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Vivah Panchami 2026: Date, Story of Rama and Sita's Wedding, and Puja
Last updated: November 10, 2026
Vivah Panchami, the anniversary of Rama and Sita's wedding, falls on 14 December 2026. Here is the date, the Ramayana story behind it, how it is celebrated and how to mark it at home.
Vivah Panchami 2026 falls on Monday, 14 December. It is the Shukla Panchami (fifth day of the waxing moon) of Margashirsha, the day tradition remembers as the wedding of Rama and Sita in Mithila. In New Delhi, Panchami tithi runs from about 4:47 pm on 13 December to about 7:15 pm on 14 December.
Vivah Panchami 2026 at a glance
| Detail | 2026 (New Delhi, approximate) |
|---|---|
| Date | Monday, 14 December 2026 |
| Panchami tithi | About 4:47 pm on 13 December to 7:15 pm on 14 December |
| Lunar day | Margashirsha Shukla Panchami |
| Celebrates | The wedding of Rama and Sita |
| Main centres | Janakpur (Nepal), Ayodhya and the Mithila region |
The story: how Rama and Sita were married
The wedding is told in the Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, and retold with much love in the Bal Kand of Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas.
- The sage’s journey. The young princes Rama and Lakshmana were travelling with the sage Vishvamitra, protecting his sacrifices, when he led them to Mithila, the kingdom of King Janaka.
- Sita and the great bow. Janaka’s daughter Sita had been found in a furrow of the earth while the king was ploughing a sacrificial field. Janaka kept a mighty bow of Shiva, so heavy that no king could even lift it, and he had vowed that Sita would marry only the one who could string it.
- The bow breaks. At Vishvamitra’s bidding, Rama lifted the bow with ease, and as he drew it the bow snapped with a thunderous sound. Janaka gladly offered Sita’s hand to Rama.
- Four weddings. Messengers were sent to Ayodhya, and King Dasharatha arrived with his court. Rama married Sita, and his brothers married at the same ceremony: Lakshmana married Urmila, Bharata married Mandavi and Shatrughna married Shrutakirti.
In the Ramcharitmanas, the scene in the garden where Rama and Sita first see each other, Sita’s prayer to Goddess Gauri, and the swayamvara in the royal assembly are among the most loved passages of the whole poem. For the wider story, see our stories of Rama and characters of the Ramayana.
How Vivah Panchami is celebrated
- Janakpur, Nepal. Sita’s traditional home celebrates the wedding at the Janaki Mandir with a festival lasting several days: a symbolic wedding procession (baraat), the exchange of garlands, and the rites of a Hindu wedding performed for the divine couple.
- Ayodhya. Rama’s city celebrates the Ram Vivah in its temples, with processions, decorated images of Rama and Sita, and recitation of the wedding episode.
- Mithila and beyond. Homes and temples in north Bihar and across India hold wedding re-enactments, bhajan evenings and readings of the Ramcharitmanas.
A widely observed regional custom: in parts of Mithila and eastern Uttar Pradesh, some families avoid holding their own weddings on Vivah Panchami, remembering the hardships Sita faced after marriage. Others treat the day as especially auspicious. Follow your family’s practice.
A simple Vivah Panchami puja at home
- Prepare the altar. Place an image of Rama and Sita together, or of the Ram Darbar. Decorate it with flowers, and offer Sita a red cloth or chunari, bangles and sindoor if that is your custom.
- Offerings. Offer a ghee lamp, incense, flowers, tulsi, fruit and a sweet such as kheer.
- Read the wedding. Read the wedding episode from the Ramcharitmanas or Valmiki Ramayana, or tell the story to children in simple words.
- Chant. Recite Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram or another Rama mantra, and pray for harmony in married and family life.
- Aarti. Close with the Ram aarti, and share the prasad.
Some families add the Ram Raksha Stotra or Hanuman Chalisa, and couples often pray together on this day.
What the festival teaches
The wedding of Rama and Sita is remembered as a union of dharma and devotion. Rama wins not by force but by the grace that lets him lift what others cannot; Sita is honoured as the daughter of the earth itself. Many families read the day as a reminder that a marriage rests on shared values, mutual respect and steadiness through good times and hard ones, all of which the rest of the Ramayana tests.
Other observances in December 2026
Vivah Panchami falls between Utpanna Ekadashi on 4 December and Gita Jayanti on 20 December. See every date in our list of Hindu festivals in December 2026, or the full Hindu festival calendar 2026.
Date and tithi times were checked against Drik Panchang for New Delhi and cross-checked with other published 2026 panchangs.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Vivah Panchami in 2026?
Vivah Panchami is on Monday, 14 December 2026. In New Delhi, Panchami tithi begins at about 4:47 pm on 13 December and ends at about 7:15 pm on 14 December.
What is celebrated on Vivah Panchami?
Vivah Panchami celebrates the wedding of Rama and Sita, traditionally held to have taken place on the Shukla Panchami of Margashirsha in Mithila, the kingdom of Sita's father, King Janaka.
Where is Vivah Panchami celebrated most?
The largest celebrations are in Janakpur in Nepal, Sita's traditional home, centred on the Janaki Mandir, and in Ayodhya, Rama's city. It is also widely observed in Mithila (north Bihar) and across Rama temples in India.
Why do some families avoid weddings on Vivah Panchami?
In parts of Mithila and eastern Uttar Pradesh, some families avoid fixing a wedding on Vivah Panchami because Sita's married life was marked by exile and separation. This is a regional custom, not a universal rule; many couples consider the day auspicious.
What should I read on Vivah Panchami?
Devotees read the wedding episode of the Ramayana, from the Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana or the Bal Kand of Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, and sing Rama bhajans and aarti.