Janmashtami 2026 and 2027: date, muhurat and meaning
Quick answer
Janmashtami 2027 falls on Wednesday, 25 August 2027 (Delhi). By another convention: 24 August 2027. Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna; devotees fast through the day, sing and decorate cradles, and worship baby Krishna at midnight, the hour he is believed to have been born.
Key takeaways
- 2026: Friday, 4 September 2026
- 2027: Wednesday, 25 August 2027
- Each year's section explains which rule gave the date and how the muhurat was cut to the tithi.
- All times are for Delhi; abroad the tithi follows local time, so the date can differ by a day.
What is Janmashtami?
According to the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna was born at midnight on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the waning moon, in a prison cell in Mathura where his parents Devaki and Vasudeva were held by the tyrant king Kamsa. The moon was in Rohini nakshatra, one of the lunar mansions. That same night Vasudeva carried the newborn across the flooded Yamuna to Gokul, where Nanda and Yashoda raised him.
North India, which follows the purnimanta calendar, calls the month Bhadrapada, while Maharashtra, Gujarat and the South, which follow the amanta calendar, call the same lunar day Shravana Krishna Ashtami. The name changes but the night is the same. Krishna's childhood mischief, his love for the gopis, the lifting of Govardhan hill and the teaching of the Gita all make this one of the most joyful festivals of the year.
How Janmashtami is observed
Devotees fast from morning, some without water but most with fruit and milk. Homes and temples set up jhankis, small tableaux of Krishna's life, and decorate a cradle for Laddu Gopal, the baby Krishna idol. At midnight, as conch shells sound, the deity is bathed with milk, curd, ghee, honey and water, dressed in new clothes and offered butter with sugar candy and dhaniya panjiri, a sweet made with coriander seed powder.
In Mathura and Vrindavan celebrations last for days. In Maharashtra the next day is Gopalkala, when teams called govindas climb on each other's shoulders to break a high pot of curd in the dahi handi contest. Dwarka in Gujarat draws huge crowds. In South Indian homes, where the day is called Gokulashtami or Sri Jayanti, tiny footprints are drawn in rice flour from the door to the shrine. ISKCON temples worldwide hold all-night kirtans.
Janmashtami 2026: date and muhurat (Delhi)
Friday, 4 September 2026
Ashtami (Krishna Paksha) is present at sunrise on this day (udaya tithi).
Main date: the day Ashtami is present at sunrise. In 2026 and 2027 this matches drikpanchang's New Delhi date and the central government's (Vaishnav) holiday.
- Tithi
- 4 Sep, 2:25 AM – 5 Sep, 12:13 AM
- Nishita puja
- 11:58 PM – 12:43 AM, 5 Sep
- Rohini nakshatra
- 12:29 AM – 11:04 PM
- Parana after both Ashtami and Rohini end (dharmashastra)
- 6:01 AM, 5 Sep
- Parana after next sunrise (alternative)
- 6:01 AM, 5 Sep
- Parana after nishita (modern practice)
- 12:43 AM, 5 Sep
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:01 AM / 6:39 PM
- Rahu kaal (this day)
- 10:45 AM – 12:20 PM
At this night's nishita, Ashtami is present and Rohini nakshatra is not present.
Ashtami and Rohini both end before sunrise, so after sunrise.
The decisive moment for Janmashtami is nishita kaal, the period around midnight when Krishna is believed to have been born. The fast is kept on the night when Ashtami tithi covers nishita kaal, and many also look for Rohini nakshatra. Smarta households and Vaishnava traditions such as ISKCON apply slightly different rules, so their dates sometimes differ by a day. Some break the fast after the midnight puja; others wait until the next morning.
Janmashtami 2027: date and muhurat (Delhi)
Wednesday, 25 August 2027
Ashtami (Krishna Paksha) is present at sunrise on this day (udaya tithi).
Main date: the day Ashtami is present at sunrise. In 2026 and 2027 this matches drikpanchang's New Delhi date and the central government's (Vaishnav) holiday.
By the Ashtami-at-nishita rule: Tuesday, 24 August 2027. drikpanchang's Smarta summary names this as the first preference, yet it publishes the main date above this year; the difference is unresolved.
Central government holiday (Delhi/New Delhi, DoPT): Janmashtami (Vaishnav), Wednesday 25 August 2027.
- Tithi
- 24 Aug, 8:25 PM – 25 Aug, 7:20 PM
- Nishita puja
- 12:01 AM, 26 Aug – 12:46 AM, 26 Aug
- Rohini nakshatra
- 12:28 PM – 11:43 AM, 26 Aug
- Parana after both Ashtami and Rohini end (dharmashastra)
- 11:43 AM, 26 Aug
- Parana after next sunrise (alternative)
- 5:56 AM, 26 Aug
- Parana after nishita (modern practice)
- 12:46 AM, 26 Aug
- Sunrise / sunset
- 5:55 AM / 6:51 PM
- Rahu kaal (this day)
- 12:23 PM – 2:00 PM
At this night's nishita, Ashtami is not present and Rohini nakshatra is present.
Janmashtami wishes
May the little butter thief steal away your worries and fill your home with music, love and laughter. Happy Janmashtami.Send this on WhatsApp
More wishes will be added here soon.
Related festivals and lists
Frequently asked questions
Why is Janmashtami sometimes on two different days?
Calendars often list two dates. The first usually follows the Smarta rule, which picks the night when Ashtami tithi covers midnight. The second follows the Vaishnava rule used by ISKCON and many Krishna temples, which prefers an Ashtami that is present at sunrise and gives extra weight to Rohini nakshatra. Both are valid observances; follow your family tradition or the temple you attend.
When should I break the Janmashtami fast?
Most families break the fast after the midnight birth puja, abhishek and aarti, starting with a little panchamrit or butter and sugar candy as prasad and then a simple meal. Some traditions keep the fast until the next morning and break it, a step called parana, only after Ashtami tithi or Rohini nakshatra has ended. Ask your elders or temple priest which custom your family follows.
Can I eat grains during the Janmashtami fast?
Most people avoid grains, lentils and regular salt during the fast. Common fasting foods include fruit, milk, curd, makhana (fox nuts), sabudana (sago), potatoes and dishes made with kuttu (buckwheat) or singhara (water chestnut) flour, cooked with rock salt. Some keep a stricter fast with only water or nothing at all. Elderly, pregnant or unwell people often keep a lighter fast.
How do I celebrate Janmashtami at home with children?
Children love dressing up as little Krishna or Radha with a peacock feather and flute. You can build a simple jhanki of the Gokul story with toys, decorate the cradle together, and let them help prepare butter and sugar candy for the offering. Telling stories of Krishna's childhood, singing easy bhajans and letting older children stay up for the midnight aarti makes the night memorable.
What is dahi handi and where is it celebrated?
Dahi handi takes place on the day after Janmashtami and is biggest in Maharashtra, especially Mumbai and Thane. A clay pot filled with curd and butter is hung high above the street, and teams of young men and women called govindas form human pyramids to reach and break it. It recalls Krishna stealing butter from the homes of Gokul. Smaller versions are held in Goa, Gujarat and abroad.
Why is Rohini nakshatra important on Janmashtami?
The Puranas say Krishna was born when the moon was in Rohini nakshatra. When Ashtami tithi and Rohini coincide at midnight, the combination is called Jayanti yoga and is considered especially sacred. This alignment does not happen every year. Many families treat the tithi as the main factor, while others, particularly in some Vaishnava and South Indian traditions, give the nakshatra equal or greater weight.