Quick answer: Thursday 24 December 2026 is Day 16 of Margasira Masam in India. The tithi is Purnima until 6:57 AM IST, then Krishna Pratipada until about 3:07 AM IST on Fri 25 Dec (our calculation), then Dwitiya (Drik Panchang, IST). It is Arudra Darshanam and the third Lakshmivaram. Sunrise in Hyderabad is 6:43 AM IST (Drik Panchang); times for 12 more cities are below. It is day 9 of Dhanurmasam: Tiruppavai pasuram 9 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 16)

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, Thursday 24 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 6:43 AM, sunset 5:49 PM IST
  • Vijayawada: sunrise 6:32 AM, sunset 5:41 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • Bengaluru: sunrise 6:38 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.); here Pratipada is at sunrise (until about 3:07 AM IST on Fri 25 Dec)
  • Mumbai: sunrise 7:08 AM, sunset 6:07 PM IST, calculated (approx.); here Pratipada is at sunrise (until about 3:07 AM IST on Fri 25 Dec)
  • New York: sunrise 7:17 AM, sunset 4:33 PM EST, calculated (approx.); Pratipada at local sunrise (until about 4:37 PM EST)
  • Dallas: sunrise 7:27 AM, sunset 5:26 PM CST, calculated (approx.); Pratipada at local sunrise (until about 3:37 PM CST)
  • San Jose: sunrise 7:19 AM, sunset 4:54 PM PST, calculated (approx.); Pratipada at local sunrise (until about 1:37 PM PST)
  • London: sunrise 8:05 AM, sunset 3:54 PM GMT, calculated (approx.); Pratipada at local sunrise (until about 9:37 PM GMT)
  • Toronto: sunrise 7:49 AM, sunset 4:44 PM EST, calculated (approx.); Pratipada at local sunrise (until about 4:37 PM EST)
  • Dubai: sunrise 7:01 AM, sunset 5:35 PM GST, calculated (approx.); Pratipada at local sunrise (until about 1:37 AM GST on Fri 25 Dec)
  • Sydney: sunrise 5:42 AM, sunset 8:06 PM AEDT, calculated (approx.); Purnima at local sunrise (until 12:27 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: Purnima until 6:57 AM IST, then Krishna Pratipada until about 3:07 AM IST on Fri 25 Dec (our calculation), then Dwitiya.
  • Nakshatra: Ardra (from about 4:52 AM IST) until 1:47 AM IST on Fri 25 Dec, then Punarvasu.
  • Paksha and month: Shukla Paksha until Purnima ends at 6:57 AM IST, then Krishna Paksha (waning moon), Margasira (amanta). North Indian (purnimanta) calendars begin Paush tomorrow.

A tithi changes at the same moment everywhere in the world. Only the clock time differs. When Pratipada ends in your time zone (approximate, from our calculation):

  • New York and Toronto: Pratipada ends 4:37 PM EST on Thu 24 Dec (approx.)
  • Dallas: 3:37 PM CST on Thu 24 Dec (approx.)
  • San Jose: 1:37 PM PST on Thu 24 Dec (approx.)
  • London: 9:37 PM GMT on Thu 24 Dec (approx.)
  • Dubai: 1:37 AM GST on Fri 25 Dec (approx.)
  • Sydney: 8:37 AM AEDT on Fri 25 Dec (approx.)
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Festival of the day: Arudra Darshanam and the third Lakshmivaram

Thursday 24 December 2026 is Arudra Darshanam (Margazhi Thiruvathirai), the festival of Shiva as Nataraja, on Ardra nakshatra, together with Margasira Pournami snan and charity and Annapurna Jayanti, all listed by Drik Panchang today. Purnima is at sunrise in Hyderabad until 6:57 AM IST. See Arudra Darshan 2026, Margasira Pournami and Annapurna Jayanti 2026.

It is also the third Margasira Thursday (Lakshmivaram). In New Delhi and Mumbai the sun rises after Purnima ends, so Pratipada is at sunrise there. Abroad, Arudra Darshan is today in the Americas, the UK and the Gulf, and Friday 25 December in Sydney.

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Today's Margasira practice: Lakshmivaram and Tiruppavai pasuram 9

Today is the 3rd Margasira Thursday (Lakshmivaram). Many Telugu women keep the Margasira Lakshmivara vratam: clean the home, draw a muggu, worship Ganesha, take a sankalpam, offer turmeric, kumkum, flowers and a ghee lamp to Goddess Lakshmi, recite the Sri Lakshmi Ashtottaram or the Sri Suktam, read the vratam katha and give tambulam to married women who visit. The full step-by-step puja and samagri are in our Margasira Masam 2026 guide; for the Maharashtrian form, see Margashirsha Guruvar Vrat.

Today is day 9 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 9. Temples that begin on 17 December are one verse behind, at pasuram 8; 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.

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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. Lakshmivara puja: worship Lakshmi with turmeric, kumkum, flowers and a ghee lamp, and recite the Sri Lakshmi Ashtottaram.
  4. Tiruppavai: sing or listen to pasuram 9 at dawn, or read its meaning in the Dhanurmasam guide.
  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 Namah Shivaya

Meaning: "I bow to Lord Shiva." The five-syllable (Panchakshari) mantra, chanted on Pradosh, Masa Shivaratri and Arudra Darshanam. Chant it 11, 27 or 108 times.

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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 Thursday 24 December 2026?

The tithi is Purnima until 6:57 AM IST, then Krishna Pratipada until about 3:07 AM IST on Fri 25 Dec (our calculation), then Dwitiya (Drik Panchang, IST). The nakshatra is Ardra (from about 4:52 AM IST) until 1:47 AM IST on Fri 25 Dec, then Punarvasu.

What time is sunrise on 24 December 2026?

In Hyderabad sunrise is 6:43 AM and sunset 5:49 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 16?

Pasuram 9, 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 8 today. Follow your temple's count.

Is Day 16 on the same date in the USA, UK and Australia?

The calendar date is the same, Thursday 24 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; Purnima is at sunrise in Sydney (Hyderabad: Purnima). Arudra Darshan is Friday 25 December in Sydney.

Which mantra can I chant on Day 16?

Om Namah Shivaya. Meaning: I bow to Lord Shiva. The five-syllable (Panchakshari) mantra, chanted on Pradosh, Masa Shivaratri and Arudra Darshanam. Chant it 11, 27 or 108 times.

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. The end of Krishna Pratipada (about 3:07 AM IST on 25 December) is our calculation, because Pratipada does not touch a Hyderabad sunrise this fortnight; our calculator runs 1 to 2 minutes later than Drik on every instant we could compare, so we take a minute off and mark it approx. 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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