Karthika Masam begins
Tuesday, November 10
Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Sydney
Monday, November 9
New Jersey, Dallas, Bay Area, Chicago, London
At a glance
- Karthika Masam begins
- Tuesday, November 10 in India · Monday, November 9 in the USA
- Ksheerabdi Dwadashi
- Saturday, November 21 · India and USA
- Karthika Pournami
- Tuesday, November 24 in India · varies by US city
Karthika Pournami wishes in Telugu and English
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The date in your city
Cities that share a date are grouped together. Where it differs from India, it’s highlighted.
Ksheerabdi Dwadashi
Saturday, November 21
Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, New Jersey, Dallas, Bay Area, Chicago, London
Sunday, November 22
Sydney
Karthika Pournami
Tuesday, November 24
Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, New Jersey, Dallas, Chicago, London, Sydney
Monday, November 23
Bay Area
What is Karthika Pournami?
Karthika Pournami, the full moon of Karthika Masam, is the holiest day of the month. It is also called Tripurari Pournami, the day Lord Shiva destroyed the demon Tripurasura.
Even those who could not light a lamp every evening of the month light one today: a lamp lit on Karthika Pournami is said to equal a whole year of lamps.
How it is celebrated
- 1
The lamp of 365 wicks
In the evening, families light a lamp of 365 cotton wicks, one for each day of the year, at the tulasi plant, in a temple or under an amla tree.
- 2
Jwala Thoranam
In Shiva temples, an arch of straw is set alight and the deity is carried beneath the burning arch. Devotees pass under it too, and take home a little of the burnt straw as a blessing.
- 3
Floating lamps and deepa danam
Many bathe in a river at dawn and fast through the day. In the evening they float lamps in leaf or banana-stem boats on rivers and ponds. Giving a lamp (deepa danam) is considered especially meritorious today.
Karthika Pournami
The full moon of Kartika. Lamps are floated on rivers and ponds and 365 wicks are lit in temples — a very auspicious day for Shiva and Vishnu.
Karthika Masam begins
The start of Kartika, Shiva's holiest month. People bathe early, light lamps every evening, and many keep the Kartika Somavaram fasts.
Questions
What is Karthika Pournami?
Karthika Pournami, the full moon of Karthika Masam, is the holiest day of the month. It is also called Tripurari Pournami, the day Lord Shiva destroyed the demon Tripurasura. Even those who could not light a lamp every evening of the month light one today: a lamp lit on Karthika Pournami is said to equal a whole year of lamps.
When is Karthika Pournami 2026?
Karthika Pournami is on Tuesday, November 24 in India; in the USA it depends on the city.
Why is the date different in the USA?
A festival is kept on the day whose sunrise falls in the right tithi. Sunrise in America comes about 10 hours after sunrise in India, so the tithi at sunrise can differ and the festival can fall a day earlier or later. Always go by your own city’s date.
Can I get a reminder before each festival?
The Teluguvaari Calendar app sends an alert the evening before or the morning of every festival you choose, with the date for your own city. It is free, with no ads.