The Karthika Masam 2026 dates for Andhra Pradesh run from 10 November to 8 December 2026. That single line is where most calendar pages go wrong.
Several popular sites still print 27 October as the start. They copy the North Indian month instead of the Telugu one. Below you will find every festival date, the tithi behind it, and the two days where panchangams genuinely disagree.
Temples Map is an independent temple guide. We are not affiliated with any temple, trust, or the Andhra Pradesh Endowments Department. This is not an official temple website.
We do not accept bookings, sevas, donations, or payments of any kind. Use the official portals linked below for seva reservations and official announcements.
Karthika Masam 2026 Dates at a Glance
Here are the Karthika Masam 2026 dates every Telugu household needs first. The tithi fixes each one, so the weekday shifts every year.
- Month begins: Tuesday, 10 November 2026 (Karthika Suddha Padyami)
- Month ends: Tuesday, 8 December 2026 (Karthika Bahula Amavasya)
- Karthika Somavaralu: 16, 23, 30 November and 7 December
- Nagula Chavithi: Friday, 13 November 2026
- Utthana Ekadashi: Friday, 20 November 2026
- Tulasi Kalyanam: Saturday, 21 November 2026
- Karthika Pournami: Tuesday, 24 November 2026
- Total length: 29 days
Karthika Masam 2026 Dates: Start and End in Andhra Pradesh
Karthika Masam begins on 10 November 2026 and ends on 8 December 2026 in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu families follow the Amanta system. A lunar month there starts the day after Amavasya and closes on the next one. Because Deepavali falls on 8 November 2026, the month opens two days later on Karthika Suddha Padyami.
North Indian states follow the Purnimanta system instead. There the same month runs roughly 27 October to 24 November 2026. It starts and ends on the full moon instead.
Both are correct within their own tradition, though only one applies to Andhra Pradesh. The Karthika Masam 2026 dates in this guide follow the Amanta reckoning throughout.
Full Karthika Masam 2026 Dates and Festival List
The table below lists every observance inside the month. All Karthika Masam 2026 dates here are checked against the Telugu panchangam for Hyderabad. Timings shift slightly by town, so confirm sunrise-linked rituals locally.
| Date | Day | Observance |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Nov | Tuesday | Month begins; Akasha Deepam starts; Bali Padyami |
| 11 Nov | Wednesday | Yama Dwitiya, Bhagini Hasta Bhojanam |
| 13 Nov | Friday | Nagula Chavithi |
| 14 Nov | Saturday | Naga Panchami |
| 15 Nov | Sunday | Skanda Shashti, Surya Shashti |
| 16 Nov | Monday | First Karthika Somavaram; Vrischika Sankramanam |
| 17 Nov | Tuesday | Gopashtami; Mandala Kalam begins |
| 18 Nov | Wednesday | Akshaya Navami |
| 20 Nov | Friday | Utthana (Prabodhini) Ekadashi; Chaturmasya ends |
| 21 Nov | Saturday | Ksheerabdi Dwadashi, Tulasi Kalyanam, Kaisika Dwadashi |
| 22 Nov | Sunday | Pradosha Vratam, Vishweshwara Vratam |
| 23 Nov | Monday | Second Karthika Somavaram |
| 24 Nov | Tuesday | Karthika Pournami; Jwala Toranam; Satyanarayana Vratam |
| 27 Nov | Friday | Sankashtahara Chaturthi |
| 30 Nov | Monday | Third Karthika Somavaram |
| 4 Dec | Friday | Utpanna Ekadashi |
| 6 Dec | Sunday | Pradosha Vratam |
| 7 Dec | Monday | Fourth Karthika Somavaram; Masa Shivaratri |
| 8 Dec | Tuesday | Karthika Amavasya; month ends |
Karthika Masam 2026 Dates: All Four Somavaralu
The Karthika Masam 2026 dates give four Mondays: 16 November, 23 November, 30 November and 7 December. Devotees fast through the day, break it after evening Shiva puja, and offer bilva leaves at a Shiva temple. Many families keep only the first and last Monday when a full four-week fast is not practical.
Why the First Monday Stands Out This Year
The opening Monday, 16 November 2026, falls on Shravana nakshatra according to the Telugu panchangam. Tradition holds that fasting on a Karthika Monday with Shravana nakshatra carries the merit of a crore ordinary Monday fasts. This belongs to faith and Vedic tradition rather than verified outcome. Still, it explains why temple queues swell that morning.
The Last Monday Doubles as Masa Shivaratri
7 December 2026 is unusual because the fourth Somavaram lands on Karthika Masa Shivaratri. Shiva temples across coastal Andhra hold night-long abhishekams when these two coincide. If you can only manage one Monday fast, this is the one worth planning leave around.
Nagula Chavithi 2026: Why Some Calendars Say 12 November
Nagula Chavithi 2026 falls on Friday, 13 November. Families offer milk and turmeric at an anthill or a Subrahmanya shrine.
The Chaturthi tithi opens around 6:09 PM on 12 November. It closes near 8:42 PM the next day. Because the tithi covers sunrise on the 13th, most Telugu panchangams mark that day for the puja.
A few calendars still print 12 November, since they follow the day the tithi begins rather than the sunrise rule. Neither is a typo. If your family follows a specific panchangam, check with your purohit before fixing the date.
Utthana Ekadashi and Tulasi Kalyanam 2026
Utthana Ekadashi, also called Prabodhini or Devutthana Ekadashi, falls on Friday, 20 November 2026. It marks Lord Vishnu waking from the four-month Chaturmasya rest, which is why the wedding season reopens right after it. Vaishnava households keep a full fast and a night vigil.
Tulasi Kalyanam follows on Saturday, 21 November 2026, on Ksheerabdi Dwadashi. Families decorate the Tulasi brindavanam with flowers and sugarcane. The ceremonial marriage with Sri Maha Vishnu then takes place at dusk. Some families instead perform it any evening between Ekadashi and Pournami, so both practices are traditional.
Karthika Pournami 2026 and the Deepotsavam
Karthika Pournami falls on Tuesday, 24 November 2026, and it is the single biggest day of the month. Devotees light 365 wicks or a Karthika Deepam at home. Many also visit a Shiva temple after sunset and float lamps on a river.
The full moon that evening also carries Krittika nakshatra. Several traditions therefore keep the same night as Karthika Deepam.
Satyanarayana Vratam and Jwala Toranam are also observed that day in the Telugu calendar. Our earlier note on Karthika Pournami rituals and timings covers the evening puja order in detail.
Karthika Snanam and Deepa Danam Through the Month
Karthika Snanam is the daily pre-dawn bath kept through the whole month, ideally in a river or temple tank. Families who cannot reach a river simply bathe at home before sunrise while chanting the Shiva or Vishnu namas. Our guide to Karthika Snanam and its puja steps explains the sankalpam wording.
Deepa Danam, the gift of a lamp, runs alongside it. Akasha Deepam begins on 10 November 2026. Families hoist a lamp on a tall pole every evening until Amavasya. Because the practice is daily rather than date-bound, you can begin late without breaking any rule.
Where Andhra Pradesh Devotees Gather This Month
Shiva temples across Andhra Pradesh see their heaviest footfall on the four Somavaralu and on Karthika Pournami. The Pancharama Kshetras at Amaravati, Draksharamam, Palakollu, Samalkot and Bhimavaram draw large Monday crowds. Covering all five within one month is a long-held aspiration. Srisailam and Kotappakonda also fill up through the month.
River ghats matter just as much as temples here. The Godavari at Rajahmundry and the Krishna at Vijayawada see thousands of pre-dawn bathers, especially on Pournami. For seva timings and any special arrangements, check the Andhra Pradesh Endowments Department temple portal rather than third-party booking pages.
Why Some Calendars Print the Wrong Karthika Masam 2026 Dates
Three errors are circulating widely this year, and each one has a simple cause. Knowing them saves you from planning leave around a wrong date.
- The 27 October start. That is the Purnimanta window used in North India, republished without a label. Andhra Pradesh follows the Amanta system, so the correct start is 10 November.
- Last year’s dates carried forward. Some pages list Prabodhini Ekadashi on 1 November or Pournami on 14 November. Those are older figures that were never recomputed for 2026.
- Off-by-two windows. A few sites print 8 November to 6 December. They start the month on Deepavali itself rather than on Padyami.
How to Confirm the Karthika Masam 2026 Dates Yourself
Before you trust any Karthika Masam 2026 dates online, check that the page names the Amanta or Telugu calendar. A cross-check on Drik Panchang or the Telugu calendar for Karthikam settles it in seconds. Also confirm the page recomputed this year rather than reusing an older list.
What If You Miss One of the Karthika Masam 2026 Dates?
You cannot recover every observance, and it helps to know which is which. Daily practices are forgiving, while tithi-bound ones are not.
You can start Karthika Snanam, Deepa Danam and Akasha Deepam on any day. Merit accrues per day rather than from an unbroken run.
You cannot move a missed Somavaram fast to another weekday, though you can simply keep the remaining Mondays. Nagula Chavithi, Ekadashi and Pournami each sit on a single tithi. A missed year genuinely waits until the next one.
If illness or travel breaks a fast midway, most purohits advise completing the puja anyway. Abandoning both helps nobody. Ask your family priest, because the practice varies by sampradaya.
Health and Safety Notes Before You Fast
Karthika fasting is demanding, and November mornings in Andhra Pradesh can be cold before sunrise. Anyone pregnant, elderly, diabetic, or on regular medication should speak to a doctor first. That applies to waterless fasts and pre-dawn river baths alike. Fasting is a devotional practice and never a substitute for medical treatment.
River and tank bathing carries its own risk. Stay in shallow, marked areas, keep children within arm’s reach, and avoid unlit ghats before dawn. Because temple crowds peak on Pournami night, carry water and any regular medicine with you.
Planning Tips Most Karthika Guides Skip
- Book travel for 24 November early, since Pournami falls on a Tuesday. Many families take a long weekend around it.
- Buy wicks, ghee and sugarcane before 20 November, because prices rise sharply in the Ekadashi to Pournami stretch.
- Confirm marriage muhurtams only after 20 November, as Chaturmasya ends that day. Our note on Karthika Masam marriage muhurtham practice explains why.
- Plan Pancharama visits on the third or fourth Monday, since the first two draw the largest crowds.
Before You Begin the Month
Lock in three dates and the rest follows naturally. Mark 16 November, 21 November and 24 November: the first Somavaram, Tulasi Kalyanam and Karthika Pournami. Everything else in the month either repeats daily or sits close to one of those anchors.
Print the table above and mark your four Mondays. Confirm any sunrise-linked Karthika Masam 2026 dates with your local temple.
Our archive also covers how the Telugu month fell in earlier years. The older Andhra Pradesh start and end date record sits alongside it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Karthika Masam 2026 dates in Andhra Pradesh?
The Karthika Masam 2026 dates run from Tuesday, 10 November to Tuesday, 8 December in Andhra Pradesh. The month opens on Karthika Suddha Padyami, two days after Deepavali, and closes on Karthika Bahula Amavasya. It spans 29 days in total.
Why do sites list different Karthika Masam 2026 dates?
The mismatch comes from the Purnimanta calendar followed in North India, where the month runs full moon to full moon. Andhra Pradesh follows the Amanta system, which runs new moon to new moon. Both windows describe the same lunar month under different conventions.
How many Karthika Somavaralu fall in 2026?
There are four Karthika Somavaralu in 2026: 16 November, 23 November, 30 November and 7 December. The last of these also coincides with Karthika Masa Shivaratri. No Monday coincides with an Ekadashi this year.
When is Nagula Chavithi 2026?
Nagula Chavithi falls on Friday, 13 November 2026. The Chaturthi tithi runs from the evening of 12 November to the evening of 13 November. The sunrise rule places the puja on the 13th. A few panchangams still list 12 November.
When is Karthika Pournami 2026?
Karthika Pournami falls on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. Lamps are lit at home and in temples after sunset, and many devotees bathe in a river at dawn. The same night carries Krittika nakshatra, so it is also observed as Karthika Deepam.
When is Tulasi Kalyanam in 2026?
Families perform Tulasi Kalyanam on Saturday, 21 November 2026, which is Ksheerabdi Dwadashi. Some families instead choose any evening between Utthana Ekadashi on 20 November and Pournami on 24 November. Tradition accepts both practices.
Can I start Karthika Snanam after the month has begun?
Yes, you can start Karthika Snanam on any day of the month. The tradition treats each day’s bath as independent merit, so a late start does not invalidate the practice. The same applies to Deepa Danam and Akasha Deepam.
Does Karthika Masam require a strict fast every day?
No, a daily fast is not required. Most families keep a full fast only on the four Mondays, Ekadashi and Pournami. They eat simple vegetarian food on other days. Anyone with a medical condition should consult a doctor before fasting.