Festival calendar

The Living Rhythm of India's Year

Indian festivals follow the lunar calendar, so their dates move each year. Find every date for 2026 and 2027, what each festival means, and a puja guide to print.

November 2026 to December 2027

Festival Calendar

Dates are for India and can differ by a day in your city or country. Tap a highlighted day to see the festival.

November 2026

6 Nov Dhanteras Diwali begins

7 Nov Choti Diwali Lamps lit in the evening

8 Nov Diwali · Lakshmi Puja Naraka Chaturdashi in South India

10 Nov Govardhan Puja · Bali Padyami

11 Nov Bhai Dooj

January 2027

14 Jan Makar Sankranti · Pongal Many regions also on 15 Jan

February 2027

11 Feb Vasant Panchami Saraswati Puja

March 2027

6 Mar Maha Shivaratri Night vigil

21 Mar Holika Dahan Bonfire in the evening

22 Mar Holi Festival of colours

April 2027

7 Apr Ugadi · Gudi Padwa New Year

15 Apr Ram Navami

20 Apr Hanuman Jayanti

May 2027

8 May Akshaya Tritiya

July 2027

18 Jul Guru Purnima Honouring teachers

August 2027

13 Aug Varamahalakshmi Vratha

17 Aug Raksha Bandhan

24 Aug Krishna Janmashtami

September 2027

3 Sep Gowri Habba

4 Sep Ganesh Chaturthi

12 Sep Onam Thiruvonam

30 Sep Navaratri begins

October 2027

7 Oct Durga Ashtami

8 Oct Maha Navami · Ayudha Puja

9 Oct Vijayadashami · Dasara

18 Oct Karwa Chauth

27 Oct Dhanteras

29 Oct Diwali · Lakshmi Puja

30 Oct Govardhan Puja · Bali Padyami

31 Oct Bhai Dooj

November 2027

14 Nov Kartika Purnima · Dev Diwali

December 2027

9 Dec Gita Jayanti

In depth

Festival Guides

What each festival means, how families celebrate it, and a simple puja guide you can print.

6–11 November 2026 · Lakshmi Puja Sun 8 Nov

Diwali

The festival of lights

Diwali marks the victory of light over darkness. Homes are cleaned and lit with rows of clay diyas, rangoli is drawn at the doorstep, sweets are shared with neighbours, and the family gathers for Lakshmi Puja on the new-moon night. In South India the main day begins before dawn with an oil bath for Naraka Chaturdashi.

Traditions

Day 1 Dhanteras (6 Nov): buy something new, often brass or silver. Day 2 Naraka Chaturdashi: oil bath before sunrise. Day 3 Lakshmi Puja (8 Nov): lamps, puja and sweets. Day 4 Govardhan Puja or Bali Padyami. Day 5 Bhai Dooj (11 Nov): sisters pray for their brothers.

Puja guide to print (PDF)
14–15 January 2027

Makar Sankranti and Pongal

The harvest thanksgiving

When the sun moves into Capricorn, India thanks the sun, the earth and the cattle for the harvest. In Karnataka families exchange ellu bella, a mix of sesame, jaggery, coconut and peanuts, with the words "eat sesame and jaggery, speak sweetly". In Tamil Nadu rice and milk are boiled in a new pot until they overflow, a wish for abundance.

Traditions

Draw a big rangoli, cook sweet pongal or huggi, make ellu bella and share it with friends, fly kites, and give thanks to the sun at sunrise.

Puja guide to print (PDF)
21–22 March 2027

Holi

The festival of colours

Holi welcomes spring. On the full-moon evening a bonfire is lit for Holika Dahan, remembering how the child Prahlada was protected by his faith. The next morning is pure play: dry colours, water and sweets with friends and neighbours.

Traditions

Holika Dahan bonfire (21 Mar), natural colours from flowers and turmeric, gujiya and thandai, and visiting elders for blessings.

Wednesday 7 April 2027

Ugadi

New Year in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

Ugadi begins the new lunar year. Doorways are hung with fresh mango leaves, the house is cleaned, and everyone eats a little bevu bella, neem and jaggery together, to accept the bitter and the sweet the year will bring. In the evening the family listens to the reading of the new year's almanac, the panchanga shravana.

Traditions

Oil bath at dawn, mango-leaf toran, new clothes, bevu bella, obbattu or holige, and panchanga shravana.

Puja guide to print (PDF)
Friday 13 August 2027

Varamahalakshmi Vratha

Lakshmi, the giver of boons

Celebrated on the Friday before the full moon of Shravana, mainly in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. A kalasha is decorated as the Goddess Lakshmi with a silk saree, jewellery and flowers, and the women of the house pray for the health and prosperity of the whole family.

Traditions

Kalasha decoration, the sacred yellow thread (dora) tied on the wrist, nine kinds of sweets as naivedya, and inviting women friends for arishina kumkuma.

Puja guide to print (PDF)
Saturday 4 September 2027

Ganesh Chaturthi

Welcoming the remover of obstacles

Ganesha is welcomed home as an honoured guest, in a clay idol that is worshipped for one, three, five or ten days and then returned to water. In Karnataka the day before is Gowri Habba, when his mother Gowri is worshipped first.

Traditions

An eco-friendly clay idol, 21 durva grass blades, modak and kadubu, Gowri Habba the day before, and a gentle visarjane in a bucket at home.

Puja guide to print (PDF)
Sunday 12 September 2027

Onam

Kerala's harvest homecoming

Ten days welcoming the legendary King Mahabali, whose return is celebrated with flower carpets, grand vegetarian feasts served on banana leaves, snake-boat races and dances.

Traditions

Pookalam flower carpets, the Onam sadya on a banana leaf, new clothes (onakodi) and the Thiruvathira dance.

Free to print

Puja Handouts

Two-page guides with everything you need, the steps of a simple home puja, prayers with their meaning, and ideas for children.

DiwaliPDF · 2 pagesMakar Sankranti and PongalPDF · 2 pagesUgadiPDF · 2 pagesVaramahalakshmi VrathaPDF · 2 pagesGanesh ChaturthiPDF · 2 pagesNavaratri and DasaraPDF · 2 pages