Ugadi / Gudi Padwa in Ambaji

Date and Timing in This City

In Ambaji, the festival falls on Thursday 19 March 2026, and in the following year on Wednesday 7 April 2027. These dates are computed for Ambaji's own sunrise, which is why they belong to the city rather than to a single national calendar.

The observance rests on the tithi Chaitra Shukla Pratipada — the first lunar day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra. Ambaji keeps the time zone Asia/Kolkata, and the day is reckoned from local sunrise, so the tithi is read against the sky as it rises over the city.

Why the Date Can Differ from India

A panchang is not one list for the whole country. The tithi is a running astronomical quantity, and different cities cross sunrise at different moments. When a tithi begins or ends near a sunrise boundary, one city may observe the festival a day earlier or later than another. Ambaji's date is therefore stated on its own terms, computed for its own sunrise, and not simply copied from a national or regional listing.

Traditions also differ in how the lunar month is reckoned. Some communities follow the amanta system, others the purnimanta; Smarta and Vaishnava households may name or sequence the same day differently. These are genuine regional and sectarian variations, not errors. For a personal reading of your own chart or family custom, it is best to consult a qualified jyotishi.

Where and How the Community Celebrates

Ugadi and Gudi Padwa mark the lunar new year. The observance is associated with the Deccan regions — Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra — and the deity linked to the day is Brahma.

In practice, households in Ambaji and elsewhere begin with a bath before sunrise, clean and decorate the entrance, and set out a kalash or gudi according to family custom. Many read or listen to the new year's panchang, offer prayers, and share prasad. The day is commonly treated as an auspicious beginning for new ventures, studies and account books.

Because communities differ, the exact items on the plate, the direction of the gudi, and the prayers recited will vary from home to home. What is shared is the orientation: a fresh start, gratitude, and attention to the year's almanac.

Practical Tips

• Confirm the local sunrise time for Ambaji on the day, since the tithi is read from sunrise.
• Note the two dates given here — 19 March 2026 and 7 April 2027 — and check closer to the day for any local adjustment.
• Follow your family's own tradition where customs differ; there is no single required form.
• If you want the day assessed against your personal chart, ask a qualified jyotishi.