November 2026 Hindu Festival Calendar Vrat, Puja and Festival Dates

November arrives with the fragrance of India’s festive season. Marigold garlands go up at doorways, clay diyas are lined along balconies and window ledges, and kitchens fill with the smell of ghee and cardamom as families prepare for Lakshmi Puja. Temples are busy from dawn, mothers and sisters keep their fasts, and riverbanks are swept clean for rituals that continue through the Hindu month of Kartik.

This Hindu Festival Calendar November 2026 is a guide to that crowded month, from Ahoi Ashtami on the first day, through Diwali and Chhath Puja, to the lamp-lit full moon of Kartik Purnima. It explains when each observance falls, why it matters and how people keep it.

One note before the dates. Hindu festivals follow lunar tithis, which rarely begin and end with the Gregorian day, so an observance can shift by a day depending on location, local sunrise and sunset, and the panchang a family follows. Treat this calendar as a planning guide and check local timings before any puja.

Hindu Festival Calendar November 2026: Dates at a Glance

The four days of Chhath Puja run as follows:

• Nahay Khay: Friday, 13 November
• Kharna: Saturday, 14 November
• Sandhya Arghya: Sunday, 15 November
• Usha Arghya and Parana: Monday, 16 November

This Hindu festival list for November 2026 follows panchang listings for India, cross-checked across several sources. Festival dates and ritual timings can vary with location, tithi calculations and religious tradition, so confirm them with a local panchang.

Ahoi Ashtami 2026: A Fast for Children’s Well-being

The month opens on Sunday, 1 November, with Ahoi Ashtami, a day when mothers traditionally fast for the health and long life of their children. In many homes a picture of Goddess Ahoi is drawn on a wall or placed on a board, and the evening puja is held once the stars appear. Some families then break the fast after sighting the stars, while others wait for the moon; practice differs from one household and region to another, and not every family keeps the fast in the same way.

The day falls a little over a week before Diwali, and for many families it marks the point when the festive season genuinely begins.

Rama Ekadashi 2026: Devotion Before Diwali

Rama Ekadashi, on Thursday, 5 November, falls in the Krishna Paksha of Kartik and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Devotees traditionally spend the day in prayer, perform Vishnu puja and read devotional texts such as the Vrat Katha. Fasting takes different forms: some abstain from grains, others take fruit and milk, and some keep a stricter observance. Anyone with health concerns should keep the fast in whatever way suits them.

Ekadashi falls on the eleventh tithi of each lunar fortnight, so Ekadashi dates in November 2026 move with the moon rather than the calendar. This year it lands the day before Dhanteras, so the quiet of the fast comes just ahead of the busiest shopping and cleaning days.

Dhanteras 2026: Welcoming Prosperity and Good Health

Dhanteras, on Friday, 6 November, opens the main Diwali sequence in many traditions. It is linked with Lord Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods and a figure associated with Ayurveda, so the day speaks of health as much as wealth. Homes are cleaned and decorated, lamps are lit at the doorstep, and an evening puja is offered to Lakshmi, Kubera and Dhanvantari. Many families buy gold, silver or a new steel utensil, though this is a custom rather than an obligation, and plenty of households simply mark the day with a lamp and a prayer.

Narak Chaturdashi 2026: The Morning of Choti Diwali

According to Hindu tradition, Narak Chaturdashi recalls Lord Krishna’s victory over the demon Narakasura, who had held captive thousands of people. In many regions the day begins before sunrise with an oil bath and a lamp lit for the household, and it is known as Choti Diwali, the smaller Diwali, in much of north India. In Bengal and parts of eastern India the same night is Kali Chaudas, devoted to Goddess Kali.

This is one of the observances where calendars differ. The Chaturdashi tithi begins late on the morning of 7 November, so Choti Diwali lamps and Kali Chaudas worship are listed for that evening, while many panchangs place the ritual early-morning oil bath on Sunday, 8 November. Follow the date your family or local temple observes.

Diwali 2026: Lakshmi Puja and the Festival of Lights

Diwali itself falls on Sunday, 8 November, on Kartik Amavasya. The evening is the heart of the festival: diyas along every ledge, rangoli at the threshold, sweets passed between neighbours and Lakshmi Puja performed with Ganesha at dusk. Families pray for prosperity, good health and a harmonious year ahead, and many open their account books for the new year.

The date turns on the Amavasya tithi and the evening puja window known as Pradosh Kaal. Amavasya in November 2026 runs across 8 and 9 November, but because the puja is held after sunset, the evening of the 8th is the observance. Exact Lakshmi Puja muhurat timings vary by city, so check a local panchang for them.

According to tradition, many households link Diwali with Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile, when the city is said to have been lit with lamps. Others remember Lakshmi’s emergence, Krishna, or Kali. In Bengal the night is Kali Puja, and for Jain and Sikh communities the same season carries its own meanings. Whichever story a family tells, the November 2026 puja dates cluster around this single evening.

Govardhan Puja 2026: The Annakut Offering

Govardhan Puja, on Tuesday, 10 November, is observed on the first day of the bright fortnight of Kartik, the day after the Amavasya of Diwali. According to the Bhagavata tradition, the people of Vrindavan once prepared to honour Indra with offerings, but young Krishna urged them to thank Govardhan Hill, which fed their cattle and fields. Indra’s fury brought torrential rain, and Krishna is said to have held the hill aloft on his little finger for seven days until the storm passed.

The festival remembers that act through Annakut, meaning a mountain of food. Temples, especially in Braj, arrange dozens of dishes before the deity, and many homes shape a small Govardhan from cow dung or prepare a smaller food offering. The form varies widely between communities. Because the tithi can straddle two days after Diwali, some calendars list Monday, 9 November, so check the final timing for your location.

Bhai Dooj 2026: Celebrating the Bond Between Siblings

Bhai Dooj, also called Bhaiya Dooj or Yama Dwitiya, falls on Wednesday, 11 November, and is devoted to the relationship between brothers and sisters. According to tradition, Yamraj visited his sister Yamuna on this day, and she welcomed him with a tilak, a garland and a meal. Pleased, he blessed her, and declared that a brother who receives a tilak from his sister on this day would be protected from fear.

Sisters today apply a tilak of roli and rice, pray for their brothers’ well-being and offer sweets, while brothers return the affection with a gift or a shared meal. In Bengal the same custom is Bhai Phonta, and in Maharashtra it is Bhau Beej. The ritual is simple; what people usually remember is a long lunch with relatives who have travelled home for Diwali.

Chhath Puja 2026: Four Days of Prayer to the Sun

Chhath Puja, from Friday, 13 November to Monday, 16 November, is dedicated to Surya Dev, the Sun God, and to Chhathi Maiya. It is among the most exacting of Hindu observances and is rooted in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, with large celebrations in Delhi, Mumbai and wherever those communities have settled. The four stages run in sequence:

• Nahay Khay (13 November): Devotees bathe in a river or pond, clean the home and eat a simple vegetarian meal, often rice with bottle gourd, cooked in a pure kitchen.
• Kharna (14 November): A fast is kept from sunrise until evening, when kheer made with jaggery, rotis and fruit are offered and eaten. A long fast without water usually begins after this meal.
• Sandhya Arghya (15 November): Families walk to the riverbank at dusk carrying baskets of thekua, fruit and sugarcane to offer arghya to the setting sun, usually standing in the water.
• Usha Arghya and Parana (16 November): At dawn the offering is made to the rising sun, and the fast is broken afterwards with prasad.

The scene at a ghat during Sandhya Arghya is hard to forget: rows of lamps, folk songs sung in Bhojpuri and Maithili, and neighbours helping each other carry baskets down to the water. Sunrise and sunset times differ by city, so check the arghya timings for your own location.

The fast is demanding. Those who observe it usually do so with long family tradition and preparation, and anyone with health concerns, or who is new to fasting, should not undertake it without considering their own circumstances.

Gopashtami 2026: Honouring Cows and Krishna’s Cowherd Years

Gopashtami, on Tuesday, 17 November, falls on the eighth day of the bright fortnight of Kartik. According to tradition, this was the day Krishna, having tended calves until then, was first permitted by his foster father Nanda to graze the cows. Families and gaushalas bathe and decorate cows and calves with garlands, feed them fodder and jaggery, and walk around them in worship, while temples in Braj and Nathdwara hold special celebrations. For city families, a visit to a local gaushala is a common way to mark the day.

Devutthana Ekadashi 2026: The Awakening of Lord Vishnu

Devutthana Ekadashi, also called Dev Uthani or Prabodhini Ekadashi, marks the traditional awakening of Lord Vishnu after four months of sleep, a period known as Chaturmas. It is also seen as the start of the wedding season, when many families resume weddings and other ceremonies. Tulsi Vivah, the symbolic marriage of the tulsi plant to Shaligram, the form of Vishnu, is performed around this time, and the date varies by region and tradition.

The date is where calendars part ways. In India, the Smarta observance is on Friday, 20 November and the Vaishnava (Gauna) observance on Saturday, 21 November. The Ekadashi tithi begins in the morning of 20 November and ends around dawn on 21 November, which is why the two traditions choose different days. Tulsi Vivah is generally listed for 21 November. Outside India, several panchang sources show both traditions on 20 November. Anyone keeping the fast for Vishnu should follow their own sampradaya or temple. These are the Ekadashi dates for November 2026 that most commonly differ between calendars.

Kartik Purnima 2026: Dev Diwali and the Sacred Full Moon

Kartik Purnima, on Tuesday, 24 November, is the full moon of Kartik and closes the month’s festive season. Devotees take a holy dip in rivers such as the Ganga, give to charity and light lamps at temples and riverbanks. In Varanasi the observance is known as Dev Diwali, when the ghats are lined with tens of thousands of diyas and, according to tradition, the gods themselves descend to bathe in the Ganga.

The day is also called Tripuri or Tripurari Purnima, after Lord Shiva’s victory over the demon Tripurasura, who had built three cities that could be destroyed only by a single arrow. Kartik Purnima matters to other communities as well; Sikhs observe Guru Nanak Jayanti around the same full moon. The Purnima in November 2026 is a day for lamps rather than feasts, and moonrise and puja timings vary by city.

Other Vrat and Puja Dates to Check in November 2026

The month also holds tithi-based fasts listed in regional panchangs. Pradosh Vrat in November 2026 is listed for Friday, 6 November and Sunday, 22 November for New Delhi, though some location-specific calendars list the second Pradosh a day earlier, on 21 November. Dates for Sankashti Chaturthi, Masik Shivaratri and other observances also change with local calculations, so a detailed Hindu panchang for November 2026 is the best reference for them.

Following the Hindu Festival Calendar Through November

The month moves from a mother’s fast and Diwali lamps to Krishna’s offerings, a sister’s tilak for her brother, a river lit by Chhath’s rising and setting sun, and finally the full-moon glow over the ghats of Kartik Purnima. Each observance has its own pace, and together they make November one of the most rewarding stretches of the Hindu year to follow.

This Hindu Festival Calendar November 2026 is best used as a planning guide. Exact puja timings and some observance dates depend on location and tradition, so check a trusted local panchang before you begin a fast or plan a puja.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What are the major Hindu festivals in November 2026?

Ans: The main observances are Ahoi Ashtami, Rama Ekadashi, Dhanteras, Narak Chaturdashi, Diwali, Govardhan Puja, Bhai Dooj, Chhath Puja, Gopashtami, Devutthana Ekadashi and Kartik Purnima. Their dates run from 1 to 24 November, and each should be confirmed with a reliable panchang for your location.

Q2. When is Diwali in November 2026?

Ans: Diwali and Lakshmi Puja fall on Sunday, 8 November, on Kartik Amavasya. Narak Chaturdashi is listed for 7 November in the evening and for the morning of 8 November in many panchangs, because the Chaturdashi tithi straddles both days.

Q3. When is Chhath Puja in 2026, and what are its four days?

Ans: Chhath Puja runs from Friday, 13 November to Monday, 16 November. Nahay Khay is on 13 November, Kharna on 14 November, Sandhya Arghya on 15 November, and Usha Arghya with Parana on 16 November.

Q4. When is Devutthana Ekadashi in November 2026?

Ans: In India, the Smarta observance is on Friday, 20 November and the Vaishnava observance on Saturday, 21 November. Tulsi Vivah is generally listed for 21 November. Outside India, many calendars show both traditions on 20 November.

Q5. Why can Hindu festival dates differ between calendars or regions?

Ans: Festivals follow lunar tithis, which can start or end at any hour, so a tithi may cover two days. Local sunrise and sunset times, the panchang method used and regional or sampradaya customs decide which day is observed, which is why one festival can fall on different dates across regions.