🪔 Hindu Festivals
Kartik Purnima and Dev Deepawali 2026: Date, Story and Puja Vidhi
Last updated: October 10, 2026
Kartik Purnima 2026 is on 24 November, the same day as Dev Deepawali in Varanasi and Guru Nanak Jayanti. Here is the date, the story, the Ganga snan and deep daan, and a simple puja.
Kartik Purnima 2026 falls on Tuesday, 24 November, and Dev Deepawali is celebrated the same evening. This full moon closes Kartik, the holiest month of the Hindu year. Devotees bathe in the Ganga, offer lamps and worship Vishnu and Shiva, while Varanasi’s ghats glow with lakhs of diyas. It is also Guru Nanak Jayanti.
Kartik Purnima 2026 date and timings
| Detail | 2026 (IST, approximate) |
|---|---|
| Kartik Purnima | Tuesday, 24 November 2026 |
| Purnima tithi begins | About 11:42 pm, 23 November |
| Purnima tithi ends | About 8:23 pm, 24 November |
| Ganga snan and charity | Morning of 24 November |
| Dev Deepawali pradosh kaal (Varanasi) | About 5:08 pm to 7:47 pm, 24 November |
| Guru Nanak Jayanti | Tuesday, 24 November 2026 |
Pradosh and moonrise times shift by city. Confirm locally before planning the evening puja or travel.
Why Kartik Purnima is so sacred
The end of Kartik
The whole month of Kartik is devoted to Vishnu, with daily early-morning bathing (Kartik snan), lamp offerings and tulsi worship. The month’s great observances, Diwali, Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Tulsi Vivah, all lead up to this full moon, which completes the month and the five-day Bhishma Panchaka vrat that begins on Dev Uthani Ekadashi.
Tripurari Purnima: Shiva’s victory over Tripura
Kartik Purnima is also Tripurari Purnima. The Puranas tell of three asura brothers who received three flying cities of gold, silver and iron, known together as Tripura, which could be destroyed only when they aligned and only by a single arrow. When the cities came into line, Shiva destroyed them with one arrow and became Tripurari, “the enemy of Tripura”. The gods celebrated with lamps, which is the origin story of Dev Deepawali. For more on Shiva’s stories, see stories of Lord Shiva.
Other traditions on this full moon
- Some traditions associate Kartik Purnima with the Matsya avatar, the first of Vishnu’s ten incarnations.
- In South India, Karthigai Deepam, honouring Shiva as a column of light, falls around the same time, though it follows the Krittika nakshatra and can differ from Kartik Purnima by a day.
- The Pushkar fair in Rajasthan and the Sonepur mela in Bihar reach their peak around this full moon.
- For Sikhs, Kartik Purnima is Guru Nanak Jayanti, the Prakash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji; see the list of Indian festivals in 2026.
Dev Deepawali in Varanasi
Dev Deepawali (Dev Diwali) is Kashi’s own festival of lights. At dusk, the riverfront from Ravidas Ghat to Raj Ghat is lined with earthen lamps, the Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat takes on a special scale, and boats fill the river to watch the illuminated ghats. Tradition holds that the gods themselves come down to bathe in the Ganga and celebrate Shiva’s victory on this night.
If you plan to visit, book boats and stays well in advance, expect heavy crowds and road restrictions on the evening of 24 November, and follow local administration advisories.
Kartik Purnima puja vidhi at home
- Snan: bathe before sunrise. If you cannot reach a river, add a little Ganga jal to your bathing water.
- Morning worship: offer water to the Sun and worship Vishnu with tulsi leaves, flowers and a lamp; chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya or a Vishnu mantra.
- Shiva puja: offer water or milk to a Shiva linga and chant Om Namah Shivaya, remembering Tripurari.
- Satyanarayan katha: many families read or hear the Satyanarayan katha on Purnima.
- Daan: give food, clothes, lamps or other useful items to those in need.
- Deep daan: at dusk, light lamps at home, at the tulsi plant, at a temple or on a river or pond; floating lamps should be placed safely and with eco-friendly materials.
- Aarti: close with Om Jai Jagdish Hare or Om Jai Shiv Omkara.
Many people also keep a fast until the evening worship. As with every vrat, adapt it to your health.
Kartik Purnima in the 2026 festival season
Kartik Purnima on 24 November rounds off an autumn that began with Navratri on 11 October and ran through Diwali, Chhath Puja, Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Tulsi Vivah. For all the dates in one place, see the Hindu festival calendar 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Kartik Purnima in 2026?
Kartik Purnima falls on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. Purnima tithi runs from about 11:42 pm on 23 November to 8:23 pm on 24 November (IST), so the holy bath and deep daan are done on 24 November. Confirm local timings.
When is Dev Deepawali 2026 in Varanasi?
Dev Deepawali is on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. Drik Panchang gives the Varanasi pradosh kaal muhurat as approximately 5:08 pm to 7:47 pm, when the ghats are lit with lamps.
Why is Dev Deepawali called the Diwali of the gods?
Tradition holds that the gods descend to the Ganga at Kashi on Kartik Purnima to celebrate Shiva's victory over the demon Tripurasura, so the lamps lit that night are offered by and for the devas, fifteen days after the Diwali celebrated by people.
Why is Kartik Purnima also called Tripurari Purnima?
Kartik Purnima commemorates Shiva's destruction of Tripura, the three flying cities of the asuras, with a single arrow. Shiva is therefore praised as Tripurari, the enemy of Tripura, and the full moon is known as Tripurari or Tripuri Purnima.
Is Guru Nanak Jayanti on Kartik Purnima?
Yes. Guru Nanak Jayanti, the Prakash Purab of the first Sikh Guru, is celebrated on Kartik Purnima, which falls on 24 November 2026 and marks his 557th birth anniversary.
What should be done on Kartik Purnima?
Common observances are a bath in the Ganga or another sacred river (or at home with a little Ganga jal), deep daan (offering lamps) in the evening, worship of Vishnu and Shiva, charity, reading the Satyanarayan katha, and lighting lamps at home and at temples.