Hindu festivals 2026: dates, weekdays and tithi
Quick answer
In 2026, Holi is on 4 March 2026, Raksha Bandhan on 28 August 2026 and Diwali on 8 November 2026. The next festival is Dhanteras (6 November 2026).
This page brings together twenty-one major Hindu festivals in one list, including Makar Sankranti, Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami, Navratri, Dussehra, Karva Chauth, Diwali, Bhai Dooj and Chhath Puja. People look it up to plan ahead: train or flight tickets home, leave from work, shopping and puja preparations. Every festival date is worked out from the panchang (the Hindu almanac) using Delhi's sunrise. Most festivals are kept on the day their tithi, or lunar day, is present at sunrise, but some follow their own rule: Diwali looks at pradosh kaal, the evening window after sunset, and Janmashtami looks at midnight. For families living abroad, the date can fall a day earlier or later, so check a panchang made for your own city too.
2026 festival list
| Date | Festival | Tithi window (Delhi) | Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 JanWednesday | Makar Sankranti | Sankranti: 14 Jan, 3:07 PM | Calendar |
| 23 JanFriday | Vasant Panchami | 23 Jan, 2:28 AM – 24 Jan, 1:46 AM | Calendar |
| 15 FebSunday | Maha Shivratri | 15 Feb, 5:05 PM – 16 Feb, 5:34 PM | Calendar |
| 4 MarWednesday | HoliDay-after-Holika-Dahan convention: 3 Mar | 3 Mar, 5:07 PM – 4 Mar, 4:49 PM | Calendar |
| 26 MarThursday | Ram Navami | 26 Mar, 11:49 AM – 27 Mar, 10:07 AM | Calendar |
| 2 AprThursday | Hanuman Jayanti | 1 Apr, 7:06 AM – 2 Apr, 7:41 AM | Calendar |
| 19 AprSunday | Akshaya Tritiya | 19 Apr, 10:49 AM – 20 Apr, 7:27 AM | Calendar |
| 29 JulWednesday | Guru Purnima | 28 Jul, 6:19 PM – 29 Jul, 8:05 PM | Calendar |
| 28 AugFriday | Raksha Bandhan | 27 Aug, 9:09 AM – 28 Aug, 9:48 AM | Calendar |
| 4 SepFriday | Janmashtami | 4 Sep, 2:25 AM – 5 Sep, 12:13 AM | Calendar |
| 14 SepMonday | Ganesh Chaturthi | 14 Sep, 7:07 AM – 15 Sep, 7:44 AM | Calendar |
| 11 OctSunday | Sharad Navratri | 10 Oct, 9:19 PM – 11 Oct, 9:31 PM | Calendar |
| 20 OctTuesday | Dussehra | 20 Oct, 12:50 PM – 21 Oct, 2:12 PM | Calendar |
| 29 OctThursday | Karva Chauth | 29 Oct, 1:07 AM – 29 Oct, 10:10 PM | Calendar |
| 6 NovFriday | Dhanteras | 6 Nov, 10:31 AM – 7 Nov, 10:48 AM | Calendar |
| 8 NovSunday | Diwali | 8 Nov, 11:28 AM – 9 Nov, 12:31 PM | Calendar |
| 10 NovTuesday | Govardhan Puja | 9 Nov, 12:31 PM – 10 Nov, 2:00 PM | Calendar |
| 11 NovWednesday | Bhai Dooj | 10 Nov, 2:00 PM – 11 Nov, 3:53 PM | Calendar |
| 15 NovSunday | Chhath Puja | 14 Nov, 11:24 PM – 16 Nov, 2:01 AM | Calendar |
| 20 NovFriday | Dev Uthani EkadashiKshaya tithi: kept on the day it begins | 20 Nov, 7:16 AM – 21 Nov, 6:31 AM | Calendar |
| 24 NovTuesday | Kartik Purnima | 23 Nov, 11:42 PM – 24 Nov, 8:23 PM | Calendar |
More lists
Frequently asked questions
How is the date of Diwali decided?
Diwali falls on the Amavasya (new moon) of the month of Kartik, but its central ritual, Lakshmi puja, is performed in the evening during pradosh kaal. So Diwali is kept on the day when the Amavasya tithi is present during pradosh kaal after sunset, not simply on the sunrise day. When Amavasya is spread over two days, this rule decides which evening is celebrated as Diwali.
Why is Janmashtami celebrated on two days?
Lord Krishna is believed to have been born at midnight, so Janmashtami is celebrated on the night when the Ashtami tithi is running at midnight. Sometimes this is split across two nights. Smarta households usually fast on the first day, while Vaishnava and ISKCON temples often celebrate the next day, giving weight to the sunrise tithi and the Rohini nakshatra. That is why you may hear two different dates.
Why does Makar Sankranti fall on almost the same date every year?
Most Hindu festivals follow the lunar tithi, so their date on the everyday calendar keeps moving from year to year. Makar Sankranti is different: it marks the day the Sun enters Makara (Capricorn). Because the Sun's movement lines up closely with the Gregorian calendar, the date stays almost fixed. Even so, it occasionally shifts by a day.
Why are Holika Dahan and Holi on different days?
Holika Dahan, the bonfire, is lit on the evening of Phalgun Purnima, at a time free from Bhadra. Holi with colours, also called Dhulandi, is played the next day, on Chaitra Krishna Pratipada. So Holi is always a two-day festival. In some regions, such as Braj around Mathura and Vrindavan, Holi is celebrated over many days in different forms.
Why can festival dates differ outside India?
Hindu festivals follow the tithi, and a tithi changes at the same instant everywhere in the world. But sunrise, sunset and midnight come at different local times in every country. So in the US, Canada, the UK or Australia, a festival can fall a day apart from India. Families abroad should follow a panchang for their own city or the date announced by their local temple.
Are festival dates and government holidays always on the same day?
Not always. Government holiday lists are issued towards the end of the previous year, and occasionally the listed date differs by a day from the panchang date, especially when a tithi is split over two days. In that case the puja follows the panchang while the day off follows the official list. For official holidays, see our separate holiday list page.