🗓️ Festivals
Hindu Festival Calendar 2026: Major Dates and Planning Guide
Find the major Hindu festival dates for 2026 and learn why local panchang timings and regional traditions matter.
Hindu festival dates in 2026
This calendar gives widely observed India dates for major Hindu festivals in 2026. It is a planning guide, not a substitute for a city-specific panchang. Dates were checked against the 2026 India calendar published by Drik Panchang; the relevant tithi, sunrise, moonrise, and local temple rule should always be checked before a fast or formal puja.
| Month | Major festival dates in 2026 |
|---|---|
| January | Makar Sankranti and Pongal — 14 January; Vasant Panchami — 23 January |
| February | Maha Shivratri — 15 February |
| March | Holika Dahan — 3 March; Holi — 4 March; Ugadi, Gudi Padwa and Chaitra Navratri begin — 19 March; Ram Navami — 26 March |
| April | Hanuman Jayanti — 2 April; Akshaya Tritiya — 19 April |
| May | Buddha Purnima — 1 May; Ganga Dussehra — 25 May |
| June | Nirjala Ekadashi — 25 June; Jagannath Ratha Yatra — 27 June |
| July | Guru Purnima — 29 July |
| August | Raksha Bandhan — 28 August |
| September | Krishna Janmashtami — 4 September; Ganesh Chaturthi — 14 September; Anant Chaturdashi — 25 September |
| October | Sharad Navratri begins — 11 October; Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami — 19 October; Dussehra/Vijayadashami — 20 October; Sharad Purnima — 25 October |
| November | Dhanteras — 6 November; Diwali/Lakshmi Puja — 8 November; Govardhan Puja — 10 November; Bhai Dooj — 11 November; Chhath Puja — 15 November; Kartik Purnima — 24 November |
| December | Gita Jayanti and Mokshada Ekadashi — 20 December; Dattatreya Jayanti — 23 December |
Why a local calendar may show a different date
Most Hindu observances are based on a lunar tithi, not a midnight-to-midnight civil date. Depending on the festival, the tithi may need to prevail at sunrise, sunset, midnight, or moonrise. Cities also have different sunrise and moonrise times. Amanta and Purnimanta month naming, community practice, and temple tradition can add another layer of variation.
For example, this list uses 26 March for Ram Navami following a Smarta listing; some ISKCON calendars observe it on 27 March. Treat this table as a useful starting point, then use the panchang and temple practice followed in your city.
Read how Hindu festival calendars work before relying on any annual list for a vrat or a puja time.
Plan the year by season
- January to April: harvest, learning, Shiva worship, Holi, the Hindu new-year observances, Rama, Hanuman, and Akshaya Tritiya. See the spring festival guide for 2026.
- June to September: pilgrimage, guru traditions, sibling celebrations, Krishna worship, and Ganesha worship. See the monsoon festival guide for 2026.
- October to December: the Sharad Navratri–Diwali season, Kartik observances, and Gita Jayanti. See the autumn festival guide for 2026 and Diwali 2026 planning guide.
A simple way to prepare
Put only the observances your household actually follows on a calendar. A few days before each one, confirm the local timing, decide on a simple offering or meal, and choose a prayer, story, aarti, or act of service. The major Hindu festivals overview provides a helpful starting point for the meaning behind the dates.
Frequently asked questions
When is Diwali in 2026?
Diwali and Lakshmi Puja fall on Sunday, 8 November 2026 in this India-based calendar. Dhanteras is 6 November, while Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj are listed on 10 and 11 November. Confirm the local Lakshmi Puja muhurat separately.
When is Holi in 2026?
Holi is on Wednesday, 4 March 2026. Holika Dahan is listed on the evening of Tuesday, 3 March, subject to local bhadra and sunset timing.
Is this a complete Hindu calendar for every region?
No. It highlights widely observed dates in India. Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Odia, Nepali, and other calendars may feature additional festivals or use a different local observance date. Consult a local panchang for precise timings.