Narak Chaturdashi in Bengaluru

Date and timing in this city

In Bengaluru, Narak Chaturdashi falls on Saturday 7 November 2026 and on Thursday 28 October 2027. The observance belongs to Kartik Krishna Chaturdashi, the fourteenth tithi of the dark fortnight of Kartik, and is dedicated to Krishna. It is observed across India as Choti Diwali, together with Abhyanga snan, the traditional oil-bath that many families perform before sunrise or in the early morning hours.

Bengaluru keeps Asia/Kolkata as its time zone, and the tithi timings published for the city are worked out for Bengaluru's own sunrise rather than for a single all-India reference point. That is why the local panchangam is the practical guide: the tithi may be current at Bengaluru's sunrise on a day when the calculation for another city places the observance differently.

Why the date can differ from India

Narak Chaturdashi is a tithi-based observance, not a fixed calendar date. The tithi begins and ends at moments that do not align with the clock, and different regions apply different conventions — whether the day is reckoned from sunrise to sunrise, whether the tithi must be present at sunrise, and whether the lunar month is counted as amanta or purnimanta. Smarta and Vaishnava households may also differ on which portion of the tithi is preferred for the main observance.

Because of this, a city-level date computed for Bengaluru's sunrise can differ from a national listing, and North Indian and South Indian calendars do not always print the same day. Traditions differ here, and it is best to follow the panchangam used in your own family or consult a qualified jyotishi for personal chart-based questions.

Where and how the community celebrates

Observance in Bengaluru is domestic and neighbourhood-based rather than tied to a single public event. Households rise early for the Abhyanga snan, clean and decorate the home, light lamps, and mark Choti Diwali in the days leading to Deepavali. Temples and community groups across the city hold their own programmes, and families often follow the customs of the region they came from, so practice varies from home to home.

Practical tips

• Check a Bengaluru panchangam for the exact tithi window before fixing your snan and puja time.
• Confirm whether your family follows amanta or purnimanta reckoning, as this affects the date.
• Plan the oil-bath and lamp-lighting around your household's usual morning routine.
• For personal chart questions, consult a qualified jyotishi.