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Why Hindu festival and Ekadashi dates differ between the USA and India
By Kulasekhar Mittapalli · Updated
In the next 12 months, 13 of 24 Ekadashis in Dallas (and 11 in New York) fall a day before India, and so do several festivals. That is not an error: it is exactly what the panchang rules give when they are applied to your own city.
- A tithi begins at the same instant everywhere in the world.
- Which day it marks is decided by your local sunrise (or the evening, midday, midnight or moonrise the festival needs).
- US sunrise comes 10½–13½ hours after India's, so the same tithi often meets an American sunrise a calendar day earlier.
1. The tithi starts at the same moment everywhere
A tithi is a 12° step in the angle between the Moon and the Sun. That angle is the same for everyone on Earth, so a new tithi begins at one instant worldwide; only the clock reading differs. Here is the next Ekadashi:
| City | Ekadashi begins (local clock) | Fast day |
|---|---|---|
| Hyderabad | Wed, Oct 21 · 2:12 PM | Thu, Oct 22 |
| London | Wed, Oct 21 · 9:42 AM | Thu, Oct 22 |
| New York | Wed, Oct 21 · 4:42 AM | Wed, Oct 21 |
| Dallas | Wed, Oct 21 · 3:42 AM | Wed, Oct 21 |
| Bay Area (San Jose) | Wed, Oct 21 · 1:42 AM | Wed, Oct 21 |
Same instant, but the fast is on the first day whose local sunrise finds the tithi already running. Where the tithi begins before sunrise, the fast is that same day; where it begins after sunrise, the fast moves to the next morning. That is why one instant gives different fast days.
2. The day is chosen at your sunrise, or the festival's own time of day
Each observance has a deciding time of day (its kaal). The day whose kaal contains the tithi is the observance day, using the sunrise, sunset and moonrise of the place where you are.
| What decides the day | Festivals |
|---|---|
| Sunrise: the tithi at local sunrise | Ekadashi, Ugadi, Navaratri, Bathukamma, Guru Purnima |
| Pradosh: the evening after sunset | Diwali (Lakshmi Puja), Dhanteras, Pradosham |
| Madhyahna: midday | Ganesh Chaturthi, Sri Rama Navami |
| Aparahna: afternoon | Vijayadashami (Dasara) |
| Nishita: around midnight | Maha Shivaratri, Krishna Janmashtami |
| Moonrise | Karva Chauth, Sankashti Chaturthi |
3. How far behind India is your sunrise?
| City | Sunrise today (local) | Hours after Hyderabad |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 7:01 AM | +10½ |
| Edison | 7:02 AM | +10½ |
| Washington, DC | 7:12 AM | +10½ |
| Atlanta | 7:38 AM | +11 |
| Chicago | 6:56 AM | +11½ |
| Dallas | 7:27 AM | +12 |
| Houston | 7:20 AM | +11½ |
| Bay Area (San Jose) | 7:10 AM | +13½ |
| Seattle | 7:20 AM | +13½ |
| Los Angeles | 6:54 AM | +13½ |
| Toronto | 7:25 AM | +11 |
| London | 7:14 AM | +5½ |
| Dubai | 6:15 AM | +1½ |
| Singapore | 6:50 AM | −2 (before) |
| Sydney | 6:24 AM | −5 (before) |
Cities west of India (the Americas, Europe) are affected most; Singapore and Sydney, whose sunrise comes before India's, only rarely.
4. Ekadashi: how many differ in the next 12 months
| City | A day earlier than India | A day later | Ekadashi page |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 11 / 24 | — | Parana times › |
| Edison | 11 / 24 | — | Parana times › |
| Washington, DC | 11 / 24 | — | Parana times › |
| Atlanta | 12 / 24 | — | Parana times › |
| Chicago | 12 / 24 | — | Parana times › |
| Dallas | 13 / 24 | — | Parana times › |
| Houston | 13 / 24 | — | Parana times › |
| Bay Area (San Jose) | 14 / 25 | — | Parana times › |
| Seattle | 13 / 25 | — | Parana times › |
| Los Angeles | 14 / 25 | — | Parana times › |
| Toronto | 11 / 24 | — | Parana times › |
| London | 6 / 24 | — | Parana times › |
| Dubai | 1 / 24 | — | Parana times › |
| Singapore | 0 / 24 | 1 / 24 | Parana times › |
| Sydney | 0 / 24 | 4 / 24 | Parana times › |
5. Festivals: India vs the USA and UK
| Festival | Hyderabad | London | New York | Dallas | Bay Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durga Ashtami | Mon, Oct 19 | Sun, Oct 18 | Sun, Oct 18 | Sun, Oct 18 | Sun, Oct 18 |
| Vijayadashami · Dasara | Tue, Oct 20 | Tue, Oct 20 | Tue, Oct 20 | Tue, Oct 20 | Tue, Oct 20 |
| Karva Chauth | Thu, Oct 29 | Thu, Oct 29 | Wed, Oct 28 | Wed, Oct 28 | Wed, Oct 28 |
| Dhanteras | Fri, Nov 6 | Fri, Nov 6 | Fri, Nov 6 | Fri, Nov 6 | Fri, Nov 6 |
| Naraka Chaturdashi | Sun, Nov 8 | Sat, Nov 7 | Sat, Nov 7 | Sat, Nov 7 | Sat, Nov 7 |
| Diwali · Lakshmi Puja | Sun, Nov 8 | Sun, Nov 8 | Sun, Nov 8 | Sun, Nov 8 | Sun, Nov 8 |
| govardhan puja | Tue, Nov 10 | Mon, Nov 9 | Mon, Nov 9 | Mon, Nov 9 | Mon, Nov 9 |
| bhai dooj | Wed, Nov 11 | Tue, Nov 10 | Tue, Nov 10 | Tue, Nov 10 | Tue, Nov 10 |
| Karthika Pournami | Tue, Nov 24 | Tue, Nov 24 | Tue, Nov 24 | Tue, Nov 24 | Mon, Nov 23 |
| Vaikunta Ekadashi | Sun, Dec 20 | Sun, Dec 20 | Sat, Dec 19 | Sat, Dec 19 | Sat, Dec 19 |
| Makar Sankranti | Fri, Jan 15 | Thu, Jan 14 | Thu, Jan 14 | Thu, Jan 14 | Thu, Jan 14 |
| Maha Shivaratri | Sat, Mar 6 | Sat, Mar 6 | Sat, Mar 6 | Sat, Mar 6 | Fri, Mar 5 |
| Ugadi | Wed, Apr 7 | Wed, Apr 7 | Wed, Apr 7 | Wed, Apr 7 | Wed, Apr 7 |
| Sri Rama Navami | Thu, Apr 15 | Wed, Apr 14 | Wed, Apr 14 | Wed, Apr 14 | Wed, Apr 14 |
| Akshaya Tritiya | Sat, May 8 | Sat, May 8 | Sat, May 8 | Sat, May 8 | Sat, May 8 |
| Guru Purnima | Sun, Jul 18 | Sun, Jul 18 | Sun, Jul 18 | Sun, Jul 18 | Sun, Jul 18 |
| Varalakshmi Vratam | Fri, Aug 13 | Fri, Aug 13 | Fri, Aug 13 | Fri, Aug 13 | Fri, Aug 13 |
| Raksha Bandhan | Tue, Aug 17 | Tue, Aug 17 | Mon, Aug 16 | Mon, Aug 16 | Mon, Aug 16 |
| Krishna Janmashtami | Tue, Aug 24 | Tue, Aug 24 | Tue, Aug 24 | Tue, Aug 24 | Tue, Aug 24 |
| Ganesh Chaturthi | Sat, Sep 4 | Fri, Sep 3 | Fri, Sep 3 | Fri, Sep 3 | Fri, Sep 3 |
Highlighted: a different day from India (Hyderabad).
Worked example: Diwali week in New York
Lakshmi Puja needs Amavasya during Pradosh, the period after sunset. In New York that is Sun, Nov 8, 4:43 PM – 7:29 PM; in Hyderabad Sun, Nov 8, 5:40 PM – 8:12 PM. Same day this year, but the clock times are local. The days around it can still split: Naraka Chaturdashi (the oil bath before sunrise) is Sat, Nov 7 in New York and Sun, Nov 8 in India, because it follows the tithi at sunrise, and New York's sunrise comes about 10½ hours later. Diwali in New York ›
Worked example: Karva Chauth and moonrise
Karva Chauth is kept on the Chaturthi that is in force at moonrise, and the fast ends when the Moon is seen. In New York that is Wed, Oct 28 with moonrise at 7:29 PM; in India it is Thu, Oct 29 (moonrise 8:36 PM in Hyderabad). Moonrise times also differ from city to city by far more than sunrise does, so a single "USA moonrise time" is never right for everyone. Karva Chauth in New York ›
Why calendars printed in India can be a day off abroad
A printed panchang is calculated for one place, usually a city in India, and every date in it already has that city's sunrise baked in. Converting its clock times to US time zones fixes the hours but not the days, because the day was chosen with India's sunrise. The only way to get the right day is to redo the calculation with your own sunrise, which is what Global Panchang does for every city.
6. Daylight saving time
In the USA, Canada and the UK the clocks move by an hour twice a year. The tithi does not change, but every clock time (Rahu Kalam, parana, puja windows) jumps by an hour on the switch-over day. India does not use daylight saving, so the gap with India is one hour smaller in winter than in summer. All times on Global Panchang already include the change.
7. Smarta and Vaishnava Ekadashi
A second, separate reason two calendars can differ: Vaishnava (ISKCON) practice moves the Ekadashi fast to the next day when Dashami is still running at Arunodaya, 96 minutes before sunrise. Our city pages show the Smarta date and, when it differs, the Vaishnava date.
8. What should you follow?
The rules of the panchang are meant to be applied to the place where you live and perform the puja (desha and kala), which is why priests in the USA publish local calendars. A calendar made for India can be a day off here. When family or temple custom differs, follow your priest.
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Ekadashi with parana: Dallas · New York · Bay Area · Toronto · London · All Ekadashi dates 2026
Questions
Why is Ekadashi on a different day in the USA than in India?
Ekadashi is the day on which the 11th tithi is in force at your own sunrise. The tithi begins at the same instant everywhere, but US sunrise comes 10½–13½ hours after sunrise in India, so the tithi can already be running at an American sunrise a calendar day before it reaches sunrise in India. In the next 12 months that happens for 13 of 24 Ekadashis in Dallas.
Should I follow the Indian date or the local date?
The panchang rules are applied to the place where you live and perform the puja, so the local date is the one the rules give. Family and temple customs vary; please confirm with your priest.
Is it always a day earlier in the USA?
Usually, when it differs. Occasionally a tithi starts just after an American sunrise and is still running at the next one, and the US date is then later than India's (0 times for Ekadashi in Dallas in the next 12 months).
Do Diwali and other festivals also differ?
Yes, when the deciding time (pradosh, midday, midnight or moonrise) lands differently. In the next 12 months 10 of the 20 major festivals in the table fall on a different day in Dallas than in Hyderabad.
Do Smarta and Vaishnava dates differ too?
Yes, for Ekadashi. Vaishnava (ISKCON) practice moves the fast to the next day when Dashami is still running at Arunodaya, 96 minutes before sunrise. That is a separate rule from the India-vs-USA difference, and the city Ekadashi pages show both.
Figures for the 12 months from Thu, Oct 8, 2026, recalculated with each release. Calculated with Drik Ganita: local sunrise from NOAA solar formulas and Sun/Moon positions from Astronomy Engine (validated against NASA JPL), Lahiri ayanamsa. 191/191 accuracy checks matched ›