The Karthika Pournami date in 2026 falls on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. This full-moon day lights up Shiva and Vishnu temples across South India. It is one of the most sacred days of Karthika Masam.
On this day, devotees take a pre-dawn holy bath, float rows of lamps, and worship both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu together. If you found an older page listing 8 November 2022, that date is long out of date. So this guide gives you the verified current date, the exact tithi timings, the pooja vidhanam, and the years ahead.
Temples Map is an independent devotional guide. We are not affiliated with any temple, trust, or endowments board. We do not accept bookings, donations, or payments. Please confirm ritual timings with your local temple or panchang before you plan.
Karthika Pournami at a Glance
- Festival: Karthika Pournami, also called Kartik Purnima, Tripuri Purnima, or Dev Diwali.
- Date in 2026: Tuesday, 24 November 2026.
- Month: Karthika Masam, the holiest lunar month for Hindus.
- Deities worshipped: Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, on the same day.
- Signature rituals: Kartika Snanam, Deepa Daanam, plus Tulasi and Satyanarayana pooja.
- Also observed as: Guru Nanak Jayanti by the Sikh community.
Karthika Pournami Date in 2026 and Tithi Timings
The Karthika Pournami date this year is 24 November 2026, a Tuesday. The festival follows the moon. So the Purnima tithi does not sit neatly inside one calendar day. It helps to know the exact window before you fix your pooja time.
According to Drik Panchang, the Purnima tithi begins at 11:42 PM on 23 November 2026. It then ends at 08:23 PM on 24 November 2026, in IST. Moonrise, when devotees offer arghya, comes in the early evening.
The full moon prevails through the day on the 24th. Because of that, most temples and families observe Karthika Pournami on 24 November.
One small point often confuses readers. Some panchangs list the Pournami Vratam fast on Monday, 23 November 2026, because the tithi opens that night. The main deepa and temple celebrations, though, stay on 24 November. When in doubt, follow your regional panchang or your temple’s notice.
Karthika Pournami Date and Pooja Timings Explained
Poojas run in two shifts on this day. In the early morning, before sunrise, devotees finish Kartika Snanam and light the first lamps. Then, after moonrise, families gather again for deepa aradhana and the Satyanarayana or Tulasi pooja. Since both Shiva and Vishnu receive worship, many people visit a Shiva temple at dawn and a Vishnu temple later.
How Karthika Pournami Fits Within Karthika Masam
Karthika Masam runs for a full lunar month, usually from mid-November to early December. Every day in the month carries merit, yet a few peaks stand out. The Karthika Somavaram Mondays, Nagula Chavithi, and Tulasi Vivah all fall within it.
Karthika Pournami is the grand finale of this month. It closes the five-day stretch of festivities that begins with Prabodhini Ekadashi. So the day gathers the devotion of the whole month into one full-moon night of lamps. For many families, it is the emotional high point of the entire Karthika Masam season of worship.
Why the Karthika Pournami Date Changes Every Year
Karthika Pournami always lands on the full moon of Karthika Masam. Yet the Gregorian date shifts each year. That happens because the Hindu lunar calendar and the English calendar drift apart. As a result, the festival can move by two to four weeks between years.
Leap months add another twist. When an extra month, called adhika masa, is inserted, later tithis slide forward by roughly a lunar month. So you can never simply carry last year’s date over.
Each year’s date needs a fresh calculation. That is exactly why an old 2022 page cannot be trusted today. You can cross-check the current month’s festivals in our Karthika Masam start and end dates guide.
Karthika Pournami Dates for the Coming Years
| Year | Karthika Pournami Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 24 November 2026 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | 14 November 2027 (confirm nearer the day) | Saturday |
The 2026 date is confirmed across multiple panchang sources. The 2027 date is the expected observance. Please reconfirm it on an official panchang closer to the time, since regional traditions can differ by a day.
What Is Karthika Pournami and Why Is It So Sacred?
Karthika Pournami is the full-moon day of Karthika Masam. It is the one day of the year set aside for worshipping Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu together. Devotees believe the merit earned on this day is immense. The holy bath and the lighting of lamps carry special power.
The day carries several legends. By tradition, Lord Shiva destroyed the demon Tripurasura and his three flying cities on this day. That is why the day is also called Tripuri Purnima.
The gods then celebrated the victory with lamps. So the evening became known as Dev Diwali, the Diwali of the gods.
The holy dip carries deep meaning too. Texts like the Skanda and Padma Puranas praise a Kartika bath as a way to wash away past faults. Many devotees keep the dawn snanam every day of the month, then close it on the Karthika Pournami date. That final bath is treated as the most rewarding of all.
Vishnu devotees mark the day too. Many hold that Lord Vishnu took his first avatar, Matsya, on Karthika Pournami. Meanwhile, the Sikh community observes the same full moon as Guru Nanak Jayanti. You can read more background at Wikipedia’s Kartik Purnima page.
Karthika Pournami Pooja Vidhanam: How to Observe the Day
You do not need an elaborate setup to observe Karthika Pournami. The rituals below are the ones devotees follow most widely. You can adapt each one to your home and your health.
- Kartika Snanam: Bathe before sunrise, ideally in a river or holy tank. If that is not possible, a simple bath at home with a prayer works fine.
- Light the deepam: Offer lamps at the Tulasi plant, the prayer room, and the doorway. Some devotees light 365 wicks together as a special Karthika offering.
- Temple visit: Worship at a Shiva temple in the morning and a Vishnu temple by evening, since the day honours both.
- Tulasi and Satyanarayana pooja: Many families perform Tulasi Kalyanam or Satyanarayana Vratam, both highly auspicious in Karthika.
- Evening arghya: After moonrise, offer water and prayers to the full moon before you break any fast.
Float a lamp on a river or tank if your town holds a deepotsavam. This lamp-floating gives the Karthika Pournami date its glowing riverbanks. It is the image most people picture when they think of the festival.
A Quick Safety Note for Devotees
The rituals are joyful, yet a few carry real risk. Pre-dawn river baths can be cold and crowded. So elderly pilgrims and children should take care near ghats and deep water.
If you fast for the vratam and have a medical condition, check with a doctor first. When you light many lamps, keep them well away from clothing and curtains.
Karthika Pournami vs Karthigai Deepam vs Dev Diwali
These three names get mixed up constantly. So here is the clear difference. Karthika Pournami is the full-moon day of Karthika Masam. Dev Diwali is the same day, simply the North Indian name tied to the lamp celebrations at Varanasi.
Karthigai Deepam is different. It is a Tamil festival built around the Krittika star. It usually falls a few days after Karthika Pournami, not on the same date. So a Tamil calendar may show a later day for it, while the Karthika Pournami date itself stays on the full moon.
Common Mistakes and Misinformation to Avoid
Old blog pages are the biggest source of wrong dates. Many still show 8 November 2022 or another past year. That misleads readers who are planning this year’s pooja. Always match the year before you trust a date.
Another myth is that Karthika Masam belongs to Lord Shiva alone. In truth, devotees worship both Shiva and Vishnu through the month. Karthika Pournami is the clearest example of that joint devotion.
A third error treats Karthika Pournami and Karthigai Deepam as one festival, though they fall on different days. For the full month of ritual days, see our Karthika Masam festival list.
Where Karthika Pournami Is Celebrated in South India
The day draws huge crowds to Shiva kshetras across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka. Riverbanks and temple tanks fill with floating lamps after dusk. Many hill temples also light a giant beacon or Jwala Toranam. People can see it for miles.
Temple towns along the Godavari and Krishna rivers see especially large gatherings for the dawn bath. Turnout is heavy, so plan to reach early. Carry water, and keep your group together in the crowd.
Several famous kshetras hold a special deepotsavam on this night. Devotees light rows of lamps on temple towers and along the ghats. The sight of thousands of flames on dark water is why the day earns the name Dev Diwali. If you can, watch the evening aarti from a spot near the water rather than deep inside the crush.
Insider Tips Most Guides Miss
- Go at dawn, not midday: The morning snanam and darshan stay calmer, while evening deepotsavam venues get packed.
- Carry your own lamps and oil: Stalls near temples raise prices sharply on the day, so bring supplies from home.
- Check the tithi, not just the date: If you perform a specific vratam, the fasting window may start the evening before.
- Verify the year on any date you read: A page that does not name the current year is a red flag for a stale date.
The Bottom Line
Mark the Karthika Pournami date for 2026 as Tuesday, 24 November. Plan your Kartika Snanam and deepa aradhana around the tithi window. Worship both Shiva and Vishnu, and light your lamps with care.
Then reconfirm the timings with your local temple or panchang. For the exact tithi for your city, the panchang links above will help you finalise your pooja muhurtam.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Karthika Pournami date in 2026?
The Karthika Pournami date in 2026 is Tuesday, 24 November 2026. The Purnima tithi begins at 11:42 PM on 23 November. It ends at 08:23 PM on 24 November, in IST. So the main observance is on the 24th.
Is Karthika Pournami on 23 or 24 November 2026?
The main festival is on 24 November 2026. Some panchangs list the Pournami Vratam fast on 23 November, because the tithi opens that night. The deepam and temple rituals, however, take place on the 24th.
Why did an old page say 8 November 2022?
That was the correct date for the year 2022 only. The festival follows the lunar calendar, so its Gregorian date changes every year. For 2026, the correct date is 24 November.
Which god is worshipped on Karthika Pournami?
Devotees worship both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu on Karthika Pournami. It is one of the rare days that honours both deities. That is why temple visits often cover a Shiva and a Vishnu shrine.
What pooja is done on Karthika Pournami?
Devotees perform Kartika Snanam at dawn, then deepa daanam or lamp offering. Many also do Tulasi Kalyanam or Satyanarayana Vratam. Lighting 365 wicks and floating lamps on a river are popular Karthika traditions.
Is Karthika Pournami the same as Karthigai Deepam?
No, they are different festivals. Karthika Pournami is the full moon of Karthika Masam. Karthigai Deepam is a Tamil festival tied to the Krittika star, and it usually falls a few days later.
What is Dev Diwali and how is it linked?
Dev Diwali is another name for the same Karthika Pournami day. People celebrate it with rows of lamps, especially at the Varanasi ghats. It marks the gods rejoicing after Lord Shiva defeated the demon Tripurasura.
What time should the deepam be lit?
Devotees light lamps at two times: early morning before sunrise, and again after moonrise. The evening deepa aradhana is the main lamp offering on the Karthika Pournami date.