Hindu Festivals 2026 — Calendar of major festivals
The 2026 calendar of Hindu festivals (Diwali, Holi, Mahashivratri, Navaratri, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussehra, Ram Navami, etc.) with tithi-anchored dates
How Hindu festival dates are determined
Hindu festival dates are anchored to tithis and nakshatras in the Hindu lunar calendar (not the Gregorian calendar). For 2026 (the Vikram Samvat year 2083): Diwali falls on the Chaturdashi of Krishna Paksha in Ashwin, specifically Sunday 08 November 2026 by the amanta convention. Holi falls on the Purnima of Phalguna, specifically Tuesday 03 March 2026. Mahashivratri falls on the Chaturdashi of Krishna Paksha in Magha, specifically Wednesday 18 February 2026. Each festival is anchored to a specific tithi + nakshatra in the lunar calendar, with regional conventions varying (north-Indian amanta / south-Indian purnimanta). Live Panchang shows the tithi + nakshatra + day-lord for each festival date, so you can confirm which festival is on which Gregorian day.
Major festivals by month — 2026
January: Lohri (13 Jan), Makar Sankranti (14 Jan), Pongal (15 Jan). February: Vasant Panchami (09 Feb), Maha Shivaratri (18 Feb), Holika Dahan (02 Mar—the day before Holi). March: Holi (03 Mar), Ugadi / Gudi Padwa (19 Mar), Ram Navami (29 Mar), Hanuman Jayanti (08 Apr is in March for some). April: Ugadi / Gudi Padwa (some regions), Hanuman Jayanti, Akshaya Tritiya (19 Apr). May: Buddha Purnima (31 May). June: Jagannath Rath Yatra starts (16 Jun). July: Guru Purnima (13 Jul). August: Raksha Bandhan (18 Aug), Krishna Janmashtami (24 Aug), Ganesh Chaturthi (14 Sep—lunar). September: Anant Chaturdashi (23 Sep). October: Navaratri starts (10 Oct), Dussehra / Vijayadashami (19 Oct), Sharad Purnima. November: Diwali (08 Nov), Bhai Dooj (10 Nov), Chhath Puja (15 Nov). December: Gita Jayanti (15 Dec), Christmas (25 Dec—secular).
South-Indian festival differences
South-Indian festivals often use the purnimanta convention (lunar month = full-moon-to-full-moon), which shifts festival dates by ~2 weeks from north-Indian dates. The most prominent examples: Ugadi (Andhra Pradesh/Karnataka/Telangana) is the new-year day on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada—the same as north-Indian Gudi Padwa, but the regional celebration is different. Vishu (Kerala) is on Medam 1 (typically 14 April by Gregorian). Pongal (Tamil-Nadu) is the same as Makar Sankranti but the celebration is different. Onam (Kerala) is the 10-day state festival on the nakshatra of Thiruvonam in Chingam month (Aug-Sep). Live Panchang does not break out all south-Indian regional variants—check with a local calendar for regional specificity.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Why does my festival calendar show different dates for Diwali? A: Different sites use different ayanamshas and conventions. The most common discrepancy is between amanta and purnimanta—south-Indian (Karnataka, Tamil-Nadu, Andhra-Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Maharashtra in some traditions) and north-Indian (UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal, Uttarakhand). Both are valid. Live Panchang shows the amanta convention for panchang but is internally consistent. Q: Why is my local panchang showing the tithi different from a website? A: Tithi-at-sunrise is the operative choice for panchang decision-making. If the website uses moonrise or sunset as the operative moment, the tithi shows differ. Live Panchang uses sunrise (standard amanta). Q: My family fasts on the day before Diwali—why? A: Diwali day is Lakshmi Puja; the day before is Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali) and is itself a major festival day.
Editorial process
Reviewed by Vaid-Pandit Kashmiri Lal Sharma (BVB Varanasi Shastri). Cross-checked against the official Vikram Samvat 2083 almanac. Reviewed annually for accuracy.
Spoke pages — deep dives
Editorial + reviewer
Drafted by Sahil (livepanchang.in), reviewed by Vaid-Pandit Kashmiri Lal Sharma on 5 September 2026.