Quick answer: Thursday 12 November 2026 is Day 3 of Karthika Masam in India. The tithi is Shukla Tritiya (began 3:53 PM IST on Wed 11 Nov) until 6:09 PM IST, then Chaturthi (Drik Panchang, New Delhi). Light the evening deepam at local sunset: 5:41 PM in Hyderabad, 5:40 PM in Chennai and 5:29 PM IST in New Delhi. Today's reading is Karthika Puranam Chapter 3.

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 3)

Light the deepam at sunset in your city. All times below are from Drik Panchang's city pages. Indian cities are for Thursday 12 November. For cities abroad, the date shown is the local day on which Shukla Tritiya is running at sunrise.

  • Hyderabad: sunrise 6:19 AM, sunset 5:41 PM IST
  • Vijayawada: sunrise 6:09 AM, sunset 5:33 PM IST
  • Bengaluru: sunrise 6:17 AM, sunset 5:50 PM IST
  • Chennai: sunrise 6:06 AM, sunset 5:40 PM IST
  • New Delhi: sunrise 6:41 AM, sunset 5:29 PM IST
  • Mumbai: sunrise 6:44 AM, sunset 6:01 PM IST
  • New York: sunrise 6:38 AM, sunset 4:41 PM EST (Wed 11 Nov, the local day with Tritiya at sunrise). Tritiya is also at sunrise on Thu 12 Nov (it ends 7:39 AM EST)
  • Dallas: sunrise 6:54 AM, sunset 5:28 PM CST (Wed 11 Nov, the local day with Tritiya at sunrise)
  • San Jose: sunrise 6:43 AM, sunset 5:00 PM PST (Wed 11 Nov, the local day with Tritiya at sunrise)
  • London: sunrise 7:13 AM, sunset 4:15 PM GMT (Thu 12 Nov)
  • Toronto: sunrise 7:07 AM, sunset 4:56 PM EST (Wed 11 Nov, the local day with Tritiya at sunrise). Tritiya is also at sunrise on Thu 12 Nov (it ends 7:39 AM EST)
  • Dubai: sunrise 6:34 AM, sunset 5:33 PM GST (Thu 12 Nov)
  • Sydney: sunrise 5:46 AM, sunset 7:33 PM AEDT (Thu 12 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: Shukla Tritiya (began 3:53 PM IST on Wed 11 Nov) until 6:09 PM IST, then Chaturthi.
  • Nakshatra: Jyeshtha until 2:19 PM IST, then Mula (until 5:17 PM IST on Fri 13 Nov).
  • Paksha and month: Shukla Paksha, Kartika (amanta).

A tithi changes at the same moment everywhere in the world. Only the clock time differs. The end of today's tithi in your time zone:

  • New York and Toronto: Tritiya ends 7:39 AM EST on Thu 12 Nov
  • Dallas: 6:39 AM CST on Thu 12 Nov
  • San Jose: 4:39 AM PST on Thu 12 Nov
  • London: 12:39 PM GMT on Thu 12 Nov
  • Dubai: 4:39 PM GST on Thu 12 Nov
  • Sydney: 11:39 PM AEDT on Thu 12 Nov
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Festival of the day

Drik Panchang lists no major festival for Thursday 12 November 2026 in New Delhi, so it is a quiet day for the regular Karthika routine. Coming next: Nagula Chavithi on Friday 13 November in India (Shukla Chaturthi). See our Nagula Chavithi 2026 guide.

In the USA and Canada, Drik lists Nagula Chavithi on Thursday 12 November, a day before India. See Nagula Chavithi 2026 in the USA.

Today's Karthika Puranam reading: Chapter 3

On Day 3, read Karthika Puranam Chapter 3. Many families read one chapter each day, often after the evening lamp. For the whole story in one place, see Karthika Puranam: the complete sacred narrative.

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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 Karthika Puranam Chapter 3.
  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 12 November 2026?

According to Drik Panchang for New Delhi, the tithi is Shukla Tritiya (began 3:53 PM IST on Wed 11 Nov) until 6:09 PM IST, then Chaturthi. The nakshatra is Jyeshtha until 2:19 PM IST, then Mula (until 5:17 PM IST on Fri 13 Nov).

What time should I light the Karthika deepam on 12 November 2026?

Light the lamp at local sunset. In Hyderabad sunset is 5:41 PM IST, in Chennai 5:40 PM IST and in New Delhi 5:29 PM IST (Drik Panchang). Other cities are listed on this page.

Which Karthika Puranam chapter is read on Day 3?

Chapter 3. Many families read one chapter a day for the 30 days of Karthika Masam.

Is Day 3 on the same date in the USA and UK?

Not everywhere. Drik shows Tritiya at sunrise on Wednesday 11 November in New York, Dallas, San Jose and Toronto (New York and Toronto also have it at sunrise on Thursday 12), and on Thursday 12 November in London, Dubai and Sydney. Check your city's panchang.

Which mantra can I chant on Day 3?

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. Clock times abroad are the same instants converted to local time.

Continue the Karthika journey

Next: Karthika Masam 2026 Day 4 (13 November, Nagula Chavithi).