Festivals

Karwa Chauth

Karwa Chauth — Kartika Krishna Chaturthi: the sunrise-to-moonrise fast, the moonrise ritual, the Veeravati story, and dates with Delhi moonrise for 2026 and 2027.

Dhanteras

Dhanteras — Kartika Krishna Trayodashi, the first day of Diwali: Dhanvantari and Kubera, the lamp for Yama, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)

Diwali — the festival of lamps on Kartika Amavasya: the Lakshmi Puja evening, its story in the Ramayana and beyond, the five-day sequence, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Kali Puja

কালীপূজা West Bengal

Kali Puja — Bengal's Kartika Amavasya night, kept on the same night as Diwali: the midnight puja, Dakshineswar, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Govardhan Puja (Annakut)

Govardhan Puja — Kartika Shukla Pratipada, the day after Diwali: Krishna lifting Govardhan hill, the Annakut offering, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Bhai Dooj

Bhai Dooj — Kartika Shukla Dwitiya, the last day of Diwali: the Yama and Yamuna story, the tilak ritual, regional names, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Chhath Puja

Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh

Chhath Puja — Kartika Shukla Shashthi: the four-day sun worship of Bihar and eastern UP, Nahay Khay to Usha Arghya, Chhathi Maiya, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Dev Uthani Ekadashi (Prabodhini)

Dev Uthani Ekadashi — Kartika Shukla Ekadashi, when Vishnu wakes from his four-month sleep: the end of Chaturmas, Tulsi Vivah the next day, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Kartik Purnima (Dev Deepawali)

Kartik Purnima — the full moon of Kartika: Dev Deepawali at Varanasi, Tripurari Purnima, Guru Nanak Jayanti on the same day, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Pongal

பொங்கல் Tamil Nadu

Pongal — Tamil Nadu's four-day harvest festival from Bhogi to Kaanum Pongal around Makar Sankranti: the boiling-over pot, Mattu Pongal, and dates for 2027.

Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti — the Sun's entry into Makara around 14–15 January: the one solar festival on a near-fixed date, Uttarayan, kites, til-gud, and the regional names from Pongal to Lohri.

Vasant Panchami (Saraswati Puja)

Vasant Panchami — Magha Shukla Panchami: Saraswati Puja, yellow, the first letters ceremony, Bengal's Saraswati Puja, and dates for 2027.

Maha Shivaratri

Maha Shivaratri — the great night of Shiva on Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi: the night vigil, the four prahar pujas, the Lingodbhava and Neelkanth stories, and dates for 2027.

Holi and Holika Dahan

Holi — Phalguna Purnima: Holika Dahan on the full-moon evening and Rangwali Holi the next morning, the Prahlad story, Braj traditions, and dates for 2027.

Chaitra Navratri

Chaitra Navratri — the spring Navratri from Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, ending in Ram Navami: how it differs from Sharad Navratri, the Hindu new year it opens, and dates for 2027.

Ugadi and Gudi Padwa

ఉగాది · गुढी पाडवा Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana

Ugadi and Gudi Padwa — the lunar new year on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada in Andhra, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra: the gudi, the six-taste pachadi, Brahma's creation day, and dates for 2027.

Baisakhi (Vaisakhi)

ਵਿਸਾਖੀ Punjab

Baisakhi — Mesha Sankranti in Punjab: the harvest, the founding of the Khalsa in 1699, Nagar Kirtan, its relation to Vishu and Puthandu, and dates for 2027.

Vishu

വിഷു Kerala

Vishu — the Malayalam new year on Mesha Sankranti (mid-April): the Vishukkani first sight, Vishu Kaineettam, its relation to Baisakhi and Puthandu, and dates for 2027.

Ram Navami

Ram Navami — Chaitra Shukla Navami, the birth of Rama at noon in Ayodhya: the story, the midday puja, Ramcharitmanas recitation, and dates for 2027.

Hanuman Jayanti

Hanuman Jayanti — Chaitra Purnima in North India: Hanuman's birth, the Hanuman Chalisa recitation, the separate Tamil and Karnataka dates, and dates for 2027.

Akshaya Tritiya

Akshaya Tritiya — Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, the "undiminishing" day: Parashurama Jayanti, the Sudama story, why gold is bought, and dates for 2027.

Rath Yatra

ରଥଯାତ୍ରା Odisha

Rath Yatra — Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya at Puri: Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra's chariot journey to Gundicha temple, the nine days, and dates for 2027.

Guru Purnima

Guru Purnima — Ashadha Purnima, the day for one's guru: Vyasa, the Buddhist and Jain observances of the same day, how it is kept, and dates for 2027.

Nag Panchami

Nag Panchami — Shravana Shukla Panchami: the worship of serpents, Krishna and Kaliya, Shiva's Vasuki, the milk offering, and dates for 2027.

Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan — Shravana Purnima: the rakhi, the Bhadra-free muhurat rule, the Indra and Krishna–Draupadi stories, and dates for 2027.

Krishna Janmashtami

Janmashtami — Bhadrapada Krishna Ashtami, the midnight birth of Krishna: the Mathura prison story, the midnight puja and fast, Dahi Handi, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Hartalika Teej

Hartalika Teej — Bhadrapada Shukla Tritiya: Parvati's penance for Shiva, the nirjala fast, the three Teej festivals told apart, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi — Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi: Ganesha's birth, the ten-day Ganeshotsav ending in visarjan on Anant Chaturdashi, the modak offering, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Onam

ഓണം Kerala

Onam — Kerala's harvest festival on Thiruvonam nakshatra in Chingam: the return of Mahabali, Vamana, the pookalam and Onasadya, the ten days, and dates for 2027.

Sharad Navratri

Sharad Navratri — nine nights of the Goddess from Ashwin Shukla Pratipada: the nine forms, ghatasthapana, Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami, regional forms, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Durga Puja

দুর্গাপূজা West Bengal

Durga Puja — Bengal's great festival from Maha Shashthi to Vijaya Dashami in Ashwin: the pandal, the four days of worship, Sindoor Khela, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Dussehra (Vijayadashami)

Dussehra — Ashwin Shukla Dashami: Rama's victory over Ravana, Durga's over Mahishasura, Ramlila and effigy burning, Mysuru Dasara, and dates for 2026 and 2027.

Sharad Purnima (Kojagari)

Sharad Purnima — the full moon of Ashwin: the Raas Purnima of Krishna and the gopis, Kojagari Lakshmi Puja in Bengal, kheer under the moon, and dates for 2026 and 2027.