Dates of Hindu festivals
The following is a list of important Hindu/Indian festivals, according to their traditional dates as per the panchanga.
Festivals according to Lunisolar calendar
The names of months are according to Amānta (new moon to new moon) system followed in south and west India (incl. Maharashtra and Gujarat). In other states, purnimanta (full moon to full moon) system is followed. They are offset by 15 days. So the names of ṡukla pakṣa overlap but not kṛṣṇa pakṣa. Hence, for north Indians, the kṛṣṇa pakṣa below refers to one month later than mentioned. For example, Mahā Ṡivarātri occurs on Phālguṇa-kṛṣṇa-pakṣa for northies but Māgha-kṛṣṇa-pakṣa for southies.
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Yugādi (Ugadi), Guḍi pāḍvā, Cheti Chand, Caitra navarātri | caitra ṡukla pratipada |
| Matsya jayantī (TTD) | caitra ṡukla tṛtīyā |
| Rāma navami (TTD) | caitra ṡukla navamī |
| Hanumān jayantī | caitra ṡukla pūrṇimā |
| Akṣaya tṛtīyā | vaiṡākha ṡukla tṛtīyā |
| Paraṡurāma jayantī | pradōṡa-kāla on Akṣaya tṛtīyā |
| Gaṅgā saptamī / Jahnu saptamī | vaiṡākha ṡukla saptamī |
| Sītā navamī | vaiṡākha ṡukla navamī |
| Vāsavī jayantī, Padmāvatī-Ṡrīnivāsa Kalyāṇa | vaiṡākha ṡukla daṡamī |
| Narasiṃha jayantī (TTD) | vaiṡākha ṡukla caturdaṡī |
| Kūrma jayantī (TTD), Buddha pūrṇimā, Iṣṭhi / Anvādhāna | vaiṡākha ṡukla pūrṇimā |
| Nārada jayantī | vaiṡākha kṛṣṇa pratipada |
| Hanuma jayantī*Telugu | vaiṡākha kṛṣṇa daṡamī |
| Gaṅgāvataraṇa / Gaṅgā dasarā (dussehra) | jyeṣṭha ṡukla daṡamī |
| Gāyatrī jayantī | jyeṣṭha ṡukla ekādaṡī |
| Vaṭa pūrṇimā | jyeṣṭha ṡukla pūrṇimā |
| Sudarṡana-cakra jayantī | āṣāḍha ṡukla navamī (citrā nak) |
| Guru pūrṇimā (Vyāsa pūjā) | āṣāḍha ṡukla pūrṇimā |
| Sindhāra tṛtīyā (Hariyali Teej) | ṡrāvaṇa ṡukla tṛtīyā |
| Nāga pan̄camī (Garuḍa pan̄camī) | ṡrāvaṇa ṡukla pan̄camī |
| Kalki jayantī (TTD) | ṡrāvaṇa ṡukla ṣaṣṭhī |
| Varamahālakṣmī vrata | Friday preceding ṡrāvaṇa pūrṇimā |
| Ṛg upākarma | ṡravaṇā nakṣatra in ṡrāvaṇa month |
| Yajur upākarma, Hayagrīva jayantī (TTD), Rakṣā bandhana, Gāyatrī jayantī | ṡrāvaṇa ṡukla pūrṇimā |
| Kajarī tṛtīyā (Kajari Teej) | ṡrāvaṇa kṛṣṇa tṛtīyā |
| Balarāma jayantī (some North Indian) | ṡrāvaṇa kṛṣṇa ṣaṣṭhi |
| Kṛṣṇa janmāṣṭami (TTD) | ṡrāvaṇa kṛṣṇa aṣṭamī |
| Balarāma jayantī (TTD, Mādhva, Ṡrīvaiṣṇava) | bhādrapada ṡukla dvitīya |
| Sāma upākarma, Varāha jayantī (TTD), Svarṇa gaurī (Hartlikā teej, Haritālikā vrata) | bhādrapada ṡukla tṛtīyā |
| Gaṇeṣa caturthī, Vighnavināṡaka Viṡvaksēna pūja | bhādrapada ṡukla caturthī |
| Ṛṣi pan̄camī | bhādrapada ṡukla pan̄camī |
| Rādhāṣṭamī | bhādrapada ṡukla aṣṭamī |
| Vāmana jayantī (TTD) | bhādrapada ṡukla dvādaṡī |
| Ananta caturdaṡī | bhādrapada ṡukla caturdaṡī |
| Mahālaya amāvāsya | bhādrapada kṛṣṇa amāvāsya |
| Navarātrī ārambha, Agrasena jayantī | āṡvīna ṡukla pratipada |
| Durgāṣṭamī | āṡvīna ṡukla aṣṭamī |
| Āyudha pūja, Sarasvatī pūja | āṡvīna ṡukla navamī |
| Vijaya daṡamī, Dasarā / Dussehra | āṡvīna ṡukla daṡamī |
| Venkaṭesvara svāmi jayantī | āṡvīna ṡukla ekādaṡī |
| (kanyā-māsa ṡravaṇā nakṣatra) | |
| Vālmīki jayantī, ṡarad pūrṇimā | āṡvīna ṡukla pūrṇimā |
| Aṭla-taddi | āṡvīna kṛṣṇa tṛtīyā |
| Karvā-cauth | āṡvīna kṛṣṇa caturthī |
| Dhanvantari trayodaṡī (dhan teras) | āṡvīna kṛṣṇa trayodaṡī |
| Naraka caturdaṡī | āṡvīna kṛṣṇa caturdaṡī |
| Dīpāvalī, Lakṣmī pūja | āṡvīna kṛṣṇa amāvāsya |
| Bali pāḍyamī, Govardhana pūja | kārtika ṡukla pratipada |
| Bhrātṛ dvitīyā (Bhai dooj) | kārtika ṡukla dvitīyā |
| Sūrya ṣaṣṭhī (Chhaṭh pūja) | kārtika ṡukla ṣaṣṭhī |
| Tulasī vivāha, Utthāna dvādaṡī | kārtika ṡukla dvādaṡī |
| Vaikuṇṭha caturdaṡī | kārtika ṡukla caturdaṡī |
| Kārtika pūrṇimā, Deva dīpāvalī | kārtika ṡukla pūrṇimā |
| Sītā kalyāṇa | mārgaṡira ṡukla pan̄camī |
| Subrahmaṇya ṣaṣṭhi | mārgaṡira ṡukla ṣaṣṭhi |
| Gītā jayantī, Ṡrīmad-Bhāgavata jayantī | mārgaṡira ṡukla ekādaṡī |
| Hanumad vrata (Mādhva/Kannaḍa) | mārgaṡira ṡukla trayodaṡī |
| Dattātreya jayantī, Annapūrṇa jayantī | mārgaṡira ṡukla pūrṇimā |
| Vaikuṇṭha ekādaṡī | mārgaṡira (or puṣya) ṡukla ekādaṡī |
| Vasanta pan̄camī | māgha ṡukla pan̄camī |
| Ratha saptamī | māgha ṡukla saptamī |
| Bhīṣmāṣṭamī (disappearance of Bhīṣma pitāmaha) | māgha ṡukla aṣṭamī |
| Viṣṇu-sahasranāma jayantī | māgha ṡukla ekādaṡī |
| Yaṡodā jayantī | māgha kṛṣṇa ṣaṣṭhi |
| Ṡabarī jayantī | māgha kṛṣṇa saptamī |
| Jānakī jayantī | māgha kṛṣṇa aṣṭamī |
| Mahā ṡivarātrī | māgha kṛṣṇa caturdaṡī |
| Holikā dahana, Vasanta pūrṇimā, Kāma dahana, Lakṣmī jayantī | phālguṇa ṡukla pūrṇimā |
| Holi (Dhuleti) | phālguṇa kṛṣṇa pratipada |
| Raṅga pan̄camī | phālguṇa kṛṣṇa pan̄camī |
| Ṡītalāṣṭamī | phālguṇa kṛṣṇa aṣṭamī |
Anniversaries of ācāryas, gurus and sādhus
| Name | Tithi |
|---|---|
| Vallabhācārya jayantī | caitra kṛṣṇa ekādaṡī |
| Ādi Ṡaṅkarācārya jayantī | vaiṡākha ṡukla pan̄camī |
| Rāmānujācārya jayantī | ārdrā nakṣatra in mēṣa-māsa |
| (vaiṡākha ṡukla pan̄camī) | |
| Peddajeeyar jayantī [1909–09–01 20:00?] | ṡrāvaṇa kṛṣṇa dvitīyā |
| (karkāṭaka-māsa uttarābhādra) | |
| Peddajeeyar paramapadam | puṣya ṡukla dvādaṡī |
| (makara-māsa mṛgaṡirā) | |
| Chinnajeeyar jayantī [1956–11–03] | kārtika ṡukla prathamā |
| (svātī nakṣatra in tulā-māsa) | |
| Jayatīrtha puṇya-tithi | āṣāḍha kṛṣṇa pan̄camī |
| Rāghavendra ārādhana | ṡrāvaṇa kṛṣṇa dvitīyā |
| Madhvācārya jayantī | āṡvīna ṡukla daṡamī |
| Vedānta Desika jayantī | āṡvīna ṡukla ekādaṡī |
| (kanyā-māsa ṡravaṇā nakṣatra) | |
| Madhva navami | |
| Vādirāja puṇya-tithi | |
| Vyāsatīrtha puṇya-tithi | phālguṇa kṛṣṇa caturthī |
| Gurunānaka jayantī | |
| Dayānanda sarasvatī jayantī | |
| Ramakṛṣna paramahaṃsa jayantī | |
| Vivekānanda jayantī | |
| Caitanya mahāprabhu jayantī | |
| Ṡivājī jayantī | |
| Guru govinda singh jayantī | |
| Mahāvīra jayantī | |
| Guru Ravidas jayantī | |
| Svāminārāyaṇa jayantī | |
| Basava jayantī | vaiṡākha ṡukla tṛtīyā |
| Purandaradāsa jayantī | |
| Kanakadāsa jayantī | |
| Annamācārya jayantī | vaiṡākha ṡukla pūrṇimā |
| Tailāṅga svāmī jayantī | |
| Āṇdāḷ jayantī | karkāṭaka-māsa pūrva-phalguṇi |
| Mīrābāi jayantī | |
| Akka mahādevī jayantī | caitra ṡukla pūrṇimā |
Names of Ekādaṡīs
| Māsa | Ṡukla pakṣa | Kṛṣṇa pakṣa |
|---|---|---|
| Caitra | Kāmada | Varūthinī |
| Vaiṡākha | Mohinī | Aparā |
| Jyeṣṭha | Nirjala | Yoginī |
| Āṣāḍha | Ṡayanī | Kāmikā |
| Ṡrāvaṇa | Ṡr. Putrada | Ānanda/Aja |
| Bhādrapada | Pārṡva | Indirā |
| Āṡvīna | Pāṡāṅkuṡa | Rāma |
| Kārtika | Utthāna/Prabodhinī | Utpanna |
| Mārgaṡira | Mokṣada | Saphala |
| Puṣya | Pu. Putrada | Ṣaṭtila |
| Māgha | Bhaimī/jaya | Vijaya |
| Phālguṇa | Amalakī | Pāpavimocanī |
| Adhika-māsa | Padminī viṣuddha | Paramā ṡuddha |
Vaikuṇṭha ekādaṡī (also called Mukkoṭi Ekādaṡī) can be either Mokṣada Ekādaṡī or Puṣya-putrada Ekādaṡī – whichever occurs in the Dhanur-māsa of the solar calendar.
Recurring festivals
- Ekāsaṡī fasting occurs twice a month (see above).
- On tradōyaṡī of every month occurs Pradoṣa.
- On ṡukla caturthī of every month occurs māsika-vināyaka-caturthī.
On kṛṣṇa caturthī of every month occurs māsika-saṃkaṣṭi (saṅkaṣṭa caturthī). - On ṡukla ṣaṣṭhi of every month occurs māsika-skanda-ṣaṣṭhi.
- On ṡukla aṣṭamī of every month occurs māsika-durgāṣṭamī.
- On kṛṣṇa caturdaṡī of every month occurs māsika-ṡivarātri.
Range of dates
- Cāturmāsa is a four month period of Ṡayanī Ekādaṡī to Utthāna Ekādaṡī. In each of the four months, one should fast from green leafy vegetables (ṡāka vrata), curds, milk and urad dal respectively.
- Pitṛ pakṣa is during bhādrapada kṛṣṇa pratipada to bhādrapada kṛṣṇa amāvāsya.
- Navarātrī is the nine day period āṡvīna ṡukla pratipada to āṡvīna ṡukla navamī. The tenth day is celedrated as Dasarā i.e., Vijaya Daṡamī.
- Start gaurī vrata :guru pūrṇimā: end Gaurī vrata
- Maṅgaḷa gaurī vrata is celebrated every Tuesday in the month of ṡrāvaṇa.
- Mahālakṣmī vrata is celebrated during bhādrapada ṡukla aṣṭamī to bhādrapada kṛṣṇa aṣṭamī.
Festivals according to Solar calendar
- The day the Sun enters Makara rāṡi (Capricorn) is celebrated as Makara saṅkrānti or Pongal. The day before Pongal is celebrated as Lohri.
- The day the Sun enters Meṣa rāṡi (Aries) is celebrated as New Years Day by various names as Baisakhi/Bikhauti/Bikhu, Pohela Boishakh, Bohag Bihu, Vishu/Bisu, Puthandu.
- Oṇam is celebrated on the day of Ṡravaṇā nakṣatra (Thiruvonam) in the month of Siṃha-māsa (Chingam).
- Thaipusam/Thaipooyam is celebrated on the full-moon day in the Makara-māsa (called thai in Tamil), usually coinciding with the Puṣya (pusa) nakṣatra.
- Visvakarma puja is celbrated on the day the Sun enters Kanyā-rāṡi (kanyā saṅkrānti day).
References
TTD festival list for 2020 Chinnajeeyar ṡārvari calendar 2020 JET UK calendar