Hindu festivals

How Hindu festival dates are fixed

Most Hindu festival dates are not fixed to a single civil calendar date. They are read from the panchang, the traditional almanac of the day. The panchang tracks the movement of the sun and the moon, and each festival is tied to a specific combination of these. That is why the same festival can fall on different Gregorian dates from year to year.

When the panchang is prepared, the position of the sun, the position of the moon, the lunar day, the weekday, and the yoga and karana are noted for each place. A festival date is then set according to the rule attached to that festival — for example, whether it is observed on a particular lunar day, or on the day a particular lunar day touches a certain time of day. Because these timings shift, the date is calculated afresh each year rather than carried over from the previous one.

Solar vs lunar festivals

Festivals fall into two broad groups. Solar festivals follow the sun's entry into a zodiac sign. Lunar festivals follow the phases of the moon and the lunar day. Both kinds are read from the panchang, but they are fixed by different markers.

This is why the list on this page includes observances of both types. It runs from Makar Sankranti, Vasant Panchami, Maha Shivaratri, Holi and Ugadi / Gudi Padwa through Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Akshaya Tritiya, Buddha Purnima, Guru Purnima, Nag Panchami, Raksha Bandhan, Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam and Pitru Paksha, on to Sharad Navratri, Durga Ashtami, Dussehra / Vijayadashami, Sharad Purnima, Karva Chauth, Dhanteras, Narak Chaturdashi, Diwali / Lakshmi Puja, Govardhan Puja, Bhai Dooj, Chhath Puja, Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Kartik Purnima.

The page also carries regional and community observances — among them Pongal, Chaitra Navratri, Jagannath Rath Yatra, Hariyali Teej, Hartalika Teej, Anant Chaturdashi, Mahalaya Amavasya, Tulsi Vivah, Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Ratha Saptami, Gangaur, Cheti Chand, Navreh, Lohri, Bhogi, Uttarayan, Magh Bihu, Baisakhi, Vishu, Puthandu, Bohag Bihu, Pohela Boishakh, Onam, Karthigai Deepam, Thaipusam and Thrissur Pooram, along with many jayantis and pujas.

Why dates differ by city

Two places can observe the same festival on different days. The panchang is calculated for a location, so sunrise, sunset and the exact span of a lunar day vary from city to city. Where a festival is tied to a time window, that local difference can move the observance to the next day.

Traditions also differ. North and South, Smarta and Vaishnava, and amanta and purnimanta reckonings can place a festival on different dates or name it differently. For personal observance and for reading a personal chart, consult a qualified jyotishi.