Sankashti Chaturthi
Sankashti Chaturthi — Ganesha fast on Krishna Chaturthi, break fast after moonrise.
Moonrise - 1 February 2021, 9:43 pm
Sunday
Shattila Ekadashi
Sesame (til) used in six ways; removes sins.
Tithi ends - 8 February 2021, 4:47 am
Tuesday
Pradosh Vrat (Krishna)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 6:06 pm to 7:36 pm
Wednesday
Masik Shivaratri
Masik Shivratri — Monthly Shiva fast on Krishna Chaturdashi, night vigil and puja.
Thursday
Amavasya (New Moon)
Amavasya — New Moon; sacred for Pitru Tarpan (ancestral rites) and Shradh.
Friday
Kumbha Sankranti
Sankranti — Solar transit into a new zodiac sign; auspicious for charity and sacred bath.
Sankranti moment - 12 February 2021, 9:18 pm
Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi (Tuesday)
Sankashti Chaturthi — Ganesha fast on Krishna Chaturthi, break fast after moonrise.
Moonrise - 2 March 2021, 9:40 pm
Tuesday
Vijaya Ekadashi
Grants victory in all endeavours.
Tithi ends - 9 March 2021, 3:02 pm
Thursday
Maha Shivaratri
The Great Night of Shiva — night-long vigil, four-prahar Shiva puja, Rudri, fasting.
Thursday
Pradosh Vrat (Krishna)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 6:27 pm to 7:57 pm
Saturday
Shani Amavasya (Saturday New Moon)
Amavasya — New Moon; sacred for Pitru Tarpan (ancestral rites) and Shradh.
Sunday
Meena Sankranti
Sankranti — Solar transit into a new zodiac sign; auspicious for charity and sacred bath.
Sankranti moment - 14 March 2021, 6:10 pm
Karka Sankranti
Sankranti — Solar transit into a new zodiac sign; auspicious for charity and sacred bath.
Sankranti moment - 16 July 2021, 5:00 pm
Tuesday
Devshayani Ekadashi (Ashadhi Ekadashi)
Lord Vishnu goes to sleep; Chaturmas begins.
Tithi ends - 20 July 2021, 7:17 pm
Thursday
Pradosh Vrat (Shukla)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 7:17 pm to 8:47 pm
Saturday
Guru Purnima (Vyasa Purnima)
Guru Purnima — honour to the Guru; Vyasa Puja. Full moon of Ashadha.
Tuesday
Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi (Tuesday)
Sankashti Chaturthi — Ganesha fast on Krishna Chaturthi, break fast after moonrise.
Moonrise - 27 July 2021, 9:49 pm
Aja Ekadashi
Removes sins of seven past and seven future lives.
Tithi ends - 3 September 2021, 7:44 am
Sunday
Pradosh Vrat (Krishna)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 6:38 pm to 8:08 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.
Friday
Ganesh Chaturthi (Vinayaka Chaturthi)
Ganesh Chaturthi — installation of Ganesha idol; 10-day festival. Madhyahna Kaal most auspicious.
Friday
Parsva Ekadashi
Ekadashi Vrat — sacred to Lord Vishnu. Fast from sunrise; break fast next day at Parana time.
Tithi ends - 17 September 2021, 8:08 am
Friday
Kanya Sankranti
Sankranti — Solar transit into a new zodiac sign; auspicious for charity and sacred bath.
Sankranti moment - 17 September 2021, 1:19 am
Sunday
Ganesh Visarjan (Anant Chaturdashi)
Monday
Purnima (Full Moon)
Purnima — Full Moon day, auspicious for Satyanarayan Puja and sacred baths.
Saturday
Sankashti Chaturthi
Sankashti Chaturthi — Ganesha fast on Krishna Chaturthi, break fast after moonrise.
Moonrise - 25 September 2021, 8:53 pm
Sharad Navratri — Day 5 · Skandamata
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Monday
Sharad Navratri — Day 6 · Katyayani
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Tuesday
Sharad Navratri — Day 7 · Kalaratri
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Wednesday
Sharad Navratri — Maha Ashtami (Day 8) · Mahagauri
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Thursday
Maha Navami (Saraswati Visarjan)
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Thursday
Sharad Navratri — Maha Navami (Day 9) · Siddhidatri
Sharada Navratri — 9 nights of Goddess worship, Ashvin Shukla 1–9. Culminates in Dussehra.
Friday
Dussehra (Vijayadashami)
Vijayadashami — Ram's victory over Ravana, Aparahna kaal most auspicious.
Saturday
Papankusha Ekadashi
Destroys all sins like a goad destroys an elephant.
Tithi ends - 16 October 2021, 5:38 pm
Sunday
Tula Sankranti
Sankranti — Solar transit into a new zodiac sign; auspicious for charity and sacred bath.
Sankranti moment - 17 October 2021, 1:18 pm
Monday
Som Pradosh (Shukla — Monday)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 5:48 pm to 7:18 pm
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 - 24 October 2021, 8:06 pm
Sunday
Sankashti Chaturthi
Sankashti Chaturthi — Ganesha fast on Krishna Chaturthi, break fast after moonrise.
Moonrise - 24 October 2021, 8:06 pm
Devutthana Ekadashi (Prabodhini Ekadashi)
Ekadashi Vrat — sacred to Lord Vishnu. Fast from sunrise; break fast next day at Parana time.
Tithi ends - 15 November 2021, 6:39 am
Tuesday
Vrishchika Sankranti
Sankranti — Solar transit into a new zodiac sign; auspicious for charity and sacred bath.
Sankranti moment - 16 November 2021, 1:09 pm
Wednesday
Pradosh Vrat (Shukla)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 5:26 pm to 6:56 pm
Friday
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 - 23 November 2021, 8:25 pm
Tuesday
Utpanna Ekadashi
Birth of Ekadashi Devi; first Ekadashi ever observed.
Tithi ends - 1 December 2021, 2:14 am
Mokshada Ekadashi (Gita Jayanti)
Grants liberation (Moksha); Gita Jayanti on same day.
Tithi ends - 14 December 2021, 11:36 pm
Thursday
Pradosh Vrat (Shukla)
Pradosh Vrat — Shiva worship at Pradosh Kaal (1h 36m after sunset) on Trayodashi.
Pradosh Kaal - 5:26 pm to 6:56 pm
Thursday
Dhanu Sankranti
Sankranti — Solar transit into a new zodiac sign; auspicious for charity and sacred bath.
Sankranti moment - 16 December 2021, 3:50 am
Sunday
Purnima (Full Moon)
Purnima — Full Moon day, auspicious for Satyanarayan Puja and sacred baths.
Thursday
Sankashti Chaturthi
Sankashti Chaturthi — Ganesha fast on Krishna Chaturthi, break fast after moonrise.
Moonrise - 23 December 2021, 9:08 pm
Thursday
Saphala Ekadashi
Makes all efforts successful; removes misfortune.
Tithi ends - 30 December 2021, 1:40 pm
About the 2021 festival dates
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.