Quick answer: Thursday 31 December 2026 is Day 23 of Margasira Masam in India. The tithi is Krishna Ashtami until 12:32 PM IST, then Navami (until about 1:10 PM IST on Fri 1 Jan, our calculation) (Drik Panchang, IST). It is the fourth Lakshmivaram. Sunrise in Hyderabad is 6:46 AM IST (Drik Panchang); times for 12 more cities are below. It is day 16 of Dhanurmasam: Tiruppavai pasuram 16 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 23)

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 31 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 6:46 AM, sunset 5:52 PM IST
  • Vijayawada: sunrise 6:35 AM, sunset 5:44 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • Bengaluru: sunrise 6:41 AM, sunset 6:03 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • Chennai: sunrise 6:30 AM, sunset 5:52 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • New Delhi: sunrise 7:13 AM, sunset 5:34 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • Mumbai: sunrise 7:11 AM, sunset 6:11 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • New York: sunrise 7:19 AM, sunset 4:37 PM EST, calculated (approx.); Navami at local sunrise (until about 2:40 AM EST on Fri 1 Jan)
  • Dallas: sunrise 7:29 AM, sunset 5:30 PM CST, calculated (approx.); Navami at local sunrise (until about 1:40 AM CST on Fri 1 Jan)
  • San Jose: sunrise 7:21 AM, sunset 4:59 PM PST, calculated (approx.); Navami at local sunrise (until about 11:40 PM PST)
  • London: sunrise 8:06 AM, sunset 4:00 PM GMT, calculated (approx.); Navami at local sunrise (until about 7:40 AM GMT on Fri 1 Jan)
  • Toronto: sunrise 7:51 AM, sunset 4:49 PM EST, calculated (approx.); Navami at local sunrise (until about 2:40 AM EST on Fri 1 Jan)
  • Dubai: sunrise 7:03 AM, sunset 5:39 PM GST, calculated (approx.); Ashtami at local sunrise (until 11:02 AM GST)
  • Sydney: sunrise 5:46 AM, sunset 8:08 PM AEDT, calculated (approx.); Ashtami at local sunrise (until 6:02 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: Krishna Ashtami until 12:32 PM IST, then Navami (until about 1:10 PM IST on Fri 1 Jan, our calculation).
  • Nakshatra: Hasta until 4:13 PM IST, then Chitra (until about 5:29 PM IST on Fri 1 Jan, our calculation).
  • Paksha and month: Krishna Paksha (waning moon), Margasira (Margashirsha, amanta). North Indian (purnimanta) calendars call this fortnight Paush Krishna.

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

  • New York and Toronto: Ashtami ends 2:02 AM EST on Thu 31 Dec
  • Dallas: 1:02 AM CST on Thu 31 Dec
  • San Jose: 11:02 PM PST on Wed 30 Dec
  • London: 7:02 AM GMT on Thu 31 Dec
  • Dubai: 11:02 AM GST on Thu 31 Dec
  • Sydney: 6:02 PM AEDT on Thu 31 Dec
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Festival of the day: the fourth Lakshmivaram

Thursday 31 December 2026 is the fourth Margasira Thursday (Lakshmivaram) and the last Thursday of 2026. Drik Panchang lists no other festival today. See the Lakshmivara vratam puja and Margashirsha Guruvar Vrat 2026.

Today's Margasira practice: Lakshmivaram and Tiruppavai pasuram 16

Today is the 4th 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.

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Today is day 16 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 16. Temples that begin on 17 December are one verse behind, at pasuram 15; 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. 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 16 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 Shrim Mahalakshmyai Namah

Meaning: "Om, I bow to Mahalakshmi." "Shrim" is Lakshmi's seed syllable. Our Margasira guide gives this mantra for the Thursday Lakshmivara puja, chanted 11, 21 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 31 December 2026?

The tithi is Krishna Ashtami until 12:32 PM IST, then Navami (until about 1:10 PM IST on Fri 1 Jan, our calculation) (Drik Panchang, IST). The nakshatra is Hasta until 4:13 PM IST, then Chitra (until about 5:29 PM IST on Fri 1 Jan, our calculation).

What time is sunrise on 31 December 2026?

In Hyderabad sunrise is 6:46 AM and sunset 5:52 PM IST (Drik Panchang). In Chennai sunrise is 6:30 AM and in New Delhi 7:13 AM IST (calculated, approx.). Other cities are listed on this page.

Which Tiruppavai pasuram is sung on Day 23?

Pasuram 16, 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 15 today. Follow your temple's count.

Is Day 23 on the same date in the USA, UK and Australia?

The calendar date is the same, Thursday 31 December, but the tithi at local sunrise can differ. Going by the tithi times above and calculated sunrise, Navami is at sunrise in New York, Dallas, San Jose, London and Toronto; Ashtami is at sunrise in Dubai and Sydney (Hyderabad: Ashtami).

Which mantra can I chant on Day 23?

Om Shrim Mahalakshmyai Namah. Meaning: Om, I bow to Mahalakshmi. Shrim is Lakshmi's seed syllable. Our Margasira guide gives this mantra for the Thursday Lakshmivara puja, chanted 11, 21 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 Navami and Chitra end times on 1 January are our calculation (approx.), because our Drik day pages stop at 31 December. 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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