Indian Festivals 2026
All 22 major festivals of 2026 with exact dates, puja muhurat timings, rituals, foods, and cultural significance. From Makar Sankranti to Christmas - your complete festival calendar.
The Indian festival calendar 2026 is a living map of time - rooted in Vedic astrology, lunar tithis, and millennia of devotion. Each Hindu festival is anchored to precise astronomical events: the Sun's movement through the zodiac, the Moon's phases, and the confluence of nakshatras that Vedic astrology has tracked for over 5,000 years. When you plan around muhurat timings, you are aligning your actions with the cosmic current rather than swimming against it. This calendar covers 22 major festivals spanning Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, and secular traditions - from the harvest bonfires of Lohri in January to the lights of Diwali and Christmas in December. For festivals with auspicious windows, exact puja muhurat timings are listed so you can plan worship, begin new ventures, or conduct ceremonies at the most propitious moment. Each entry includes the ruling tithi, regional significance, traditional rituals, and foods - everything you need to celebrate with intention and cultural depth throughout 2026.
22
Festivals
8
With Muhurat
4
Traditions
January 2026
Lohri
SikhPausha Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi
Punjabi harvest festival marking the end of winter solstice - bonfire, bhangra, rewdi
Makar Sankranti
HinduSun enters Capricorn
Sun's transition into Capricorn, harvest festival marking longer days
Vasant Panchami
HinduPanchami, Magha Shukla Paksha
Saraswati Puja and onset of spring - auspicious for education, music, arts
February 2026
March 2026
Holika Dahan
HinduPurnima, Phalguna Shukla Paksha
Burning of Holika - triumph of devotion over evil, eve of Holi
Holi
HinduPratipada, Chaitra Krishna Paksha
Festival of colours - joy, love, spring, and the triumph of good over evil
Eid ul-Fitr
MuslimShawwal 1 (subject to moon sighting)
Festival marking end of Ramadan - celebration of fasting, prayer, and community
Ram Navami
HinduNavami, Chaitra Shukla Paksha
Birth anniversary of Lord Ram - the ideal king and seventh avatar of Vishnu
April 2026
Baisakhi
SikhSun enters Aries - Mesha Sankranti
Sikh New Year, harvest festival, and anniversary of the founding of the Khalsa Panth in 1699
Akshaya Tritiya
HinduTritiya, Vaishakha Shukla Paksha
Most auspicious day of the year - no muhurat needed, ideal for gold purchase, weddings, new business
July 2026
August 2026
Raksha Bandhan
HinduPurnima, Shravana Shukla Paksha
Festival of the sibling bond - sisters tie rakhi for brother's protection and long life
Janmashtami
HinduAshtami, Bhadrapada Krishna Paksha
Birth of Lord Krishna at midnight - devotion, dance, dahi handi, and night-long celebration
Ganesh Chaturthi
HinduChaturthi, Bhadrapada Shukla Paksha
Ten-day festival welcoming Ganesha - remover of obstacles, lord of new beginnings
October 2026
Sharad Navratri
HinduPratipada, Ashwin Shukla Paksha
Nine nights of Goddess Durga in her nine forms - the most celebrated Navratri of the year
Dussehra
HinduDashami, Ashwin Shukla Paksha
Victory of Ram over Ravana - triumph of good over evil, end of Navratri
Karva Chauth
HinduChaturthi, Kartika Krishna Paksha
Married women fast from sunrise to moonrise, praying for husband's long life
Diwali
HinduAmavasya, Kartika Krishna Paksha
Festival of Lights - Lakshmi Puja, fireworks, sweets, and triumph of light over darkness
Govardhan Puja
HinduPratipada, Kartika Shukla Paksha
Day after Diwali - Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill; Annakut feast offered to God
November 2026
Chhath Puja
HinduShashthi, Kartika Shukla Paksha
Worship of the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya - devotees stand in rivers at sunrise and sunset
Guru Nanak Jayanti
SikhPurnima, Kartika Shukla Paksha
Birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji - founder of Sikhism, prophet of oneness