Quick answer: Wednesday 9 December 2026 is Day 1 of Margasira Masam in India. The tithi is Shukla Pratipada (began 6:21 AM IST today, when Karthika Amavasya ended) for the whole day and night, until 8:45 AM IST on Thu 10 Dec (Drik Panchang, IST). It is the first day of Margasira Masam. Sunrise in Hyderabad is 6:35 AM IST (Drik Panchang); times for 12 more cities are below.

Margasira Masam 2026 (amanta, the Telugu and Kannada reckoning) begins today, Wednesday 9 December, in India, the USA, Canada, the UK and the UAE, and tomorrow in Sydney. It ends with Amavasya on Thursday 7 January 2027 (Friday 8 January in Sydney). Full dates, the five Lakshmivara Thursdays and the month's festivals are in our Margasira Masam 2026 guide.

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Sunrise and sunset by city (Day 1)

Margasira and Dhanurmasam worship is done at dawn, and many families light a lamp again at sunset, so both times are given. Hyderabad times are from Drik Panchang's day page. 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. Every city is for the same calendar date, Wednesday 9 December. A tithi begins and ends at the same moment worldwide, so the tithi at local sunrise can differ from India's: it is shown for each city abroad, and for an Indian city where it differs from Hyderabad.

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  • Hyderabad: sunrise 6:35 AM, sunset 5:42 PM IST
  • Vijayawada: sunrise 6:24 AM, sunset 5:34 PM IST, calculated (approx.). Amavasya ended at 6:21 AM IST, only about 4 minutes before the calculated sunrise
  • Bengaluru: sunrise 6:30 AM, sunset 5:53 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • Chennai: sunrise 6:19 AM, sunset 5:42 PM IST, calculated (approx.). Amavasya ends at 6:21 AM IST, within a minute or two of Chennai's calculated sunrise, so a Chennai panchang may start Margasira today or on Thu 10 Dec. Check your local panchang
  • New Delhi: sunrise 7:02 AM, sunset 5:24 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • Mumbai: sunrise 7:00 AM, sunset 6:01 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • New York: sunrise 7:08 AM, sunset 4:28 PM EST, calculated (approx.); Pratipada at local sunrise (until 10:15 PM EST)
  • Dallas: sunrise 7:18 AM, sunset 5:21 PM CST, calculated (approx.); Pratipada at local sunrise (until 9:15 PM CST)
  • San Jose: sunrise 7:10 AM, sunset 4:49 PM PST, calculated (approx.); Pratipada at local sunrise (until 7:15 PM PST)
  • London: sunrise 7:53 AM, sunset 3:52 PM GMT, calculated (approx.); Pratipada at local sunrise (until 3:15 AM GMT on Thu 10 Dec)
  • Toronto: sunrise 7:39 AM, sunset 4:40 PM EST, calculated (approx.); Pratipada at local sunrise (until 10:15 PM EST)
  • Dubai: sunrise 6:52 AM, sunset 5:30 PM GST, calculated (approx.); Pratipada at local sunrise (until 7:15 AM GST on Thu 10 Dec)
  • Sydney: sunrise 5:37 AM, sunset 7:57 PM AEDT, calculated (approx.); Amavasya at local sunrise (until 11:51 AM AEDT)
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For other cities, check your city's panchang. Margasira Masam 2026 abroad: USA, UK, Canada, Australia.

Today's tithi and nakshatra

  • Tithi: Shukla Pratipada (began 6:21 AM IST today, when Karthika Amavasya ended) for the whole day and night, until 8:45 AM IST on Thu 10 Dec.
  • Nakshatra: Jyeshtha until 9:00 PM IST, then Mula (until 11:58 PM IST on Thu 10 Dec).
  • Paksha and month: Shukla Paksha (waxing moon), Margasira (Margashirsha, amanta).

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

  • New York and Toronto: Pratipada ends 10:15 PM EST on Wed 9 Dec
  • Dallas: 9:15 PM CST on Wed 9 Dec
  • San Jose: 7:15 PM PST on Wed 9 Dec
  • London: 3:15 AM GMT on Thu 10 Dec
  • Dubai: 7:15 AM GST on Thu 10 Dec
  • Sydney: 2:15 PM AEDT on Thu 10 Dec
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Festival of the day: Margasira Masam begins

Wednesday 9 December 2026 is Margasira Shukla Padyami, the first day of Margasira Masam in the Telugu and Kannada (amanta) calendar. Karthika Amavasya ended at 6:21 AM IST, so Pratipada is at sunrise in Hyderabad and almost every Indian city today. Drik Panchang lists no major festival today (only Ishti). After a month of Karthika lamps, the focus turns to Vishnu and Lakshmi. See what follows Karthika and our Margasira Masam 2026 guide.

Abroad: by Drik's tithi times and calculated sunrise, the month also begins today in New York, Toronto, Dallas, San Jose, London and Dubai. In Sydney, Amavasya is still at sunrise today (it ends at 11:51 AM AEDT), so Margasira begins there on Thursday 10 December.

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Today's Margasira practice

Margasira is the month Krishna calls his own ("masanam margashirsho'ham", Bhagavad Gita 10.35). The daily practices in our Margasira Masam 2026 guide are simple: wake early and bathe before sunrise, light a lamp morning and evening, draw a muggu at the door, read a few verses of the Bhagavad Gita, and chant the Vishnu Sahasranama or the Sri Lakshmi Ashtottaram. Dhanurmasam, with its dawn Tiruppavai, begins on Wednesday 16 December.

5 things to do today

  1. Bath before sunrise: bathe before or around sunrise (see the city list above). Warm water is fine on cold mornings, especially for elders and children.
  2. Lamp and muggu: light a lamp in the morning and again at sunset, and draw a muggu (kolam) at the door.
  3. Read the Gita: read a few verses of the Bhagavad Gita. Our guide suggests reading through the month, especially from Gita Jayanti on 20 December.
  4. Vishnu Sahasranama: chant it, or the Lakshmi Ashtottaram, at the morning or evening lamp.
  5. Food and warm clothes: give food or warm clothing to someone in need during the cold weeks of the month, as our Margasira guide suggests.
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3 things to avoid today

  • Sleeping through the dawn: if you are keeping the month's practice, the early bath, lamp and prayer are its heart.
  • Arguments and harsh words: Margasira is kept for prayer, reading and kindness.
  • A fast beyond your health: fasting is optional. Pregnant women, elders, diabetics and anyone on regular medicine should speak to a doctor first and can keep a lighter vratam with fruit or milk.

Mantra for today

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

Meaning: "I bow to Lord Vasudeva (Vishnu), the Supreme." In the Bhagavad Gita (10.35) Krishna names Margasira as his own month, so this twelve-syllable mantra suits every day of it. Chant it 11, 27 or 108 times after the morning bath.

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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 Wednesday 9 December 2026?

The tithi is Shukla Pratipada (began 6:21 AM IST today, when Karthika Amavasya ended) for the whole day and night, until 8:45 AM IST on Thu 10 Dec (Drik Panchang, IST). The nakshatra is Jyeshtha until 9:00 PM IST, then Mula (until 11:58 PM IST on Thu 10 Dec).

What time is sunrise on 9 December 2026?

In Hyderabad sunrise is 6:35 AM and sunset 5:42 PM IST (Drik Panchang). In Chennai sunrise is 6:19 AM and in New Delhi 7:02 AM IST (calculated, approx.). Other cities are listed on this page.

What can I do on Day 1 of Margasira Masam?

Bathe early, light a lamp morning and evening, draw a muggu at the door, read a few verses of the Bhagavad Gita and chant the Vishnu Sahasranama or the Lakshmi Ashtottaram, as our Margasira guide suggests. Giving food or warm clothing to someone in need is also a month's practice.

Is Day 1 on the same date in the USA, UK and Australia?

The calendar date is the same, Wednesday 9 December, but the tithi at local sunrise can differ. Going by the tithi times above and calculated sunrise, Pratipada is at sunrise in New York, Dallas, San Jose, London, Toronto and Dubai; Amavasya is at sunrise in Sydney (Hyderabad: Pratipada). So Margasira begins today in the USA, Canada, the UK and Dubai, and on Thursday 10 December in Sydney.

Which mantra can I chant on Day 1?

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya. Meaning: I bow to Lord Vasudeva (Vishnu), the Supreme. In the Bhagavad Gita (10.35) Krishna names Margasira as his own month, so this twelve-syllable mantra suits every day of it. Chant it 11, 27 or 108 times after the morning bath.

Sources

Tithi and nakshatra times are from Drik Panchang's Hyderabad day pages (IST, checked on 9 October 2026); a tithi ends at the same moment everywhere in India. Sunrise and sunset for Hyderabad are from Drik Panchang; lines marked calculated (approx.) use the standard sunrise equation, which matched Drik's Hyderabad times within a minute on every December day. Clock times abroad are the same instants converted to local time, and the tithi at local sunrise is worked out from them.

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