Narak Chaturdashi in Dallas

Date and timing in Dallas

In Dallas, Texas, Narak Chaturdashi falls on Saturday 7 November 2026 and on Wednesday 27 October 2027. These dates are computed for Dallas's own sunrise, in the America/Chicago time zone, and not borrowed from an Indian calendar.

The tithi observed is Kartik Krishna Chaturdashi. The day is known as Choti Diwali, and the traditional observance includes Abhyanga snan, the oil-bath that precedes the main Diwali night. The presiding deity of the day is Krishna.

Why the date can differ from India

Panchangam dates are tied to the tithi and to sunrise at a given place. Because Dallas lies many hours behind India, a tithi that is current during India's morning may still be running, or may already have ended, by the time the sun rises over Texas. When the tithi crosses a sunrise boundary in one location but not the other, the observance shifts by a day.

This is why families in Dallas sometimes find that their Choti Diwali falls on a different Gregorian date than the one printed in an India-based calendar. The Dallas date above is the one calculated for Dallas's own sunrise.

Where and how the community celebrates

Narak Chaturdashi is listed in the brief as a pan-India observance, and it travels with the diaspora. In Dallas, as elsewhere in the United States, households generally keep the day at home: the Abhyanga snan in the early morning, lamps lit in the evening, and the family shrine attended as on Diwali. Community celebration, where it happens, tends to follow the same pattern rather than a single fixed form.

Traditions differ on details. North Indian and purnimanta reckonings, South Indian and amanta reckonings, and Smarta and Vaishnava households may place the emphasis slightly differently, and some observe the day chiefly as Choti Diwali while others give more weight to the snan. These are living variations, not disagreements to be settled here.

Practical tips

• Check the Dallas sunrise for your own date rather than relying on an India-printed calendar.
• Note that 2026 falls on a Saturday and 2027 on a Wednesday, which may affect work and family schedules.
• Keep the America/Chicago time zone in mind if you are coordinating with relatives in India.
• Follow your family's own tradition where customs differ.
• For anything specific to your chart, consult a qualified jyotishi.