Karthika Pournami 2026 date: Tuesday, Nov 24 (Bay Area Nov 23) · story and how to celebrate
By Kulasekhar Mittapalli · Updated
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Karthika Pournami, the full moon of the month of Karthika, is on Tuesday, November 24, 2026, in India and most cities below, but on Mon, Nov 23 in the Bay Area. Families light lamps, take a holy dip and worship Shiva; in Tamil homes, Karthigai Deepam is celebrated around the same full moon.
1The stories behind Karthika Pournami
Tripurari: Shiva destroys the three cities
The three sons of the asura Tarakasura built three flying fortresses, Tripura, of gold, silver and iron, which could be destroyed only by a single arrow when the three aligned. On the full moon of Karthika, Shiva, with the earth as his chariot and Mount Meru as his bow, loosed that one arrow and burned all three. He is honoured as Tripurari, the day as Tripurari Purnima, and in Varanasi the gods' joy is celebrated as Dev Deepavali, with lamps on every ghat.
The column of light
When Brahma and Vishnu argued over who was greater, Shiva appeared between them as an endless column of fire. Vishnu, as a boar, dug down and Brahma, as a swan, flew up; neither found its end. That column is remembered at Tiruvannamalai, where the Maha Deepam is lit on the Annamalai hill on Karthigai Deepam, and in every lamp lit on this full moon.
Karthika masam and Kartikeya
The whole month of Karthika is sacred to Shiva and Vishnu, and its full moon is its crown: an early river bath (Karthika snanam), lamps at dusk and fasting are said to give the merit of the entire month. Kartikeya (Subrahmanya), raised by the six Krittikas, is also worshipped, which is why the Krittika nakshatra marks Karthigai Deepam.
2How to celebrate at home, in India or abroad
- Karthika snanam: bathe before sunrise; no river nearby, a bath at home with a prayer to Ganga is the common practice abroad.
- Fast or puja: worship Shiva with bilva and abhishekam, or keep the Satyanarayana vratam in the evening.
- Light the lamps: at dusk, light the 365-wick lamp (bundles of wicks are sold at Indian stores) or a row of diyas. In North America, light them on Monday, November 23 if you follow the Purnima-in-force evening.
- Float a lamp: no river? Float a small diya on a leaf in a bowl or basin of water; many temples abroad hold a Karthika deepotsavam.
- Visit a temple: Shiva temples hold the Jwala Thoranam and special abhishekam.
Lamp verse (traditional):
दीपज्योतिः परब्रह्म दीपज्योतिर्जनार्दनः ।
दीपो हरतु मे पापं दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Dīpa-jyotiḥ parabrahma dīpa-jyotir janārdanaḥ; dīpo haratu me pāpaṃ dīpa-jyotir namo'stu te.
Meaning: the lamp's flame is the supreme Brahman, the flame is Janardana; may the lamp remove my sins; salutations to the light of the lamp.
3Checklist: what you need
8 items
- 365-wick bundle (or as many lamps as you can) and ghee
- Clay lamps for the house, tulasi and the door
- Banana stem / leaf boats for deepa danam (or a tub of water at home)
- Turmeric, kumkum, flowers, bilva
- Satyanarayana vratam items if your family keeps it: wheat rava, banana, ghee, sugar for prasadam
- Coconut and betel leaves
- Agarbatti, camphor
- Fruits for the fast
4A priest, or do it yourself
Karthika Pournami puja: 365 wicks, deepa danam (Telugu) · SASURIKA Vlogs · 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.
6Karthika Pournami by city
| City | Karthika Pournami | Purnima tithi (local time) | Karthigai Deepam (Tamil) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Tue, Nov 24 | Mon, Nov 23, 1:13 PM → Tue, Nov 24, 9:54 AM | Mon, Nov 23 |
| Dallas | Tue, Nov 24 | Mon, Nov 23, 12:13 PM → Tue, Nov 24, 8:54 AM | Mon, Nov 23 |
| Chicago | Tue, Nov 24 | Mon, Nov 23, 12:13 PM → Tue, Nov 24, 8:54 AM | Mon, Nov 23 |
| Bay Area (San Jose) | Mon, Nov 23 | Mon, Nov 23, 10:13 AM → Tue, Nov 24, 6:54 AM | Mon, Nov 23 |
| Toronto | Tue, Nov 24 | Mon, Nov 23, 1:13 PM → Tue, Nov 24, 9:54 AM | Mon, Nov 23 |
| London | Tue, Nov 24 | Mon, Nov 23, 6:13 PM → Tue, Nov 24, 2:54 PM | Tue, Nov 24 |
| Dubai | Tue, Nov 24 | Mon, Nov 23, 10:13 PM → Tue, Nov 24, 6:54 PM | Tue, Nov 24 |
| Singapore | Tue, Nov 24 | Tue, Nov 24, 2:13 AM → Tue, Nov 24, 10:54 PM | Tue, Nov 24 |
| Sydney | Tue, Nov 24 | Tue, Nov 24, 5:13 AM → Wed, Nov 25, 1:54 AM | Tue, Nov 24 |
| Hyderabad | Tue, Nov 24 | Mon, Nov 23, 11:43 PM → Tue, Nov 24, 8:24 PM | Tue, Nov 24 |
| Delhi | Tue, Nov 24 | Mon, Nov 23, 11:43 PM → Tue, Nov 24, 8:24 PM | Tue, Nov 24 |
Karthika Pournami in your city
Each city page has every day of the festival with local times, and the dates in India.
USA
Karthika Pournami 2026 in every US city, on one page ›
Canada
UK & Europe
Gulf
Asia-Pacific
India
More about Karthika Pournami
Why the Bay Area is different
The festival day is the one on which Purnima is in force at sunrise. On the West Coast, Purnima ends just before sunrise on November 24, so it touches no sunrise there; the observance then falls on the day it begins, November 23. Further east the full moon is still in force at sunrise on the 24th. This is exactly the kind of difference a panchang printed for India cannot show.
The evening lamps in North America: across the US and Canada the full moon ends on the morning of November 24, so the evening on which Purnima is actually in force is Monday, November 23. The morning bath and vratam follow the 24th; families who light the Karthika deepam and the 365-wick lamp while Purnima is in force do it on the evening of the 23rd. In India, Purnima lasts until 8:24 PM on the 24th, so the bath and the evening lamps fall on the same day.
Karthigai Deepam
Karthigai Deepam is fixed by the Tamil solar calendar: the day in the month of Karthigai when the Krittika (Karthigai) nakshatra is in force at sunset, when the lamps are lit. In 2026 it falls on November 24 in India and on the evening of November 23 in much of North America.
How India celebrates
| Region | What people do |
|---|---|
| Telangana, Andhra Pradesh | Pre-dawn river or sea bath; the 365-wick lamp at dusk; lamps floated on rivers on leaves or banana-stem boats; Jwala Thoranam, a burning arch at Shiva temples; Satyanarayana vratam; Karthika vanabhojanalu picnics |
| Tamil Nadu | Karthigai Deepam: rows of clay lamps at every home, and the Maha Deepam on Annamalai hill at Tiruvannamalai |
| Varanasi | Dev Deepavali: the ghats lit with lamps, Ganga aarti and holy dips |
| Odisha | Boita Bandana: small boats with lamps floated before dawn, remembering the sea traders of Kalinga |
| Rajasthan | Pushkar fair and bath in the Pushkar lake |
| Punjab and Sikh communities | Guru Nanak Jayanti (Gurpurab): prabhat pheris, kirtan and langar |
కార్తీక పౌర్ణమి 2026: తెలుగులో
కార్తీక పౌర్ణమి నవంబర్ 24, 2026 మంగళవారం (భారత్, అమెరికాలో చాలా నగరాలు); బే ఏరియాలో నవంబర్ 23 సోమవారం. తెల్లవారుజామున కార్తీక స్నానం, సాయంత్రం 365 వత్తుల దీపం, శివాలయాల్లో జ్వాలా తోరణం, సత్యనారాయణ వ్రతం ఈ రోజు ప్రత్యేకం. అమెరికాలో పౌర్ణమి తిథి నవంబర్ 23 సాయంత్రమే ఉంటుంది (24 ఉదయం ముగుస్తుంది), కాబట్టి పౌర్ణమి ఉండగా దీపాలు వెలిగించేవారు 23 సాయంత్రం వెలిగిస్తారు. నది లేకపోతే ఒక గిన్నె నీటిలో దీపాన్ని తేలించవచ్చు. మీ నగరానికి ఖచ్చితమైన సమయం కోసం Global Panchang తెరవండి.
Frequently asked questions
When is Karthika Pournami in 2026?
Tuesday, November 24, 2026, in India and most cities, including New York, Dallas, Toronto and London; Monday, November 23 in the Bay Area, where the full moon ends just before sunrise on the 24th.
When should I light the Karthika deepam in the US?
The morning bath, vratam and puja follow the sunrise date, November 24. The full moon itself, though, is in force on the evening of Monday, November 23 across North America (New York until 9:54 AM on the 24th). Families who light the evening lamps while Purnima is in force light them on the 23rd; follow your family or temple.
What is the 365-wick lamp?
A Telugu Karthika Pournami custom: a lamp of 365 wicks, one for every day of the year, lit in the evening so that the merit of a lamp for each day is gained at once.
When is Karthigai Deepam 2026?
Tuesday, November 24 in India, the evening when the Krittika (Karthigai) nakshatra is in force at sunset in the Tamil month of Karthigai; in much of North America it falls on the evening of November 23.
Is Guru Nanak Jayanti on the same day?
Yes. Sikhs celebrate Guru Nanak's birth anniversary (Gurpurab) on Kartik Purnima, so it falls on the same full moon.
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