Karthika Masam 2026 calendar dates for the Telugu Amanta tradition run from Tuesday, 10 November to Tuesday, 8 December 2026 in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The month begins with Karthika Shukla Padyami and closes with Karthika Amavasya, so older October dates or 2022 dates should not be reused for this year.
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Karthika Masam 2026 calendar at a glance
The Karthika Masam 2026 calendar starts on 10 November and ends on 8 December under the Telugu Amanta system. The four Mondays fall on 16, 23 and 30 November, plus 7 December. Karthika Pournami falls on Tuesday, 24 November.
- Month begins: Tuesday, 10 November 2026 — Shukla Padyami.
- Nagula Chavithi: Friday, 13 November 2026.
- Karthika Somavarams: 16, 23, 30 November and 7 December.
- Prabodhini Ekadashi: Friday, 20 November 2026.
- Tulasi Vivah: Saturday, 21 November 2026.
- Karthika Pournami: Tuesday, 24 November 2026.
- Month ends: Tuesday, 8 December 2026 — Amavasya.
These dates follow the Telugu calendar used in Andhra Pradesh. For a broader festival-by-festival list, see the Karthika Masam festival dates for Andhra Pradesh. The sections below explain the tithis behind the dates, which is the main reason different websites sometimes disagree.
Karthika Masam 2026 calendar: key dates and tithis
The table below is a planning reference for the main Karthika dates. A tithi does not begin at midnight, so a lunar day can start on one civil date and remain active after sunrise on the next. That sunrise rule matters when deciding the festival date.
| Date | Day | Tithi or observance | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Nov | Tuesday | Shukla Padyami | Telugu Karthika Masam begins |
| 13 Nov | Friday | Shukla Chavithi | Nagula Chavithi |
| 16 Nov | Monday | Karthika Somavaram | First Monday of the month |
| 20 Nov | Friday | Shukla Ekadashi | Prabodhini or Devutthana Ekadashi |
| 21 Nov | Saturday | Dwadashi | Tulasi Vivah observance |
| 23 Nov | Monday | Karthika Somavaram | Second Monday |
| 24 Nov | Tuesday | Shukla Pournami | Karthika Pournami |
| 30 Nov | Monday | Karthika Somavaram | Third Monday |
| 7 Dec | Monday | Karthika Somavaram | Fourth Monday |
| 8 Dec | Tuesday | Krishna Amavasya | Telugu Karthika Masam ends |
The start, Pournami, and end dates have been cross-checked against daily Telugu panchang data. For example, the Andhra Pradesh calendar shows Padyami on 10 November, while the 24 November entry records Karthika Pournami. The Hyderabad daily panchang also places Kartika Amavasya on 8 December.
How the Karthika Masam 2026 calendar is calculated
The Karthika Masam 2026 calendar in this article follows the Amanta lunar system. In this system, a month runs from the day after one Amavasya to the next Amavasya. Telugu households in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana commonly use this reckoning for monthly observances.
A tithi is a lunar day, not a fixed 24-hour civil day. Therefore, a tithi can begin in the afternoon, evening, or before dawn. Festival rules often look at which tithi is present at sunrise or during a prescribed worship period, so the printed festival date can differ from the tithi-start date.
Why Amanta and Purnimanta calendars show different month names
Amanta and Purnimanta systems divide the lunar cycle differently. The Telugu Amanta month ends at Amavasya, while the Purnimanta month ends at Purnima. As a result, the same civil date can carry different month labels in two valid regional calendars.
This is especially important near 24 November and 8 December. A North Indian calendar may already use a different month name while an Andhra Pradesh Telugu calendar still shows Karthika. When planning a Telugu vratam, use a Telugu Amanta panchang for your city rather than copying a national festival list.
Karthika Masam 2026 calendar: start and end tithi
The Karthika Masam 2026 calendar opens on Tuesday, 10 November because Shukla Padyami is present on that date. Andhra Pradesh panchang data shows Padyami running from 12:31 PM on 9 November until 2:00 PM on 10 November. Thus, 10 November is the first sunrise day of the new Telugu month.
The month closes on Tuesday, 8 December with Karthika Amavasya. Hyderabad panchang data places Amavasya from about 4:12 AM on 8 December until about 6:21 AM on 9 December. Since local sunrise changes by city, devotees should check a city-specific panchang before fixing an exact ritual muhurtham.
If you only need the boundary dates, the separate Karthika Masam start and end date guide gives a shorter explanation. This page keeps the wider calendar and tithi context so the dates make sense instead of appearing as isolated numbers.
Nagula Chavithi 2026: why 12 and 13 November both appear online
Nagula Chavithi is observed on Friday, 13 November 2026 in the sunrise-based Telugu calendar used for Andhra Pradesh. The Chavithi tithi itself begins on Thursday evening, 12 November, and continues until about 8:42 PM on Friday. That split across two civil dates explains the conflicting labels online.
For Bengaluru, Drik Panchang gives the Chavithi tithi from 6:09 PM on 12 November to 8:42 PM on 13 November and marks the festival on Friday. The daily Telugu panchang for 13 November also shows Karthikamu Shukla Chavithi at sunrise. Therefore, 13 November is the practical festival date for this Telugu calendar reference.
Some regional calendars may apply different rules, so do not treat a 12 November label as proof that the astronomy is wrong. Often the source is showing the tithi-begin date rather than the sunrise observance date. This distinction is more useful than simply calling one calendar “incorrect.”
Prabodhini Ekadashi and Tulasi Vivah dates
Prabodhini Ekadashi falls on Friday, 20 November 2026. Published Ekadashi calculations place the tithi from roughly 7:16 AM on 20 November until about 6:32 AM on 21 November in India. Exact minutes vary slightly with the selected location.
Tulasi Vivah follows on Saturday, 21 November. A Telugu daily panchang for Srisailam lists Tulasi Vivah on that date, with Dwadashi continuing after the early-morning Ekadashi transition. Families following a specific sampradaya should use their own tradition’s panchang for the puja window.
These observances are associated with Lord Vishnu and Tulasi in Hindu tradition. Their spiritual benefits belong to religious belief rather than measurable outcomes. If you are fasting, choose a form that suits your health and normal medication schedule.
Karthika Pournami 2026 date and tithi timing
Karthika Pournami falls on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. Andhra Pradesh panchang data places Pournami from 11:42 PM on 23 November until 8:23 PM on 24 November. Krittika nakshatra runs through most of 24 November as well, ending around 11:25 PM in the same reference.
This is one of the most important days of the month for many Shiva and Vishnu devotees. Common traditions include temple visits, lighting deepams, and Pournami vratam. Practice varies by family and temple, so local custom should guide the details rather than a generic internet checklist.
For a focused date-and-timing reference, use the site’s Karthika Pournami date and timings guide. You can also compare the date with Drik Panchang’s Kartik Purnima page, which marks 24 November 2026.
Karthika Somavaram dates in 2026
There are four Mondays inside the Telugu Karthika month in 2026: 16 November, 23 November, 30 November, and 7 December. Monday, 9 November is not a Karthika Somavaram because the Telugu month has not started at sunrise on that date.
- First Somavaram: 16 November 2026.
- Second Somavaram: 23 November 2026.
- Third Somavaram: 30 November 2026.
- Fourth Somavaram: 7 December 2026.
Devotees traditionally associate Karthika Mondays with Lord Shiva and may choose fasting, abhishekam, temple darshan, or evening deepam. These are devotional practices, not medical requirements. If a full fast is unsafe for you, follow a lighter family practice or seek medical advice before fasting.
How to read tithi timings without getting the wrong festival date
First, check the calendar system and location. Then look at the tithi start and end times, but do not stop there. Many Hindu observances depend on sunrise, moonrise, or a specific part of the day, so the civil date containing most of the tithi is not always the festival date.
- Choose a Telugu Amanta panchang. This prevents North Indian month labels from being mixed into an Andhra Pradesh calendar.
- Set your city. Sunrise and local muhurtham values can shift by minutes across India.
- Check the festival rule. Some vrathams use sunrise tithi, while others use evening or moonrise conditions.
- Cross-check important dates. Use at least two established panchang sources for travel, temple visits, or family ceremonies.
This method also explains why a reliable calendar can show “tithi begins 12 November” yet “festival 13 November.” Both statements can be correct because they answer different questions. The safest approach is to separate astronomical tithi timing from the observance date.
Why older Karthika calendars become unreliable
Lunar dates cannot be moved forward by simply adding 365 days. The Hindu calendar periodically inserts an adhika masa, or extra lunar month, to keep lunar and solar cycles aligned. Therefore, later festivals can move by several weeks compared with the previous Gregorian year.
That is why a 2022 article should not keep its old date table when refreshed for 2026. The permanent URL can stay because it may hold search equity, but the visible title, calendar data, and modified date should answer the current search intent. Readers should always see the target year clearly before using a date.
Another common error is weekday mismatch. For example, 8 December 2026 is Tuesday, not Sunday. A date table should therefore verify both the lunar tithi and the Gregorian weekday rather than copying an old row and changing only the year.
Planning a temple visit during Karthika Masam
The Karthika Masam 2026 calendar is also useful when you are planning temple darshan rather than a home vratam. Build the trip around the observance you value most. Karthika Mondays and Pournami can attract more devotees at well-known Shiva temples, so check the temple’s own notices before travel. Do not rely on third-party booking numbers or unofficial payment pages.
For a simple home observance, many families light a deepam in the evening and maintain their usual prayer routine. Some also perform Karthika snanam or follow family-specific fasting rules. These customs vary, so there is no need to copy a stricter practice from another household.
Carry regular medicines if you travel, drink enough water, and avoid strenuous fasting if you have diabetes, are pregnant, are elderly, or have another health condition. Religious fasting should not replace medical care. A doctor can help you adapt a fast safely when health risks apply.
Which Karthika Masam date should Andhra Pradesh devotees follow?
For Andhra Pradesh and most Telugu household observances, follow the Amanta calendar: 10 November to 8 December 2026. Use a city-specific Telugu panchang for exact sunrise and muhurtham details. That keeps the month boundary, tithi, and local timing in the same calendar system.
If a North Indian calendar shows Kartik ending on Purnima, it is using a different month convention. Do not mix that end date with Telugu Somavaram or Amavasya observances. Both calendar systems can be valid, but one article should stay consistent from start to finish.
Before you mark the calendar
The essential dates are straightforward once the calendar system is fixed. The Telugu month begins on 10 November, Karthika Pournami falls on 24 November, and the month ends on 8 December 2026. The four Somavarams are 16, 23, and 30 November, plus 7 December.
Use this Karthika Masam 2026 calendar for Andhra Pradesh planning, then confirm local muhurtham details with a city-based Telugu panchang. That extra check matters for sunrise-linked vrathams because a few minutes can change the practical instruction. For temple-specific events, trust the temple’s official notice over third-party posts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Karthika Masam 2026 calendar start date?
The Karthika Masam 2026 calendar starts on Tuesday, 10 November 2026 in the Telugu Amanta system. Shukla Padyami is present at sunrise that day, so it becomes the first calendar day of Karthika for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana devotees.
When does Karthika Masam end in 2026?
Karthika Masam ends on Tuesday, 8 December 2026 with Karthika Amavasya in the Telugu Amanta calendar. Hyderabad panchang data places Amavasya from early 8 December into the morning of 9 December, after which the next lunar month begins.
How many Karthika Somavarams are there in 2026?
There are four Karthika Somavarams in 2026: 16 November, 23 November, 30 November, and 7 December. The Monday immediately before the month starts, 9 November, does not count as a Karthika Somavaram in the Telugu Amanta reckoning.
Is Nagula Chavithi on 12 or 13 November 2026?
Nagula Chavithi is observed on Friday, 13 November 2026 in the Telugu sunrise-based calendar used for this guide. Chavithi begins on the evening of 12 November, which is why some listings show that earlier civil date even though the festival observance falls the next day.
When is Karthika Pournami in 2026?
Karthika Pournami falls on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. For Andhra Pradesh, Pournami tithi runs from about 11:42 PM on 23 November until about 8:23 PM on 24 November, although local minute-level timings should be checked for your city.
When is Prabodhini Ekadashi in Karthika Masam 2026?
Prabodhini Ekadashi falls on Friday, 20 November 2026. The Ekadashi tithi continues into the early morning of 21 November, so parana and related observances depend on the next day’s local tithi and sunrise rules.
When is Tulasi Vivah in 2026?
Tulasi Vivah falls on Saturday, 21 November 2026 in the panchang references used for this guide. The day follows Prabodhini Ekadashi and overlaps with Dwadashi after the early-morning transition, so family or sampradaya rules may set the exact puja period.
Why do Telugu and North Indian Kartik dates differ?
Telugu calendars generally use the Amanta month system, while many North Indian calendars use Purnimanta. Because one month ends at Amavasya and the other at Purnima, their month boundaries and labels differ even when both use the same underlying lunar tithis.