Quick answer: Thursday 26 November 2026 is Day 17 of Karthika Masam in India. The tithi is Krishna Dwitiya (began 4:50 PM IST on Wed 25 Nov) until 1:15 PM IST, then Tritiya (Drik Panchang, New Delhi). Light the evening deepam at local sunset: 5:40 PM in Hyderabad, 5:39 PM in Chennai and 5:24 PM IST in New Delhi. Today's reading is Karthika Puranam Chapter 17.

Karthika Masam 2026 (amanta) began on Tuesday 10 November in India and a day earlier, on Monday 9 November, in the USA, UK and Canada. Full dates are in our Karthika Masam 2026 guide and the day-by-day calendar.

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Sunrise, sunset and deepam time by city (Day 17)

Light the deepam at sunset in your city. Times marked 'calculated (approx.)' use the standard sunrise equation because Drik Panchang's page for that city and date was not available to us; on the dates we could check they matched Drik within a minute. All other times are from Drik Panchang's city pages. Indian cities are for Thursday 26 November. For cities abroad, the date shown is the local day on which Dwitiya is running at sunrise, and a note is added where the local panchang differs.

  • Hyderabad: sunrise 6:27 AM, sunset 5:40 PM IST
  • Vijayawada: sunrise 6:17 AM, sunset 5:32 PM IST
  • Bengaluru: sunrise 6:23 AM, sunset 5:50 PM IST
  • Chennai: sunrise 6:13 AM, sunset 5:39 PM IST
  • New Delhi: sunrise 6:52 AM, sunset 5:24 PM IST
  • Mumbai: sunrise 6:52 AM, sunset 5:59 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • New York: sunrise 6:54 AM, sunset 4:32 PM EST, calculated (approx.) (Wed 25 Nov, the local day with Dwitiya at sunrise)
  • Dallas: sunrise 7:06 AM, sunset 5:22 PM CST, calculated (approx.) (Wed 25 Nov, the local day with Dwitiya at sunrise)
  • San Jose: sunrise 6:57 AM, sunset 4:52 PM PST, calculated (approx.) (Wed 25 Nov, the local day with Dwitiya at sunrise)
  • London: sunrise 7:36 AM, sunset 3:59 PM GMT, calculated (approx.) (Thu 26 Nov). Dwitiya ends at 7:45 AM GMT, only minutes after sunrise. Check your city's panchang
  • Toronto: sunrise 7:24 AM, sunset 4:45 PM EST, calculated (approx.) (Wed 25 Nov, the local day with Dwitiya at sunrise)
  • Dubai: sunrise 6:43 AM, sunset 5:29 PM GST, calculated (approx.) (Thu 26 Nov)
  • Sydney: sunrise 5:38 AM, sunset 7:46 PM AEDT, calculated (approx.) (Thu 26 Nov)
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For other cities, check your city's panchang. Country guides: USA, UK, Canada, UAE, Australia.

Today's tithi and nakshatra

  • Tithi: Krishna Dwitiya (began 4:50 PM IST on Wed 25 Nov) until 1:15 PM IST, then Tritiya.
  • Nakshatra: Mrigashira until 5:47 PM IST, then Ardra.
  • Paksha and month: Krishna Paksha, Kartika (amanta).

A tithi changes at the same moment everywhere in the world. Only the clock time differs. When Dwitiya ends in your time zone:

  • New York and Toronto: Dwitiya ends 2:45 AM EST on Thu 26 Nov
  • Dallas: 1:45 AM CST on Thu 26 Nov
  • San Jose: 11:45 PM PST on Wed 25 Nov
  • London: 7:45 AM GMT on Thu 26 Nov
  • Dubai: 11:45 AM GST on Thu 26 Nov
  • Sydney: 6:45 PM AEDT on Thu 26 Nov
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Festival of the day

Drik Panchang lists no festival for Thursday 26 November 2026 in New Delhi, so it is a quiet day for the regular Karthika routine. The next Karthika Somavaram in India is Monday 30 November. See the Karthika Masam 2026 calendar for what comes next.

Today's Karthika Puranam reading: Chapter 17

On Day 17, the reading is Chapter 17 of the Karthika Puranam. Many families read one chapter each day, often after the evening lamp. Read the story in Karthika Puranam: the complete sacred narrative.

5 things to do today

  1. Early bath: bathe before or around sunrise. Warm water is fine if the morning is cold, especially for elders and children.
  2. Lamp at sunset: light a ghee or sesame-oil deepam at local sunset (see the city list above) at the door, the puja shelf or near Tulasi.
  3. Tulasi puja: offer water and a lamp to the Tulasi plant and walk around it. Our daily Tulasi puja vidhi has the steps.
  4. Read the Puranam: read or listen to Chapter 17 of the Karthika Puranam. The complete narrative tells the whole story.
  5. Sattvic food and charity: keep meals simple and vegetarian, and give food, a lamp, oil or clothes to someone in need if you can.
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3 things to avoid today

  • Non-vegetarian food and alcohol, if that is your family tradition for Karthika.
  • Arguments and harsh words: the month is kept for calm, prayer and kindness.
  • Wasting food or skipping the evening lamp: even one small diya at sunset keeps the daily practice going.

Mantra for today

Om Namah Shivaya

Meaning: "I bow to Lord Shiva." This five-syllable (Panchakshari) mantra is the most common chant of Karthika Masam. Chant it 11, 27 or 108 times with the evening lamp.

Chant with devotion and at your own pace. Traditions differ from family to family, so follow your elders or your temple priest where they guide you differently.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the tithi on Thursday 26 November 2026?

According to Drik Panchang for New Delhi, the tithi is Krishna Dwitiya (began 4:50 PM IST on Wed 25 Nov) until 1:15 PM IST, then Tritiya. The nakshatra is Mrigashira until 5:47 PM IST, then Ardra.

What time should I light the Karthika deepam on 26 November 2026?

Light the lamp at local sunset. In Hyderabad sunset is 5:40 PM IST, in Chennai 5:39 PM IST and in New Delhi 5:24 PM IST (Drik Panchang). Other cities are listed on this page.

Which Karthika Puranam chapter is read on Day 17?

Chapter 17. Many families read one chapter a day for the 30 days of Karthika Masam.

Is Day 17 on the same date in the USA, UK and Australia?

Not everywhere. Going by Drik Panchang's tithi times and calculated sunrise, Dwitiya is at sunrise a day earlier, on Wednesday 25 November, in New York, Dallas, San Jose and Toronto. London, Dubai and Sydney have it on Thursday 26 November (in London only by a few minutes). Check your city's panchang.

Which mantra can I chant on Day 17?

Om Namah Shivaya. Meaning: I bow to Lord Shiva. This five-syllable (Panchakshari) mantra is the most common chant of Karthika Masam. Chant it 11, 27 or 108 times with the evening lamp.

Sources

Tithi and nakshatra times are from Drik Panchang (New Delhi). Sunrise and sunset are from Drik Panchang's page for each city, checked on 8 November 2026, except the lines marked calculated (approx.). Clock times abroad are the same instants converted to local time.

Continue the Karthika journey