Thaipusam 2026 — date, tithi, puja muhurat and significance

Tithi / timing	Pushya (Poosam) nakshatra in Thai, near the full moon
Deity	Murugan
Observance	Kavadi to Murugan
Where	Tamil Nadu, Malaysia, Singapore

Significance and Story

Thaipusam is a festival dedicated to Murugan, the son of Shiva and Parvati, widely worshipped across the Tamil-speaking world. The name itself carries the timing: Thai is the Tamil solar month, and Pusam is the Tamil name for the Pushya (Poosam) nakshatra. The observance falls on Pushya nakshatra in the month of Thai, near the full moon.

For devotees, Thaipusam is a day of fulfilled vows and expressed gratitude. The central observance is the kavadi — an offering carried to Murugan. The kavadi takes many forms, from a simple pot of milk carried on the head to more elaborate structures borne on the shoulders. Each is undertaken as a vow, a thank-offering, or a petition, and each is understood as a discipline of body and mind rather than a spectacle.

The festival is observed prominently in Tamil Nadu, Malaysia and Singapore. In each place the outer form adapts to local custom, but the inner movement is the same: a devotee walks toward Murugan, carrying something, having prepared for weeks beforehand through fasting, prayer and restraint.

Because Thaipusam is tied to a nakshatra and to a solar month rather than to a fixed Gregorian date, its observance moves from year to year. Readers who want the exact date for the current year will find it listed on this page, computed from the panchang.

How the Date Is Fixed

Thaipusam is not assigned a fixed date in the Western calendar. It is fixed by the panchang, and specifically by the coincidence of two conditions: the Sun in the Tamil solar month of Thai, and the Moon in Pushya (Poosam) nakshatra, occurring near the full moon.

This is why the date shifts each year. The nakshatra of the Moon is a moving quantity, and the solar month is defined by the Sun's entry into a zodiac sign, not by the civil calendar. When both conditions line up, Thaipusam is observed.

Two practical consequences follow, and both are worth knowing:

It can differ by a day between places. Nakshatra timings are reckoned for a specific location and sunrise. A city further east or west may see the nakshatra begin or end at a different local moment, and the observance may accordingly fall on a different civil day.
It can differ between calendar conventions. North Indian and Tamil traditions sometimes reckon the lunar month differently — amanta (month ending at new moon) and purnimanta (month ending at full moon) are the two common systems. Where a festival sits near a month boundary, the two conventions can place it a day apart.

The dates shown on this page are computed for New Delhi sunrise with Lahiri ayanamsha. Readers observing elsewhere, or following a different calendar convention, may find their local date differs by a day. That is expected, not an error. For personal observance, follow the panchang of your own region or the guidance of your family tradition.

Puja Vidhi

The vidhi of Thaipusam is, in essence, the vidhi of a vow. Traditions vary by family, temple and region, so what follows is descriptive rather than prescriptive.

Preparation. Devotees who intend to carry a kavadi typically begin preparation well in advance — often a period of fasting, abstinence, prayer and simple living. The preparation is considered part of the offering.
Bathing and purity. On the day, a purifying bath precedes the observance. The devotee approaches the temple or the procession route in a clean and settled state of mind.
The kavadi. The offering is carried to Murugan, usually along a set route toward a temple or shrine. Milk is a common offering; so are other items according to local custom. The carrying is done slowly and deliberately.
Darshan and thanksgiving. On reaching the deity, the devotee offers the kavadi, receives darshan, and completes the vow. Many also break their fast at this point.
Community participation. Those not carrying a kavadi often support the procession — with music, with provisions, with assistance along the route. Service is itself understood as an offering.

Because the vow is personal, the form and extent of the kavadi are matters for the devotee, the family, and where relevant, the temple. There is no single required scale.

Regional Variations

Thaipusam is observed across Tamil Nadu, Malaysia and Singapore, and the differences between these places are mostly of scale and setting rather than of meaning.

In Tamil Nadu, the festival is tied to temple towns and to Murugan shrines, with processions and kavadi offerings forming the core of the day. In Malaysia and Singapore, the observance is carried by large Tamil diaspora communities, and the processions are public and widely attended, with routes through city streets ending at major Murugan temples. The kavadi remains central in all three.

Where traditions differ, they differ in detail: the exact hour of the observance, the composition of the offerings, the length of the preparatory fast, and whether the family follows amanta or purnimanta reckoning. These are legitimate variations. Readers are encouraged to follow the practice of their own lineage and local temple.

What to Avoid

Do not treat Thaipusam as a fixed calendar date. It is determined by the panchang, and it can shift by a day between places and between conventions.
Do not assume the date on this page applies everywhere. It is computed for New Delhi sunrise with Lahiri ayanamsha. Check your local panchang for observance in your city.
Do not undertake a kavadi vow casually. The preparation is demanding and the vow is taken seriously. Speak with your family, your temple, or a qualified jyotishi before committing to a form of observance you are unsure about.
Do not read personal outcomes into the festival. Thaipusam is a day of devotion and vow, not a prediction. For matters concerning your own chart, consult a qualified jyotishi.
Do not mix calendar systems without noting it. If you follow a North Indian reckoning, say so; the same festival may fall a day apart from the Tamil reckoning.

Questions

When is Thaipusam?

Thaipusam is observed on Pushya (Poosam) nakshatra in Thai, near the full moon; exact Gregorian dates are computed each year from the panchang and listed on this page.

Where is Thaipusam celebrated?

Tamil Nadu, Malaysia, Singapore.

Why can the date of Thaipusam differ between calendars?

Hindu festival dates follow the tithi, nakshatra or solar ingress at a place, so they can shift by a day between cities, and between amanta and purnimanta calendars. Dates here are for New Delhi sunrise with Lahiri ayanamsha.

Thaipusam