Karthika Somavaram 2026: Monday dates for your city, fasting rules and puja
By Kulasekhar Mittapalli · Updated
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The Mondays of Karthika masam are kept for Shiva, with abhishekam and a fast that ends after sunset. In 2026 India has four Karthika Somavarams: November 16, 23, 30 and December 7. In the US, Canada and the UK Karthika begins a day earlier, so families there have a fifth: Monday, November 9.
1Why Mondays, and why Karthika
Monday is Somavara, the Moon's day. Shiva wears the crescent moon (Chandrashekhara), and the Puranas tell how Soma, cursed by Daksha to wane away, worshipped Shiva at Prabhasa (Somnath) and was given back his light, to wax and wane ever after. Mondays have been Shiva's day since.
Karthika is the one month dear to both Shiva and Vishnu, and its Mondays are its Shiva days, just as Uthana Ekadashi and Ksheerabdi Dwadashi are its Vishnu days. See the Karthika Masam guide for the whole month.
2How the Karthika Somavaram vratam is kept
The Karthika Puranam describes several ways to keep the Monday vratam, so that everyone can keep it at the level their health allows:
| Upavasam | a full fast through the day and night |
| Ekabhuktam | one meal, at midday |
| Naktam | no food in the day; one meal at night, after the stars are seen |
| Ayachitam | eating only what is offered without asking |
| Snanam | the early-morning bath with prayer, for those who cannot fast |
| Tila danam | a gift of sesame seeds |
- Bath before sunrise (Karthika snanam), remembering the Ganga.
- Shiva puja: abhishekam with water or milk, bilva leaves and Om Namah Shivaya; many read a chapter of the Karthika Puranam.
- Keep the fast in the form you have chosen.
- At dusk light a lamp at the shrine and at the door; many visit a Shiva temple for the evening abhishekam.
- Nakshatra darshanam: after seeing the first stars, offer a prayer and break the fast.
3Checklist: what you need
7 items
- Shiva lingam or picture
- Milk, water, curd, honey for abhishekam
- Bilva leaves, white flowers
- Vibhuti, sandalwood, kumkum
- Ghee lamp to light after sunset
- Fruits or a simple meal to break the fast after the stars appear
- Om Namah Shivaya: a japa mala for 108 counts
4A priest, or do it yourself
Karthika Somavaram puja and vratha katha (Telugu) · Astro BhagyaLakshmi · 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 Somavaram dates by city
| City | Mondays | Sunset, first → last |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 5 · from Nov 9 | 4:42 → 4:26 PM |
| Dallas | 5 · from Nov 9 | 5:28 → 5:19 PM |
| Chicago | 5 · from Nov 9 | 4:33 → 4:17 PM |
| Bay Area (San Jose) | 5 · from Nov 9 | 5:00 → 4:48 PM |
| Seattle | 5 · from Nov 9 | 4:38 → 4:16 PM |
| Atlanta | 5 · from Nov 9 | 5:37 → 5:27 PM |
| Toronto | 5 · from Nov 9 | 4:56 → 4:38 PM |
| London | 5 · from Nov 9 | 4:18 → 3:50 PM |
| Dubai | 4 · from Nov 16 | 5:29 → 5:27 PM |
| Singapore | 4 · from Nov 16 | 6:49 → 6:56 PM |
| Sydney | 4 · from Nov 16 | 7:35 → 7:54 PM |
| Hyderabad | 4 · from Nov 16 | 5:38 → 5:40 PM |
| Vijayawada | 4 · from Nov 16 | 5:31 → 5:32 PM |
| Bengaluru | 4 · from Nov 16 | 5:48 → 5:51 PM |
Highlighted rows have five Somavarams (Nov 9, 16, 23, 30, Dec 7); the others have four (Nov 16, 23, 30, Dec 7). Sunset is the earliest the fast can end; most families wait until the first stars are visible, usually 20 to 40 minutes later. Times are local clock times.
More about Karthika Somavaram
Why the US, Canada and UK have a fifth Monday
Karthika begins on the first sunrise after the Deepavali Amavasya ends. In 2026 that Amavasya ends on Monday, November 9 at 12:32 PM in India, after sunrise, so India's first day of Karthika is Tuesday, November 10, and its first Somavaram is November 16.
In North America the same Amavasya ends in the early hours of November 9 (1:02 AM in Dallas, 2:02 AM in New York and Toronto, 11:02 PM on the 8th in the Bay Area), well before sunrise. So Monday, November 9 is already the first day of Karthika there, and it is a Somavaram. In London the Amavasya ends at 7:02 AM, just eight minutes before sunrise, with the same result. Dubai, Singapore and Sydney follow India.
Some families abroad keep the Indian count of four Mondays. Both are followed; go by your family or temple.
Keeping Somavaram on a work day abroad
| Early sunset | After daylight saving ends on November 1, US sunsets fall between about 4:15 and 5:40 PM, so the fast can end by early evening even on a work day. |
| Temple abhishekam | Most Hindu temples hold an evening Somavaram abhishekam through Karthika; going after work fits the dusk lamp. |
| November 23 | Across North America this Monday is also the evening the Karthika full moon is in force; see Karthika Pournami. |
| Lamps | Ghee or oil lamps on a metal plate, never left unattended; LED diyas where flames are not allowed. |
కార్తీక సోమవారాలు 2026: తెలుగులో
భారత్లో కార్తీక సోమవారాలు నాలుగు: నవంబర్ 16, 23, 30, డిసెంబర్ 7. అమెరికా, కెనడా, UK లో కార్తీకం నవంబర్ 9 సోమవారం మొదలవుతుంది కాబట్టి అక్కడ ఐదు సోమవారాలు. ఉపవాసం సూర్యాస్తమయం తర్వాత, నక్షత్ర దర్శనం చేసి విరమిస్తారు. పూర్తి తెలుగు గైడ్ ›
Frequently asked questions
When are the Karthika Somavarams in 2026?
In India: Monday November 16, 23, 30 and December 7. In the US, Canada and the UK there is also Monday, November 9, because Karthika begins there a day earlier.
Why does the US have five Karthika Mondays and India four?
Karthika begins at the first sunrise after the Deepavali Amavasya ends. The Amavasya ends before sunrise on November 9 in North America and the UK, but after sunrise (12:32 PM) in India, so Karthika starts on Monday, November 9 there and on Tuesday, November 10 in India.
When should I break the Karthika Somavaram fast?
After sunset, once the first stars can be seen (nakshatra darshanam), after the evening lamp and prayer. In Dallas on November 16 sunset is at 5:24 PM; the city table above gives the time for each city.
Can I drink water or eat fruit?
It depends on the form of the vratam you keep: upavasam is a full fast, naktam allows one meal after the stars appear, and ekabhuktam one meal at midday. Many keep a fast with water, milk or fruit; follow your family's practice and your health.
Is Karthika Pournami a Monday this year?
No. Karthika Pournami is Tuesday, November 24 in India and most cities, but in the Bay Area and Seattle it falls on Monday, November 23, the same day as a Somavaram.
Related: Karthika Masam 2026 · Karthika Pournami 2026 · November 2026 calendar (Dallas)
Dates computed for each city's own sunrise. Dates cross-checked against leading published panchangams; vratam customs vary by family, so follow your own tradition or temple.
Open Global Panchang for your exact city → · Every Karthika Somavaram appears in Upcoming; add them to your phone's calendar from Alerts.
Calculated for each city's own sunrise and sunset; times are shown to the minute in local time, including daylight saving. Panchangams can differ by a few minutes, and family and temple traditions vary. For general information only; it may contain errors and is not religious, astrological or medical advice. Always confirm important dates and muhurtams with your priest or temple. See the disclaimer and terms.
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