Vasant Panchami (Saraswati Puja)
Vasant Panchami — worship of Goddess Saraswati, start of Vasant Ritu (spring).
Sunday
Kumbha Sankranti
Sankranti — Solar transit into a new zodiac sign; auspicious for charity and sacred bath.
Sankranti moment - 13 February 2011, 7:35 am
Monday
Jaya Ekadashi
Liberates from ghostly existence (preta yoni).
Tithi ends - 15 February 2011, 12:58 am
Wednesday
Pradosh Vrat (Shukla)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 6:11 pm to 7:41 pm
Friday
Purnima (Full Moon)
Purnima — Full Moon day, auspicious for Satyanarayan Puja and sacred baths.
Monday
Sankashti Chaturthi
Sankashti Chaturthi — Ganesha fast on Krishna Chaturthi, break fast after moonrise.
Moonrise - 21 February 2011, 9:47 pm
Monday
Vijaya Ekadashi
Grants victory in all endeavours.
Tithi ends - 28 February 2011, 6:18 pm
Devshayani Ekadashi (Ashadhi Ekadashi)
Lord Vishnu goes to sleep; Chaturmas begins.
Tithi ends - 11 July 2011, 4:43 pm
Wednesday
Pradosh Vrat (Shukla)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 7:21 pm to 8:51 pm
Friday
Guru Purnima (Vyasa Purnima)
Guru Purnima — honour to the Guru; Vyasa Puja. Full moon of Ashadha.
Sunday
Karka Sankranti
Sankranti — Solar transit into a new zodiac sign; auspicious for charity and sacred bath.
Sankranti moment - 17 July 2011, 3:13 am
Tuesday
Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi (Tuesday)
Sankashti Chaturthi — Ganesha fast on Krishna Chaturthi, break fast after moonrise.
Moonrise - 19 July 2011, 9:39 pm
Tuesday
Kamika Ekadashi
Removes sins accumulated over many births.
Tithi ends - 27 July 2011, 3:56 am
Thursday
Pradosh Vrat (Krishna)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm
Friday
Masik Shivaratri
Masik Shivratri — Monthly Shiva fast on Krishna Chaturdashi, night vigil and puja.
Saturday
Shani Amavasya (Saturday New Moon)
Amavasya — New Moon; sacred for Pitru Tarpan (ancestral rites) and Shradh.
Ganesh Chaturthi (Vinayaka Chaturthi)
Ganesh Chaturthi — installation of Ganesha idol; 10-day festival. Madhyahna Kaal most auspicious.
Thursday
Parsva Ekadashi
Ekadashi Vrat — sacred to Lord Vishnu. Fast from sunrise; break fast next day at Parana time.
Tithi ends - 8 September 2011, 9:54 am
Saturday
Shani Pradosh (Shukla — Saturday)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 6:32 pm to 8:02 pm
Sunday
Ganesh Visarjan (Anant Chaturdashi)
Monday
Purnima (Full Moon)
Purnima — Full Moon day, auspicious for Satyanarayan Puja and sacred baths.
Friday
Sankashti Chaturthi
Sankashti Chaturthi — Ganesha fast on Krishna Chaturthi, break fast after moonrise.
Moonrise - 16 September 2011, 8:24 pm
Saturday
Kanya Sankranti
Sankranti — Solar transit into a new zodiac sign; auspicious for charity and sacred bath.
Sankranti moment - 17 September 2011, 11:40 am
Saturday
Indira Ekadashi
Liberates ancestors from hell; Pitru Paksha Ekadashi.
Sunday
Pradosh Vrat (Krishna)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 6:14 pm to 7:44 pm
Sunday
Masik Shivaratri
Masik Shivratri — Monthly Shiva fast on Krishna Chaturdashi, night vigil and puja.
Tuesday
Amavasya (New Moon)
Amavasya — New Moon; sacred for Pitru Tarpan (ancestral rites) and Shradh.
Wednesday
Sharad Navratri — Day 1 · Shailaputri
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Thursday
Sharad Navratri — Day 2 · Brahmacharini
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Friday
Sharad Navratri — Day 4 · Kushmanda
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Sharad Navratri — Day 5 · Skandamata
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Sunday
Sharad Navratri — Day 6 · Katyayani
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Monday
Sharad Navratri — Day 7 · Kalaratri
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Tuesday
Sharad Navratri — Maha Ashtami (Day 8) · Mahagauri
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Wednesday
Maha Navami (Saraswati Visarjan)
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Wednesday
Sharad Navratri — Maha Navami (Day 9) · Siddhidatri
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Thursday
Dussehra (Vijayadashami)
Vijayadashami — Ram's victory over Ravana, Aparahna kaal most auspicious.
Friday
Papankusha Ekadashi
Destroys all sins like a goad destroys an elephant.
Tithi ends - 7 October 2011, 11:04 pm
Sunday
Pradosh Vrat (Shukla)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 5:58 pm to 7:28 pm
Tuesday
Sharad Purnima (Kojagari Purnima)
Purnima — Full Moon day, auspicious for Satyanarayan Puja and sacred baths.
Wednesday
Sharad Purnima (Kojagari Purnima)
Purnima — Full Moon day, auspicious for Satyanarayan Puja and sacred baths.
Sunday
Karwa Chauth
Karwa Chauth — married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for husband's longevity. Moon sighting is key.
Moonrise - 16 October 2011, 8:32 pm
Sunday
Sankashti Chaturthi
Sankashti Chaturthi — Ganesha fast on Krishna Chaturthi, break fast after moonrise.
Moonrise - 16 October 2011, 8:32 pm
Monday
Tula Sankranti
Sankranti — Solar transit into a new zodiac sign; auspicious for charity and sacred bath.
Sankranti moment - 17 October 2011, 11:40 pm
Sunday
Rama Ekadashi
Removes all sins, equal to Ashvamedha Yajna.
Tithi ends - 23 October 2011, 3:35 pm
Monday
Dhanteras (Dhanatrayodashi)
Dhanteras — worship of Dhanvantari and Lakshmi, auspicious purchase of gold/silver/utensils.
Tuesday
Pradosh Vrat (Krishna)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 5:42 pm to 7:12 pm
Tuesday
Masik Shivaratri
Masik Shivratri — Monthly Shiva fast on Krishna Chaturdashi, night vigil and puja.
Wednesday
Diwali — Lakshmi Puja
Festival of Lights — Lakshmi Puja at Pradosh Kaal, lighting of diyas, victory of light over darkness.
Wednesday
Amavasya (New Moon)
Amavasya — New Moon; sacred for Pitru Tarpan (ancestral rites) and Shradh.
Thursday
Govardhan Puja (Annakut)
Govardhan Puja — Annakuta offered to Krishna; circumambulation of Govardhan hill.
Friday
Bhai Dooj
Bhai Dooj — sisters apply tika to brothers for longevity; associated with Yama and Yamuna.
Devutthana Ekadashi (Prabodhini Ekadashi)
Ekadashi Vrat — sacred to Lord Vishnu. Fast from sunrise; break fast next day at Parana time.
Tithi ends - 6 November 2011, 3:46 pm
Tuesday
Pradosh Vrat (Shukla)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 5:31 pm to 7:01 pm
Thursday
Kartik Purnima (Dev Diwali)
Purnima — Full Moon day, auspicious for Satyanarayan Puja and sacred baths.
Tuesday
Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi (Tuesday)
Sankashti Chaturthi — Ganesha fast on Krishna Chaturthi, break fast after moonrise.
Moonrise - 15 November 2011, 9:09 pm
Wednesday
Vrishchika Sankranti
Sankranti — Solar transit into a new zodiac sign; auspicious for charity and sacred bath.
Sankranti moment - 16 November 2011, 11:28 pm
Monday
Utpanna Ekadashi
Birth of Ekadashi Devi; first Ekadashi ever observed.
Tithi ends - 22 November 2011, 1:02 am
Wednesday
Pradosh Vrat (Krishna)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 5:24 pm to 6:54 pm
Wednesday
Masik Shivaratri
Masik Shivratri — Monthly Shiva fast on Krishna Chaturdashi, night vigil and puja.
Friday
Amavasya (New Moon)
Amavasya — New Moon; sacred for Pitru Tarpan (ancestral rites) and Shradh.
Hindu festival dates are not fixed to the Gregorian calendar — they are determined by the tithi, and a tithi begins and ends at a specific moment rather than at midnight. A festival is therefore assigned to the day on which its governing tithi prevails at the relevant time, which is sunrise for most observances but moonrise, sunset or midnight for others. This is why a festival can fall on different dates in different regions. The dates listed here are a single national set, computed rather than copied from a printed panchang; where your family or local temple observes a different day, follow that tradition.
Open any festival date to see that day's full panchang, including the specific muhurat window its ritual requires — Pradosh Kaal for Lakshmi Puja, Nishita Kaal for Janmashtami, Madhyahna for Ganesh Chaturthi, and the post-Bhadra window for Raksha Bandhan and Holika Dahan.