Indian Festivals Calendar 2026-27: Every Major Festival From November to April, Month by Month

• Diwali: Sunday, November 8, 2026
• Chhath Puja: November 13 to 16, with the evening arghya on Sunday, November 15
• Guru Nanak Jayanti and Dev Deepawali: Tuesday, November 24
• Christmas: Friday, December 25
• Lohri: Thursday, January 14, 2027
• Makar Sankranti and Pongal: Friday, January 15, 2027
• Maha Shivratri: Saturday, March 6, 2027
• Holi: Monday, March 22, 2027 (Holika Dahan on Sunday, March 21)
• Ram Navami: Thursday, April 15, 2027

November 2026

November is the busiest festival month of the year, with Diwali at its centre.

Dhanteras, Friday, November 6. The first day of Diwali, when families buy gold, silver or utensils for luck. Before buying jewellery, learn to check the HUID hallmark.

Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali), Saturday, November 7. Celebrates Krishna's victory over the demon Narakasura. In the south, this is the main Deepavali day, marked by an early oil bath.

Diwali and Lakshmi Puja, Sunday, November 8. The festival of lights marks Rama's return to Ayodhya. Homes are lit with diyas and the evening Lakshmi Puja welcomes the goddess of prosperity. In Bengal, the same night is Kali Puja. It is also the day of the stock market's muhurat trading session. See our full guide to Diwali's five days and the puja muhurat.

Govardhan Puja and Annakut, Tuesday, November 10. Remembers Krishna lifting Govardhan hill. Temples prepare mountains of food. In Gujarat, the same day marks Bestu Varas, the Gujarati new year.

Bhai Dooj, Wednesday, November 11. Sisters apply a tilak to their brothers. Some calendars list November 10. Read our Bhai Dooj guide.

Chhath Puja, Friday, November 13 to Monday, November 16. Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh worship the Sun over four days, with a 36-hour fast and offerings at rivers and ponds at sunset on November 15 and sunrise on November 16. Our Chhath Puja guide explains each day.

Dev Uthani Ekadashi, Friday, November 20. Vishnu is believed to wake from his four-month sleep, ending the period when weddings are avoided. Some Vaishnava traditions observe it on November 21.

Tulsi Vivah, Saturday, November 21. The ceremonial marriage of the tulsi plant to Vishnu, and the unofficial start of the wedding season. See all wedding muhurat dates for 2026-27.

Guru Nanak Jayanti, Tuesday, November 24. Also called Gurpurab or Prakash Purab, it marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru. Gurdwaras hold an Akhand Path, a continuous reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, and a Nagar Kirtan procession in the days before, with langar for all. The same full-moon day is Kartik Purnima, when Varanasi celebrates Dev Deepawali, lighting the ghats with lakhs of diyas.

December 2026

Christmas, Friday, December 25. A national holiday, celebrated with midnight Mass, carols and cake. It gives a three-day weekend from December 25 to 27. Goa, Kerala, the Northeast and Kolkata's Park Street are especially festive.

Many hill states hold winter festivals in December, and Nagaland's Hornbill Festival usually runs in the first ten days of the month. Check the state tourism website for the confirmed dates before booking.

A note for weddings: from mid-December to mid-January, many Hindu families avoid weddings during Kharmas, so December is quieter for ceremonies after the 12th.

January 2027

January celebrates the harvest and the Sun's northward journey.

Lohri, Thursday, January 14. Punjab's bonfire festival marks the end of winter's longest nights. Families gather around the fire, throw in til, gur, peanuts and popcorn, and celebrate new brides and newborns. In Tamil Nadu, the same day is Bhogi, when old things are discarded.

Makar Sankranti, Friday, January 15. The Sun enters Capricorn (Makara). In 2027, the transit happens at about 9:14 pm on January 14, after sunset, so the holy bathing and charity period falls on January 15. Some workplace calendars may still list January 14. The festival has many faces:

• Thai Pongal, Tamil Nadu: rice boiled with milk and jaggery until it spills over, a sign of plenty. Mattu Pongal, honouring cattle, follows on January 16.
• Uttarayan, Gujarat: a sky full of kites.
• Magh Bihu, Assam: community feasts and bonfires.
• Khichdi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar: til, khichdi and charity.

Republic Day, Tuesday, January 26. A national holiday. Taking Monday, January 25 off makes a four-day weekend.

February 2027

Vasant Panchami, Thursday, February 11. Welcomes spring and honours Saraswati, goddess of learning. People wear yellow, students place books before the goddess, and in Bengal schools and colleges hold Saraswati Puja. In Punjab, it is a day for kite flying.

Ramadan is expected to begin around February 8, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon. Through the month, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset and break the fast with iftar.

March 2027

Maha Shivratri, Saturday, March 6. The great night of Shiva. Devotees fast, offer bel leaves and milk on the Shivling and stay awake through the night. Major temples, from Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi to Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain, draw huge crowds.

Eid al-Fitr, expected around Wednesday, March 10. Marks the end of Ramadan, with prayers, new clothes, sheer khurma and visits to family. The final date depends on the moon and may be March 9 or 10.

Holika Dahan, Sunday, March 21, and Holi, Monday, March 22. On the eve of Holi, bonfires recall the story of Prahlad and Holika: the triumph of devotion over arrogance. The next morning is for colours, gujiya and thandai. One calendar lists Holi on March 23, but most panchangs, including those used by the temples of Mathura and Vrindavan, give March 22. Note that the central government's 2027 holiday list marks the Holi holiday on Tuesday, March 23, with Holika Dahan on March 22 as an optional holiday, so check your office calendar. Taking Monday, March 22 off would give a four-day weekend.

Good Friday, Friday, March 26. Observed by Christians across India, and a holiday in many states.

April 2027

Ugadi, Gudi Padwa and the start of Chaitra Navratri, Wednesday, April 7. New year for Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (Ugadi) and Maharashtra (Gudi Padwa). Homes hoist a gudi, a decorated pole topped with an upturned pot, and Ugadi pachadi mixes six tastes for the year ahead. Chaitra Navratri begins the same day.

Baisakhi, Wednesday, April 14. Punjab's harvest festival and the anniversary of the founding of the Khalsa in 1699. Around the same time come Puthandu (Tamil new year), Vishu (Kerala), Pohela Boishakh (Bengal) and Bohag Bihu (Assam). Exact dates for these solar new years can vary by a day.

Ram Navami, Thursday, April 15. The birth of Rama, on the ninth day of Chaitra Navratri. Ayodhya, Bhadrachalam and other Rama temples hold large celebrations.

New years and harvest festivals at a glance

India celebrates the new year several times, depending on the calendar each region follows:

• Bestu Varas, the Gujarati new year, on November 10, 2026, the same day as Govardhan Puja.
• Makar Sankranti and Pongal on January 15, 2027: the Sun's northward turn and the winter harvest.
• Ugadi and Gudi Padwa on April 7, 2027: the new year in the Deccan, by the lunar calendar.
• Baisakhi, Puthandu, Vishu, Pohela Boishakh and Bohag Bihu around April 14 to 15, 2027: the new year and spring harvest in Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bengal and Assam, by the solar calendar.

Holidays: national, gazetted and restricted

Only three days are national holidays observed everywhere: Republic Day (January 26), Independence Day (August 15) and Gandhi Jayanti (October 2). Central government offices also follow a list of gazetted holidays that includes Diwali, Holi, Christmas, Eid and other major festivals, plus restricted holidays from which employees choose a few. States issue their own lists, which is why Chhath, Pongal or Bihu may be a holiday in one state and a working day in another.

How festival dates are decided

Most Hindu festivals follow a tithi, a lunar day, which does not line up neatly with the 24-hour calendar day. A tithi can start in the afternoon and end the next afternoon, and different traditions use different rules to pick the day: some look at the tithi at sunrise, others at a particular time such as midday or the afternoon. That is why Bhai Dooj can be November 10 or 11, and why Holi is listed on March 22 in most calendars and March 23 in a few.

Solar festivals such as Makar Sankranti and Baisakhi are tied to the Sun's movement, so they fall on almost the same Gregorian date each year. Islamic festivals follow the lunar Hijri calendar and are confirmed only after the moon is sighted, so Eid moves about 11 days earlier each year.

Planning tips for the festival season

• Book travel early for Diwali, Chhath and Christmas. Railways add festival specials, but trains to Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh fill up weeks ahead.
• Use the long weekends: Christmas (December 25 to 27), Republic Day (with one day off) and Holi (with one day of leave). Our long weekends planner covers the rest of 2026.
• Check state holiday lists. Many festivals are restricted or regional holidays, so your office or school may follow a different calendar.
• Celebrate safely: green crackers only where allowed, natural colours for Holi, and extra care with diyas and bonfires.

Common questions

Why does Diwali fall on a different date every year? It falls on the new moon (Amavasya) of the month of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar, which does not line up with the solar calendar, so the date moves between mid-October and mid-November.

Is Holi on March 22 or 23 in 2027? Most panchangs, and the temples of Mathura and Vrindavan, give Monday, March 22, with Holika Dahan the evening before. A few calendars list March 23. Check your local panchang or community.

Why does Eid's date change? Islamic months begin with the sighting of the new crescent moon, so the date is confirmed only a day or so in advance, and the lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year.

Which festivals are worth travelling for? Dev Deepawali in Varanasi, Christmas in Goa or Kerala, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Uttarayan in Ahmedabad and Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan are among India's most memorable festival experiences. Book early: they are peak travel dates.

Dates were checked against several panchangs and holiday lists as of October 15, 2026. We will update this calendar as official holiday lists and moon-sighting dates are confirmed.

Guides in this series

• Diwali 2026: The Five Days, Dates and Lakshmi Puja Muhurat
• Bhai Dooj 2026: Date, Tilak Muhurat and How India Celebrates
• Chhath Puja 2026: Dates, Nahay Khay, Kharna and Arghya
• Guru Nanak Jayanti and Dev Deepawali 2026
• Makar Sankranti, Pongal and Lohri 2027: Dates and Regional Traditions
• Holi 2027: Date, Holika Dahan Muhurat and Safe Colours
• Wedding Muhurat Dates 2026-27