Kartik Maas 2026: Festival Calendar From Karwa Chauth to Dev Diwali

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Before sunrise on 27 October, many households across North India will be up in the dark, heading to a river, a pond or simply a bucket of water at home. A lamp will be lit at the Tulsi plant. This is how Kartik Maas 2026 begins, a month devotees regard as among the most sacred of the Hindu year, and one that carries Diwali, Chhath and Dev Diwali within it.

Photo Credit: Chat GPT

The month runs from 27 October to 24 November in the Purnimanta calendar followed in North India. Because 2026 has an extra lunar month, Adhik Maas, the festivals fall about three weeks later than last year.

Dates that shape the month

Kartik is the eighth month of the Hindu lunar year. In the Amanta calendar followed in Telugu-speaking regions, Karthika Masam runs from 10 November to 8 December, though both traditions share the same Kartik Purnima. Key dates, as listed by Drik Panchang and other panchang sources:

• 29 October: Karwa Chauth
• 6 November: Dhanteras
• 8 November: Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)
• 10 November: Govardhan Puja
• 11 November: Bhai Dooj
• 13 to 16 November: Chhath Puja, with the main evening arghya on 15 November
• 20 November: Dev Uthani Ekadashi
• 21 November: Tulsi Vivah
• 24 November: Kartik Purnima

A few of these, including Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Dev Diwali, are observed a day apart in some regions. A local panchang for your city settles it.

The rituals of a month of lamps

Three practices define Kartik. The first is Kartik snan, a bath taken at dawn, ideally in a river. The second is deepdaan, lighting lamps each evening at home, at the Tulsi plant and at temples. The third is worship of Lord Vishnu, which is why the month is also called Damodar Maas.

Many devotees also eat simple, sattvic meals, avoid onion and garlic, and give food, clothing or lamps in charity. Bhishma Panchak, the five days from Dev Uthani Ekadashi to Kartik Purnima, is kept by some with a stricter fast.

Why Kartik matters

According to tradition, Vishnu wakes from his four-month sleep on Dev Uthani Ekadashi, ending Chaturmas. The wedding season reopens, and Tulsi Vivah, the ceremonial marriage of the Tulsi plant to Shaligram, is held the next day.

The month closes with Kartik Purnima. In Varanasi, it is celebrated as Dev Diwali, when the ghats are lit end to end with lamps. Many also associate the day with Shiva's victory over the demon Tripurasura.

Fasts, and how to keep them well

The month carries several fasts: Karwa Chauth, Rama Ekadashi on 5 November, Dev Uthani Ekadashi, Pradosh Vrat on 22 November and the dawn-to-dusk rigours of Chhath.

Fasting without water, or for long hours, can be hard on people with diabetes, low blood pressure, pregnancy or kidney conditions, and on older adults.

A fruit-and-water version of a fast is widely accepted in many traditions, and a doctor can advise anyone with a medical condition before the month begins.

Bottomline

Kartik is less about grand rituals than small, repeated acts: a lamp lit at dusk, a morning bath, a meal kept simple. Observed with a little planning and a check on one's own health, the month of lamps asks for steadiness more than endurance.