Karthika Masam 2026: dates, Karthika Somavaram, Nagula Chavithi, Ksheerabdi Dwadashi and how to observe
By Kulasekhar Mittapalli · Updated
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Karthika Masam, the holiest month for Shiva and Vishnu devotees, runs from Tuesday, November 10 to Tuesday, December 8, 2026 in India. In the US it starts a day earlier, on Monday, November 9, so families there get five Karthika Somavarams instead of four. Lamps every evening, a bath before sunrise, Monday fasts and Karthika Pournami on November 24 are the heart of the month.
1Why Karthika is special
The Skanda Purana praises Karthika above every other month. A well-known verse from its Karthika Mahatmya says:
न कार्तिकसमो मासो न कृतेन समं युगम्।
न वेदसदृशं शास्त्रं न तीर्थं गङ्गया समम्॥
Na kārtika-samo māso na kṛtena samaṁ yugam, na veda-sadṛśaṁ śāstraṁ na tīrthaṁ gaṅgayā samam.
No month equals Karthika, no age equals the Krita Yuga, no scripture equals the Vedas, and no holy water equals the Ganga.
It is the one month dear to both Shiva and Vishnu. Vishnu wakes from his four-month yoga nidra on Uthana Ekadashi, Shiva is worshipped on every Monday, and on Karthika Pournami Shiva is remembered as Tripurari, who destroyed the three cities of the asuras. Lamps lit in this month are said to bring the merit of many other months.
2Daily practices
- Karthika snanam: a bath before sunrise, in a river or tank where possible, otherwise at home, remembering the Ganga.
- Deepam: a lamp at the door, the tulasi and the home shrine every evening; many families also light an akasha deepam, a lamp hung high outside.
- Karthika Puranam: read one of its thirty chapters each day of the month.
- Simple food: many families keep the month sattvic, without meat, eggs, onion and garlic.
- Vana bhojanam: a family meal under amla (usiri) trees on one day of the month, with puja to the amla tree first.
3Checklist: what you need
9 items
- Clay or brass lamps and ghee for the daily evening deepam
- Cotton wicks (365-wick bundle for Pournami)
- Bilva leaves and flowers for Shiva
- Tulasi plant and lamp for Tulasi puja
- Milk, curd, honey for abhishekam on Mondays
- Vibhuti and kumkum
- Karthika Puranam book (a chapter a day)
- Fruits and simple satvik food for Monday fasts
- Amla (usiri) for Ksheerabdi Dwadashi and vana bhojanam
4A priest, or do it yourself
Karthika masam deeparadhana at home (Telugu) · Ramaa Raavi · YouTubeA video by another channel, added after our review. If your family’s custom differs, follow it.
5Puja items near you
Indian groceries and puja stores near the city you picked above.
6Key dates in Karthika Masam 2026
| Day | India (Hyderabad) · US (Dallas) |
|---|---|
| Karthika Masam begins | Tue, Nov 10 US: Mon, Nov 9 |
| Nagula Chavithi | Fri, Nov 13 US: Thu, Nov 12 |
| Karthika Somavaram | Nov 16, 23, 30 · Dec 7 US: Nov 9, 16, 23, 30 · Dec 7 |
| Uthana (Prabodhini) Ekadashi | Fri, Nov 20 Vaishnava Sat, Nov 21 US: Fri, Nov 20 |
| Ksheerabdi Dwadashi | Sat, Nov 21 · US: same |
| Karthika Pournami | Tue, Nov 24 · US: same |
| Karthika Amavasya (month ends) | Tue, Dec 8 · US: same |
| Poli Padyami (Poli Swargam) | Wed, Dec 9 · US: same |
Dates follow the amanta (new-moon to new-moon) calendar used in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Open Global Panchang for your own city: every Somavaram, Ekadashi and Pournami appears in Upcoming.
Karthika masam in your city: Mondays and key days
Each city page has every day of the festival with local times, and the dates in India.
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More about Karthika Masam
The special days
Karthika Somavaram
Mondays of Karthika are kept for Shiva: abhishekam, bilva leaves, and a fast through the day. Many break the fast after seeing the stars in the evening (nakshatra darshanam) and lighting a lamp.
Nagula Chavithi
On Karthika Shukla Chaturthi, families offer milk and eggs or fruit at snake mounds (putta) and pray for the health of the children. Families abroad offer the puja to a Naga image or picture at home.
Uthana Ekadashi and Ksheerabdi Dwadashi
Vishnu rises from yoga nidra on Uthana (Prabodhini) Ekadashi, ending Chaturmasya. The next day, Ksheerabdi Dwadashi, an amla branch is placed with the tulasi plant and Tulasi is worshipped with Vishnu in the evening, with many lamps.
Karthika Pournami
The full moon is the brightest night of the month: 365 wicks lit together, lamps floated on water, and Shiva worship at temples. See the Karthika Pournami guide for times by city.
Poli Padyami
The day after Karthika Amavasya, Andhra families float small lamps on banana-stem boats in the early morning to close the month, remembering the story of Poli, the devoted daughter-in-law said to have gone to heaven for keeping the Karthika lamps.
Keeping Karthika abroad
| Practice | At home abroad |
|---|---|
| Karthika snanam | Bath before sunrise at home; add a little Ganga jal if you have it |
| Deepam | Ghee or oil lamps indoors, on a metal plate, never left unattended; LED diyas where flames aren't allowed |
| Somavaram | Fast through the work day, abhishekam in the evening; most Hindu temples hold Somavaram abhishekams |
| Amla for Ksheerabdi Dwadashi | Indian grocery stores usually stock fresh or frozen amla; a small branch or the fruit is enough |
| Vana bhojanam | A weekend family picnic in a park, often organised by Telugu associations |
కార్తీక మాసం 2026: తెలుగులో
కార్తీక మాసం భారత్లో నవంబర్ 10 మంగళవారం నుండి డిసెంబర్ 8 మంగళవారం వరకు; అమెరికాలో నవంబర్ 9 సోమవారం నుండి. కార్తీక సోమవారాలు భారత్లో నాలుగు (నవంబర్ 16, 23, 30, డిసెంబర్ 7), అమెరికాలో ఐదు (నవంబర్ 9 కూడా). నాగుల చవితి భారత్ నవంబర్ 13, అమెరికా నవంబర్ 12. ఉత్థాన ఏకాదశి నవంబర్ 20, క్షీరాబ్ది ద్వాదశి నవంబర్ 21, కార్తీక పౌర్ణమి నవంబర్ 24. పూర్తి వివరాలు తెలుగు పేజీలో.
Frequently asked questions
When is Karthika Masam in 2026?
In India it begins on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 (Karthika Shukla Pratipada) and ends with Karthika Amavasya on Tuesday, December 8. In the US it begins a day earlier, on Monday, November 9, because the Amavasya before it falls a day earlier there.
How many Karthika Somavarams are there in 2026?
Four in India: November 16, 23 and 30, and December 7. Five in the US: November 9, 16, 23 and 30, and December 7, because the month starts on a Monday there.
When is Karthika Pournami 2026?
Tuesday, November 24, 2026, in both India and the US. Tamil Karthigai Deepam is November 24 in India and November 23 in the US.
When is Ksheerabdi Dwadashi 2026?
Saturday, November 21, 2026, the day after Uthana (Prabodhini) Ekadashi on Friday, November 20. Families perform Tulasi puja with an amla (usiri) branch that evening.
Can I keep Karthika Masam abroad?
Yes. A bath before sunrise at home, a lamp at the door and the tulasi each evening, Somavaram fasting and reading a chapter of the Karthika Puranam each day are all simple to keep anywhere.
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