Last updated: June 2026. Dates computed for India (IST).
December 2026 completes Karthika and enters Margashira Masam (మార్గశిరం) — the month Lord Krishna himself declares in the Bhagavad Gita: \u201cAmong months, I am Margashira.\u201d It is a month of pre-dawn devotion, Dhanurmasa preparations, and two of Vaishnavism's most important days: Gita Jayanti and Vaikuntha Ekadashi, which fall together on December 20.
| Date | Festival / Observance |
|---|---|
| December 6 (Sun) | Pradosham — Krishna Trayodashi evening Shiva worship. |
| December 7 (Mon) | Masa Shivaratri — Monthly Shivaratri vigil. |
| December 15 (Tue) | Subrahmanya Shashti — Margashira Shukla Shashti — major festival of Lord Subrahmanya (Kartikeya), especially grand at Mopidevi and Skanda temples. |
| December 20 (Sun) | Gita Jayanti & Vaikuntha Ekadashi — The day the Bhagavad Gita was spoken, coinciding with Mokshada/Vaikuntha Ekadashi — temples open their northern Vaikuntha Dwaram for darshan. Tirumala sees enormous crowds. |
| December 21 (Mon) | Pradosham — Shukla Trayodashi evening Shiva worship. |
| December 24 (Thu) | Datta Jayanti — Margashira Pournami — birth anniversary of Lord Dattatreya, the combined form of the Trimurti. |
| December 26 (Sat) | Sankatahara Chaturthi — Monthly Ganesha vratam at moonrise. |
Margashira flows into Pushya Masam and the countdown to Makara Sankranti in mid-January 2027 — the biggest festival of the Telugu year, with Bhogi bonfires, rangoli muggulu, gangireddu processions, and kite flying. Dhanurmasa devotional singing (Tiruppavai) begins in mid-December and continues until Sankranti. Check our festival guide and your city page for local timings.
| Observance | Date (India, computed) |
|---|---|
| Amavasya (new moon) | Tuesday, December 8, 2026 |
| Pournami (full moon) | Thursday, December 24, 2026 (Datta Jayanti) |
Amavasya and Pournami are the two pivotal days of every lunar month — Amavasya for Pitru Tarpanam and ancestral rites, Pournami for Satyanarayana Vratam and full-moon worship. The dates above are the days on which each Tithi prevails at local sunrise (Hyderabad, IST), computed by our engine and consistent with the Amavasya/Pournami markers on our daily calendar. Festivals tied to Amavasya, such as Deepavali, may be observed the previous evening under the Pradosha rule. For your own city, check your city Panchangam page.
| Ekadashi | Date (India, computed) |
|---|---|
| Krishna Ekadashi | Friday, December 4, 2026 |
| Shukla Ekadashi | Sunday, December 20, 2026 (Vaikuntha / Mokshada Ekadashi) |
Ekadashi — the eleventh Tithi of each fortnight — is one of the most widely observed fasting days for devotees of Lord Vishnu. The dates above are the days on which the Ekadashi Tithi prevails at local sunrise (Hyderabad, IST). The observed fasting day and the paravana (breaking of the fast on Dwadashi) can differ between Smarta and Vaishnava traditions, and on a kshaya/vriddhi fortnight; follow your family sampradaya and confirm local timings on your city Panchangam page.
Margashira Masam is declared by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita as the foremost among months: “Among months, I am Margashira.” It is a month of pre-dawn devotion and Dhanurmasa observance, and it holds Vaikuntha Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti — among the most important days of the Vaishnava year — when temples throw open their northern Vaikuntha Dwaram for darshan.
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