Ugadi / Gudi Padwa in Chitrakoot

Date and timing in Chitrakoot

In Chitrakoot, Ugadi and Gudi Padwa fall on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra. Because the tithi is reckoned from the local sunrise, the date is computed for Chitrakoot's own sunrise rather than for a single all-India reference point.

For the coming years, the date in Chitrakoot is:

• 2026: Thursday 19 March 2026
• 2027: Wednesday 7 April 2027

Chitrakoot follows Asia/Kolkata time. The observance is the lunar new year as kept in the Deccan, and the day is associated with Brahma. Traditions differ on how the day is named and framed — Ugadi in the Deccan, Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra — and on whether the year is counted from the amanta or purnimanta reckoning. Where customs differ, families follow their own lineage and region.

Why the date can differ from India

A panchang is not a single national calendar. The tithi Chaitra Shukla Pratipada is a moving window tied to the Moon's motion, and the day it is assigned to depends on where sunrise is taken. Chitrakoot's sunrise is the reference here, so the date printed for Chitrakoot may sit one day away from a date computed for another city, or from a general "India" listing that uses a different reference meridian.

This is expected, not an error. Two places can both observe the same tithi yet mark it on adjacent civil dates if the tithi begins or ends between their respective sunrises. For personal observance, the local sunrise-based date is the one to follow.

Where and how the community celebrates

Ugadi and Gudi Padwa are observed as the lunar new year across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra. In Chitrakoot, families who keep these traditions generally observe the day at home and in their own community settings, following the customs of their region of origin.

Common threads include an early morning bath, prayers, and the reading or hearing of the new year's almanac. The day is associated with Brahma, and households may offer simple prayers before the day's other activities. Food, decorations and the specific rituals vary by family and region; Chitrakoot itself draws pilgrims throughout the year, but the observance here is primarily a household and community matter rather than a single fixed public event.

Practical tips

• Treat 19 March 2026 and 7 April 2027 as the Chitrakoot dates for these years, and confirm the tithi window in a local panchang closer to the day.
• If your family follows a different regional reckoning, keep that — the amanta and purnimanta systems can place the new year differently.
• Plan the morning around sunrise, since the tithi is sunrise-based.
• For anything tied to your own chart — muhurta, vows, or personal observances — consult a qualified jyotishi rather than relying on a general date listing.