Quick answer: Thursday 17 December 2026 is Day 9 of Margasira Masam in India. The tithi is Shukla Ashtami until 11:25 PM IST, then Navami (until 11:14 PM IST on Fri 18 Dec) (Drik Panchang, IST). It is the second Lakshmivaram and Masik Durgashtami. Sunrise in Hyderabad is 6:39 AM IST (Drik Panchang); times for 12 more cities are below. It is day 2 of Dhanurmasam: Tiruppavai pasuram 2 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 9)

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 17 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 6:39 AM, sunset 5:45 PM IST
  • Vijayawada: sunrise 6:28 AM, sunset 5:37 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • Bengaluru: sunrise 6:34 AM, sunset 5:56 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • Chennai: sunrise 6:24 AM, sunset 5:45 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • New Delhi: sunrise 7:07 AM, sunset 5:26 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • Mumbai: sunrise 7:04 AM, sunset 6:03 PM IST, calculated (approx.)
  • New York: sunrise 7:14 AM, sunset 4:30 PM EST, calculated (approx.); Ashtami at local sunrise (until 12:55 PM EST)
  • Dallas: sunrise 7:23 AM, sunset 5:23 PM CST, calculated (approx.); Ashtami at local sunrise (until 11:55 AM CST)
  • San Jose: sunrise 7:15 AM, sunset 4:51 PM PST, calculated (approx.); Ashtami at local sunrise (until 9:55 AM PST)
  • London: sunrise 8:01 AM, sunset 3:51 PM GMT, calculated (approx.); Ashtami at local sunrise (until 5:55 PM GMT)
  • Toronto: sunrise 7:45 AM, sunset 4:41 PM EST, calculated (approx.); Ashtami at local sunrise (until 12:55 PM EST)
  • Dubai: sunrise 6:57 AM, sunset 5:32 PM GST, calculated (approx.); Ashtami at local sunrise (until 9:55 PM GST)
  • Sydney: sunrise 5:39 AM, sunset 8:02 PM AEDT, calculated (approx.); Ashtami at local sunrise (until 4:55 AM AEDT on Fri 18 Dec)
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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 Ashtami until 11:25 PM IST, then Navami (until 11:14 PM IST on Fri 18 Dec).
  • Nakshatra: Purva Bhadrapada until 3:30 PM IST, then Uttara Bhadrapada (until 4:10 PM IST on Fri 18 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 Ashtami ends in your time zone:

  • New York and Toronto: Ashtami ends 12:55 PM EST on Thu 17 Dec
  • Dallas: 11:55 AM CST on Thu 17 Dec
  • San Jose: 9:55 AM PST on Thu 17 Dec
  • London: 5:55 PM GMT on Thu 17 Dec
  • Dubai: 9:55 PM GST on Thu 17 Dec
  • Sydney: 4:55 AM AEDT on Fri 18 Dec
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Festival of the day: the second Lakshmivaram and Masik Durgashtami

Thursday 17 December 2026 is the second Margasira Thursday (Lakshmivaram) and the first Thursday of Dhanurmasam. Drik Panchang also lists Masik Durgashtami today (Shukla Ashtami until 11:25 PM IST). See the Lakshmivara vratam puja.

Some temples begin the Tiruppavai today, on the morning after Dhanu Sankranti; TTD did so at Tirumala last season. TTD had not announced its 2026-27 Dhanurmasam schedule when our Dhanurmasam guide was last updated, so check its official site.

Today's Margasira practice: Lakshmivaram and Tiruppavai pasuram 2

Today is the 2nd 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 2 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 2. Temples that begin on 17 December are one verse behind, at pasuram 1; 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 2 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 17 December 2026?

The tithi is Shukla Ashtami until 11:25 PM IST, then Navami (until 11:14 PM IST on Fri 18 Dec) (Drik Panchang, IST). The nakshatra is Purva Bhadrapada until 3:30 PM IST, then Uttara Bhadrapada (until 4:10 PM IST on Fri 18 Dec).

What time is sunrise on 17 December 2026?

In Hyderabad sunrise is 6:39 AM and sunset 5:45 PM IST (Drik Panchang). In Chennai sunrise is 6:24 AM and in New Delhi 7:07 AM IST (calculated, approx.). Other cities are listed on this page.

Which Tiruppavai pasuram is sung on Day 9?

Pasuram 2, 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 1 today. Follow your temple's count.

Is Day 9 on the same date in the USA, UK and Australia?

Yes. Thursday 17 December is Day 9 everywhere, and going by the tithi times above and calculated sunrise, Ashtami is at sunrise in New York, Dallas, San Jose, London, Toronto, Dubai and Sydney, as in Hyderabad. Only the clock times differ.

Which mantra can I chant on Day 9?

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. 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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