Vrishchika Sankranti 2026: Monday 16 November, Sankranti Moment 7:48 PM IST, Punya Kaal by City, Karthigai and Sabarimala Mandala Season

Quick answer: Vrishchika Sankranti 2026 is on Monday 16 November 2026. The Sun enters sidereal Vrishchika (Scorpio) at 7:48 PM IST, per Drik Panchang. Because this is after sunset, the Punya Kaal in India is the afternoon of 16 November: 12:06 PM to 5:27 PM in Delhi and 12:01 PM to 5:40 PM in Hyderabad. The Tamil month of Karthigai, the Malayalam month of Vrischikam and the Sabarimala Mandala season begin the next day, Tuesday 17 November.

Last updated: 25 October 2026. The Sankranti moment and Punya Kaal for Delhi, Hyderabad, New York, Toronto, London, Singapore and Sydney are from Drik Panchang (fetched 25 October 2026). The other cities are calculated with HinduTone's panchang calculator using the same rules; it matched all seven Drik cities to within a minute.

Vrishchika Sankranti 2026 date and Sankranti moment

Why the Punya Kaal comes before the moment this year

Each Sankranti has a holy window, the Punya Kaal, for bathing, prayer and giving. For a Vishnupadi Sankranti like Vrishchika the window lies before the moment. When the moment falls in daylight, the window runs up to the moment. When it falls between sunset and midnight, as in India in 2026, the panchang takes the second half of the day, from midday to sunset. When it falls after midnight, as in Sydney and Auckland, it takes the first half of the next day. The Maha Punya Kaal is the most auspicious part of that window.

Vrishchika Sankranti 2026 Punya Kaal by city

All times are local. Canada's winter clocks for 2026–27: British Columbia UTC−7, Alberta UTC−6 and Manitoba UTC−5. On the US West Coast and in British Columbia the moment comes just before sunrise, so the Punya Kaal is the first half of Monday 16 November.

In New York, Toronto, Chicago, Houston, Dallas and Winnipeg the window is short because the moment comes only one to three hours after sunrise. A bath and arghya before leaving for work fits it well.

What begins with Vrishchika Sankranti

• Tamil Karthigai (Tue 17 Nov – Tue 15 Dec): the month of lamps, ending with Karthigai Deepam on 24 November and Somavarams through the month. See Karthigai month 2026.
• Malayalam Vrischikam and the Sabarimala season: Vrischikam 1 (Tue 17 Nov) is the day many Ayyappa devotees wear the mala and start the 41-day vratham. Mandala Pooja is expected on Sunday 27 December. See the Sabarimala Yatra 2026-27 guide and Mandala Pooja 2026.
• Karthika Masam continues: in the Telugu and Kannada lunar calendar, 16 November is the seventh day of Karthika Masam (10 November to 8 December). The Sankranti does not change the lunar month.

How to observe Vrishchika Sankranti

1. Bathe during the Punya Kaal. In India that is the afternoon of 16 November; an evening bath before sunset still falls inside the Maha Punya Kaal.
2. Offer water (arghya) to the Sun from a copper or steel vessel, facing east in the morning or west in the afternoon, with a few red flowers or rice grains.
3. Chant a simple Surya mantra 12 or 108 times, or read the Aditya Hridayam.
4. Light a lamp at the altar. In Karthika Masam many families also light a lamp by the tulasi.
5. Give something: food, sesame, jaggery, a blanket as the nights grow colder, or a donation to a temple or food bank.
6. Some families offer tarpan (water and sesame) to their ancestors on Sankranti days. This is optional and follows family custom.

Surya mantra:

ॐ सूर्याय नमः॥

oṃ sūryāya namaḥ||

For a longer prayer, read the Aditya Hridayam with meaning, the hymn to the Sun that the sage Agastya taught Rama in the Ramayana.

Fasting and health

Vrishchika Sankranti has no required fast. If you keep one, a fruit-and-milk fast until the puja is enough. Children, older people, pregnant or breastfeeding women and anyone with diabetes, low blood pressure or a condition that needs regular meals should not fast without a doctor's advice.

Sankranti and the first Karthika Somavaram on the same day

In 2026 Vrishchika Sankranti falls on a Monday in Karthika Masam, the first Karthika Somavaram of the Telugu calendar. The two fit together easily: a morning abhishekam to Shiva with Om Namah Shivaya, the Sankranti bath and arghya in the afternoon Punya Kaal, and the Karthika lamp after sunset. Families who fast on Somavaram usually break it after the evening lamp. See Karthika Somavaram 2026 for the vratham and Jalaram Jayanti 2026 for the Gujarati saint's day, also on 16 November.

Meaning of the Sun in Vrishchika

A Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into a new sign of the sidereal zodiac, and each one starts a solar month. The twelve are grouped by the kind of sign: the solstice Sankrantis (Makara and Karka), the equinox ones (Mesha and Tula), the Vishnupadi ones on the fixed signs, and the Shadashiti ones on the dual signs. Vrishchika is a fixed sign, which is why its holy window comes before the moment.

Vrishchika is ruled by Mars in Jyotisha. In the Tamil and Malayalam calendars the month it opens is one of the most devotional of the year: lamps in Karthigai, the Ayyappa vratham in Vrischikam. In the North the Sun's month overlaps late Kartik and early Margashirsha.

Tips for families abroad

• Check your column: the date stays Monday 16 November everywhere except Australia and New Zealand, where it is Tuesday 17 November.
• Morning in the Americas: on the East Coast and in the Midwest the window ends at 9:18 AM or 8:18 AM local time, so do the arghya before work.
• West Coast and British Columbia: the moment is before sunrise, so you have the whole morning, from sunrise to about midday.
• UK and Europe: the window runs from mid-morning to 2:18 PM in London and 3:18 PM in Frankfurt; a lunchtime prayer fits.
• Ayyappa devotees: if your group starts the mala on Vrischikam 1, that is Tuesday 17 November. Ask your Guru Swami for your temple's day.

Frequently asked questions

When is Vrishchika Sankranti 2026?

Vrishchika Sankranti is on Monday 16 November 2026. Drik Panchang gives the Sankranti moment, when the Sun enters sidereal Vrishchika (Scorpio), as 7:48 PM IST. The moment is the same instant everywhere, so it is 9:18 AM on 16 November in New York, 2:18 PM in London and 1:18 AM on Tuesday 17 November in Sydney.

What is the Punya Kaal of Vrishchika Sankranti 2026?

In India the Sankranti happens after sunset, so the holy period is the afternoon before it. Drik Panchang gives 12:06 PM to 5:27 PM in Delhi (Maha Punya Kaal 3:40 PM to 5:27 PM) and 12:01 PM to 5:40 PM in Hyderabad (Maha Punya Kaal 3:47 PM to 5:40 PM). Other cities are in the table on this page.

Why is the Punya Kaal before the Sankranti moment?

Vrishchika is one of the four Vishnupadi Sankrantis (with Vrishabha, Simha and Kumbha), for which the panchang counts the holy period before the moment. When the moment falls in the evening, the second half of that day is taken, ending at sunset. When it falls after midnight, as in Australia, the first half of the next day is taken instead.

Is the Sabarimala season linked to Vrishchika Sankranti?

Yes. The Sun's entry into Vrishchika begins the Malayalam month of Vrischikam. Because the 2026 moment is in the evening, Vrischikam 1 is Tuesday 17 November, which Drik Panchang lists as the day Mandala Pooja begins. The temple is expected to open on the evening of 16 November; the Travancore Devaswom Board publishes the official schedule.

When does the Tamil month of Karthigai begin in 2026?

Karthigai 1 is Tuesday 17 November 2026. A Tamil month begins on the day of the Sankranti if it happens before sunset, and the next day if it happens after. The 2026 moment is at 7:48 PM IST, after sunset. Karthigai runs until Tuesday 15 December. Margazhi begins on Wednesday 16 December, the day of Dhanu Sankranti.

What should I do on Vrishchika Sankranti?

A bath during the Punya Kaal, water (arghya) offered to the Sun, a short prayer such as Om Suryaya Namah or the Aditya Hridayam, and a gift of food, sesame or warm clothes are the usual observances. In 2026 the day is also the first Karthika Somavaram in the Telugu calendar, so many families add a Shiva abhishekam and an evening lamp.

Do I have to fast?

No. Fasting is not required on Vrishchika Sankranti. If you choose to fast, keep it light. Children, older people, pregnant women and anyone with diabetes or another medical condition should eat normally or ask a doctor first.

Editor's note

Editor's note (25 October 2026): This page was rewritten for Vrishchika Sankranti on 16 November 2026. The earlier version did not give the Sankranti moment and asked readers to check another site. It now gives Drik Panchang's moment (7:48 PM IST) and Punya Kaal for seven cities, fetched on 25 October 2026, and a 32-city table. The other 25 cities are calculated by HinduTone's panchang calculator using Drik's Vishnupadi rules; all seven Drik cities matched to within one minute. The Surya mantra is from HinduTone's verified mantra list. The Sabarimala dates are expected dates until the Travancore Devaswom Board publishes its schedule. Fasting is optional; please follow medical advice.

Also read

• Karthigai Month 2026: Tamil festival dates
• Sabarimala Yatra 2026-27: season dates and vratham rules
• Karthika Masam 2026
• Panchangam 16 November 2026
• Tula Sankranti 2026
• Dhanurmasam 2026-27: start and end dates
• Makar Sankranti 2027: date and Punya Kaal