devotees visit Subrahmanya temples such as Mopidevi in Krishna district, perform abhishekam, and in many villages worship the serpent form of the god at anthills, as on Nagula Chavithi.
• Tamil Nadu: this Shashthi is kept as a monthly Shashti vrat at Murugan temples, while the grand festival is the earlier Aippasi Skanda Sashti.
• Maharashtra: the same day is Champa Shashti, the close of Khandoba's six-day festival at Jejuri and other Khandoba temples. See Champa Shashti 2026.

We do not list temple timings, seva tickets or festival schedules. Check each temple's official website for current details.

Subrahmanya Shashti vrat and puja at home

1. Many devotees eat a light meal on Panchami (Monday 14 December) and keep the Shashti fast until the evening puja, or eat one simple vegetarian meal.
2. Bathe early. Place a picture or idol of Subrahmanya, or worship the vel. In the Telugu and Kannada tradition some families worship a silver serpent image or visit an anthill shrine.
3. Offer abhishekam with water, milk or panchamrita, then flowers, especially red and yellow ones, and a ghee lamp.
4. Offer naivedya such as fruit, panakam, payasam or a simple sweet.
5. Chant 'Om Saravanabhavaya Namah' or 'Om Sri Subrahmanyaya Namah', and recite the Subrahmanya Bhujangam or Skanda Shashti Kavacham if your family does.
6. Visit a Subrahmanya or Murugan temple if you can, and give food to someone in need.

Health note: the fast is optional. Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, elderly, diabetic, unwell or on regular medication should eat normally or ask a doctor first. A simple meal with prayer honours the day just as well.

A verse from the Subrahmanya Bhujangam

Adi Shankaracharya's Subrahmanya Bhujangam, traditionally linked with Tiruchendur, is widely recited on Shashti. Its third verse, from the text published by sanskritdocuments.org:

मयूराधिरूढं महावाक्यगूढं
मनोहारिदेहं महच्चित्तगेहम् ।
महीदेवदेवं महावेदभावं
महादेवबालं भजे लोकपालम् ॥ ३॥

mayūrādhirūḍhaṃ mahāvākyagūḍhaṃ
manohāridehaṃ mahaccittageham |
mahīdevadevaṃ mahāvedabhāvaṃ
mahādevabālaṃ bhaje lokapālam || 3||

Meaning: I worship the protector of the worlds, the child of Mahadeva, who rides the peacock, who is the hidden meaning of the great Vedic sayings, whose form enchants the mind, who dwells in the hearts of great souls, the god revered by the wise, the very spirit of the Vedas. Read the full Subrahmanya Bhujangam with meaning.

Subrahmanya Shashti for NRI families

• Check which day you keep: Tuesday 15 December in the eastern US, Ontario, Quebec, the UK, the Gulf and Asia-Pacific; Monday 14 December on the US West Coast and in western Canada.
• Temples: Murugan temples in Singapore, Malaysia, Sydney, London, Toronto and many US cities hold Shashti abhishekam. Check your temple's own announcements.
• After work: a lamp, an abhishekam with water or milk, a fruit offering and the name-chant in the evening is a complete observance.
• Children: tell the story of the six-faced child raised by the Krittikas. Many families pray on this day for their children's wellbeing.

Murugan and Shashti days, November-December 2026

Subrahmanya Shashti 2026: frequently asked questions

When is Subrahmanya Shashti 2026?

Subrahmanya Shashti 2026 is on Tuesday 15 December 2026 in India, per Drik Panchang, which lists Skanda Sashti, Subrahmanya Sashti and Champa Shashthi on that day. Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi runs from 7:15 PM IST on Monday 14 December to 9:19 PM IST on Tuesday 15 December.

Is Subrahmanya Shashti the same as the Tamil Skanda Sashti?

They honour the same deity on different Shashthis. The big Tamil Skanda Sashti festival with Soora Samharam is in the month of Aippasi, which fell on Sunday 15 November 2026. Subrahmanya Shashti in Margashirsha is the major Shashthi in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Drik Panchang lists Skanda Sashti for every Shukla Shashthi.

Is Subrahmanya Shashti the same day as Champa Shashti?

Yes, in 2026 both fall on Tuesday 15 December. Champa Shashti in Maharashtra honours Khandoba, a form of Shiva, and closes a six-day festival; Subrahmanya Shashti honours Kartikeya. They share the tithi but are different traditions.

What is the date in the USA and Canada?

By our calculation it is Tuesday 15 December in New York, Chicago, Houston, Toronto and Montreal, and Monday 14 December in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg. Check with your temple, which may hold the main abhishekam on its own announced day.

Why is Subrahmanya linked with serpents?

In Karnataka and the Telugu states, Subrahmanya is often worshipped in serpent form, and temples such as Kukke Subrahmanya are linked with Naga worship. Many families pray to him on this day for the wellbeing of children and the family. Prayer is an offering of devotion; it does not guarantee any particular result.

How should I keep the Shashti vrat?

Many devotees fast until the evening puja or eat one simple vegetarian meal, worship Subrahmanya with abhishekam, flowers and a lamp, and chant his name. Anyone pregnant, elderly, diabetic or unwell should eat normally or ask a doctor before fasting.

Editor's note

Editor's note (21 October 2026): We have rewritten this page in place. The date, the Shashthi tithi times, nakshatra and sunrise come from Drik Panchang's day panchang (Hyderabad). Dates abroad are calculated with our ephemeris calculator, which matches Drik to within one or two minutes, using the 2026 clock rules for Canada, the USA and the UK. The Sanskrit verse is reproduced from sanskritdocuments.org. Temple traditions are described in general terms only; check official temple websites for timings and events. Stories are our own summaries of traditional tellings, customs vary by region and family, and nothing here promises any particular result.

Related guides

• Karthika Masam 2026
• Nagula Chavithi 2026
• Karthika Masam mantras
• Skanda Sashti 2026 in the USA, Canada, UK and Australia
• Skanda Sashti 2026 in Singapore and Malaysia
• Kukke Subrahmanya temple
• December 2026 vrat and fasting calendar
• December 2026 Hindu festivals