AstrologgerHindu Calendar
September 2026
Every day’s tithi, nakshatra and paksha with festivals, Ekadashi and other vrats — computed from real planetary positions for New Delhi. Tap any date for the full panchang.
Festivals & vrats in September 2026
- 3 SeptMasik Karthigai (Bhadrapada)
- 4 SeptKrishna Janmashtami
- 4 SeptKalashtami (Bhadrapada)
- 7 SeptKamika Ekadashi
- 8 SeptBhaum Pradosh
- 10 SeptMasik Shivratri (Bhadrapada)
- 11 SeptBhadrapada Amavasya
- 14 SeptGanesh Chaturthi
- 14 SeptVinayaka Chaturthi (Bhadrapada)
- 16 SeptSkanda Sashti (Bhadrapada)
- 19 SeptMasik Durgashtami (Bhadrapada)
- 22 SeptParivartini Ekadashi
- 24 SeptGuru Pradosh
- 26 SeptBhadrapada Purnima
- 29 SeptVighnaraja Sankashti
- 30 SeptMasik Karthigai (Ashwina)
Ask our AI astrologer — free — about any date, festival or muhurat for your own birth chart.
How to read the Hindu calendar
Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Hindu calendar is lunisolar — each date carries a tithi (lunar day) and the Moon’s nakshatra, not just a number. A month runs through the Shukla Paksha (waxing fortnight, Pratipada to Purnima) and the Krishna Paksha (waning fortnight, to Amavasya). Festivals and vrats fall on specific tithis, so their Gregorian date shifts each year. Tap any day in the grid above for its full panchang; holidays and festival days are highlighted. Note that 2026 has an Adhik Maas (leap month, 17 May–15 June), so the year has 13 lunar months and many festivals fall later than usual.
The twelve months of the Hindu calendar
The lunar year runs through twelve months, each named after the nakshatra near which the full moon falls: Chaitra, Vaishakha, Jyeshtha, Ashadha, Shravana, Bhadrapada, Ashwina, Kartika, Margashirsha, Pausha, Magha and Phalguna. The year opens with Chaitra (around March–April, when Chaitra Navratri and Ram Navami fall); Shravana brings Raksha Bandhan; Bhadrapada holds Krishna Janmashtami and Ganesh Chaturthi; Ashwina carries Sharad Navratri and Dussehra; and Kartika brings the Diwali cluster. Because the months track the Moon, each begins afresh roughly every 29.5 days.
Samvat: which Hindu year is it?
The Hindu calendar is counted in eras (samvat). The Vikram Samvat, the most widely used in the north, begins in Chaitra — Vikram Samvat 2083 starts on 19 March 2026. The Shaka Samvat, used in the Indian national calendar, runs 135 years behind it (Shaka 1948). Our calendar computes the samvat, ritu (season) and ayana for every day, alongside the tithi and nakshatra.
Major Hindu festivals in 2026
The year’s headline dates, all computed for New Delhi: Makar Sankranti (14 January), Maha Shivratri (15 February), Holi (3 March, after Holika Dahan on 2 March), the Hindu New Year and Chaitra Navratri (19 March) with Ram Navami (26 March), Hanuman Jayanti (2 April), Akshaya Tritiya (20 April), Raksha Bandhan (28 August), Krishna Janmashtami (4 September), Ganesh Chaturthi (14 September), Sharad Navratri (from 11 October) and Dussehra (20 October), Karva Chauth (29 October), then the Diwali cluster — Dhanteras (6 November), Diwali (8 November), Govardhan Puja (10 November) and Bhai Dooj (11 November). Tap any of these in the grid for its full panchang, or open the festival calendar for the complete list with significance.
How this calendar is computed
Every date here is calculated from the real positions of the Sun and Moon using the Lahiri ayanamsa — the same sidereal system a Vedic chart uses — not copied from a printed panchang. The tithi, nakshatra and paksha shown for each day are the values prevailing at sunrise for New Delhi; festival and vrat dates are derived from the tithi rules (and, where tradition requires, the aparahna or pradosh reference, or the Bhadra rule). Because sunrise and the lunar day shift by location, the calendar for your own city may differ by a day at the edges — use the panchang tool for your exact town.
Key tithis and what falls on them
- Chaturthi (4th) — Ganesha’s tithi — Sankashti & Vinayaka Chaturthi; also Ganesh Chaturthi.
- Panchami (5th) — Vasant Panchami, Nag Panchami — learning and serpent worship.
- Ashtami (8th) — Durga Ashtami; Krishna Janmashtami falls on the Krishna-paksha Ashtami.
- Ekadashi (11th) — Vishnu’s tithi — the most auspicious fasting day; 24 in a year.
- Trayodashi (13th) — Pradosh Vrat — twilight worship of Shiva.
- Chaturdashi (14th) — Masik Shivratri; Maha Shivratri on the Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi.
- Amavasya — new moon — Shraddha and Pitru tarpan; Diwali falls on Amavasya.
- Purnima — full moon — Satyanarayan Vrat, Guru Purnima, Sharad Purnima.
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Frequently asked questions
How is the Hindu calendar different from the Gregorian one?
The Hindu calendar is lunisolar — months follow the Moon’s phases and the year is aligned to the Sun. Each day has a tithi and nakshatra, and festivals fall on tithis, so their Gregorian date changes every year.
What are Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha?
Shukla Paksha is the waxing fortnight (Pratipada to the full-moon Purnima); Krishna Paksha is the waning fortnight (after Purnima to the new-moon Amavasya).
What is Adhik Maas and when is it in 2026?
In 2026 the Adhik Maas (leap month) runs 17 May–15 June. This extra lunar month is added roughly every 2.7 years to keep the lunar and solar years aligned.
Why do some festivals appear on different dates in different regions?
Two reasons. First, a festival is tied to a tithi, and a tithi can start in one city before another, so the observance day can differ by a day. Second, the Amanta and Purnimanta month systems label months differently, which shifts some festivals by a fortnight between north and south India. Our dates are computed for New Delhi; confirm locally if the difference matters.
How do I find an auspicious date on this calendar?
Tap any day in the grid to open its full panchang — tithi, nakshatra, sunrise, Rahu Kaal and the muhurat windows. Festival and holiday days are highlighted. For a specific activity like a wedding or griha pravesh, use the Muhurat pages, which pre-filter the year to the days that clear the classical gates.
Can I download or add these dates to my calendar?
Yes — use the "Add to calendar (.ics)" link at the top of the page to download the year’s festivals and Ekadashis as an .ics file you can import into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook, so the dates appear alongside your own events.