Quick answer: Wednesday 23 December 2026 is Day 15 of Margasira Masam in India. The tithi is Shukla Chaturdashi until 10:47 AM IST, then Purnima (until 6:57 AM IST on Thu 24 Dec) (Drik Panchang, IST). It is Datta Jayanti and the Margasira Pournami vratam. Sunrise in Hyderabad is 6:42 AM IST (Drik Panchang); times for 12 more cities are below. It is day 8 of Dhanurmasam: Tiruppavai pasuram 8 by the count from 16 December.

Margasira Masam 2026 (amanta, the Telugu and Kannada reckoning) began on Wednesday 9 December in India, the USA, Canada, the UK and the UAE (Thursday 10 December 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 15)

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 23 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 6:42 AM, sunset 5:48 PM IST
  • Vijayawada: sunrise 6:31 AM, sunset 5:40 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • Bengaluru: sunrise 6:37 AM, sunset 5:59 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • Chennai: sunrise 6:27 AM, sunset 5:48 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • New Delhi: sunrise 7:10 AM, sunset 5:29 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • Mumbai: sunrise 7:07 AM, sunset 6:06 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • New York: sunrise 7:17 AM, sunset 4:32 PM EST, calculated (approx.); Purnima at local sunrise (until 8:27 PM EST)
  • Dallas: sunrise 7:26 AM, sunset 5:25 PM CST, calculated (approx.); Purnima at local sunrise (until 7:27 PM CST)
  • San Jose: sunrise 7:19 AM, sunset 4:54 PM PST, calculated (approx.); Purnima at local sunrise (until 5:27 PM PST)
  • London: sunrise 8:04 AM, sunset 3:54 PM GMT, calculated (approx.); Purnima at local sunrise (until 1:27 AM GMT on Thu 24 Dec)
  • Toronto: sunrise 7:49 AM, sunset 4:44 PM EST, calculated (approx.); Purnima at local sunrise (until 8:27 PM EST)
  • Dubai: sunrise 7:00 AM, sunset 5:35 PM GST, calculated (approx.); Chaturdashi at local sunrise (until 9:17 AM GST)
  • Sydney: sunrise 5:41 AM, sunset 8:06 PM AEDT, calculated (approx.); Chaturdashi at local sunrise (until 4:17 PM AEDT)
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For other cities, check your city's panchang. Dhanurmasam country guides: USA, UK, Canada, Australia. Margasira Thursdays abroad: USA, UK, Canada, Australia.

Today's tithi and nakshatra

  • Tithi: Shukla Chaturdashi until 10:47 AM IST, then Purnima (until 6:57 AM IST on Thu 24 Dec).
  • Nakshatra: Rohini until 7:56 AM IST, then Mrigashira (until about 4:52 AM IST on Thu 24 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 Purnima ends in your time zone:

  • New York and Toronto: Purnima ends 8:27 PM EST on Wed 23 Dec
  • Dallas: 7:27 PM CST on Wed 23 Dec
  • San Jose: 5:27 PM PST on Wed 23 Dec
  • London: 1:27 AM GMT on Thu 24 Dec
  • Dubai: 5:27 AM GST on Thu 24 Dec
  • Sydney: 12:27 PM AEDT on Thu 24 Dec
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Festival of the day: Datta Jayanti and Margasira Pournami vratam

Wednesday 23 December 2026 is Datta Jayanti and the Margasira Pournami vratam, both listed by Drik Panchang today. Purnima runs from 10:47 AM IST today to 6:57 AM IST on Thursday 24 December, so the evening birth celebration of Lord Dattatreya and the Pournami fast fall today. Many homes do Satyanarayana puja, and Datta kshetras such as Pithapuram, Ganagapur and Narsobawadi celebrate. See Datta Jayanti 2026 and Margasira Pournami 2026.

Where Purnima is still at sunrise tomorrow (Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Vijayawada), the Pournami holy bath and charity fall on Thursday 24 December. Abroad, our Datta Jayanti guide gives today for the USA, Canada, the UK, the Gulf, Singapore and Australia; the Pournami vrat is today in the USA, Canada, the UK and the Gulf, and tomorrow in Australia.

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Today's Margasira practice: Tiruppavai pasuram 8

Today is day 8 of Dhanurmasam. By the one-pasuram-a-day count from 16 December used in our Dhanurmasam 2026-27 guide, the dawn recitation is Tiruppavai pasuram 8. Temples that begin on 17 December are one verse behind, at pasuram 7; follow your temple's count. The guide's table gives a short meaning for each verse, and our Tiruppavai 30 pasurams guide has Telugu meanings.

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. Tiruppavai: sing or listen to pasuram 8 at dawn, or read its meaning in the Dhanurmasam guide.
  4. 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.
  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

Digambara Digambara Shripada Vallabha Digambara

Meaning: A name-chant of Lord Dattatreya, "the one clothed by the sky", together with Sripada Srivallabha, revered as his incarnation. Our Datta Jayanti guide lists it as a simple chant many devotees use.

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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 23 December 2026?

The tithi is Shukla Chaturdashi until 10:47 AM IST, then Purnima (until 6:57 AM IST on Thu 24 Dec) (Drik Panchang, IST). The nakshatra is Rohini until 7:56 AM IST, then Mrigashira (until about 4:52 AM IST on Thu 24 Dec).

What time is sunrise on 23 December 2026?

In Hyderabad sunrise is 6:42 AM and sunset 5:48 PM IST (Drik Panchang). In Chennai sunrise is 6:27 AM and in New Delhi 7:10 AM IST (calculated, approx.). Other cities are listed on this page.

Which Tiruppavai pasuram is sung on Day 15?

Pasuram 8, by the one-pasuram-a-day count from Wednesday 16 December 2026 used in our Dhanurmasam guide. Temples that begin on 17 December sing pasuram 7 today. Follow your temple's count.

Is Day 15 on the same date in the USA, UK and Australia?

The calendar date is the same, Wednesday 23 December, but the tithi at local sunrise can differ. Going by the tithi times above and calculated sunrise, Purnima is at sunrise in New York, Dallas, San Jose, London and Toronto; Chaturdashi is at sunrise in Dubai and Sydney (Hyderabad: Chaturdashi). Our Datta Jayanti guide gives today, 23 December, for the USA, Canada, the UK, the Gulf, Singapore and Australia.

Which mantra can I chant on Day 15?

Digambara Digambara Shripada Vallabha Digambara. Meaning: A name-chant of Lord Dattatreya, the one clothed by the sky, together with Sripada Srivallabha, revered as his incarnation. Our Datta Jayanti guide lists it as a simple chant many devotees use.

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. The start of Ardra (about 4:52 AM IST on 24 December) is from our Arudra Darshan page. 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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