Kartik Purnima 2026: Date, Snan, Dev Deepawali and Satyanarayan Puja

Kartik Purnima 2026 falls on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. The Purnima tithi begins at 11:42 PM on 23 November and ends at 8:23 PM on 24 November IST, so the holy snan (ritual bath), daytime worship and the evening deep daan all fall on 24 November. Dev Deepawali in Varanasi is also on 24 November 2026, with the lamp-lighting during pradosh kaal, 5:08 PM to 7:47 PM.

Kartik Purnima, the full moon of the Kartik month, is counted among the most sacred days of the entire Hindu year. It is called Tripurari Purnima for Lord Shiva's victory over the demon Tripurasura, it is honoured as the day Lord Vishnu took his first avatar as Matsya, the great fish, and it closes the month that the Puranas call the dearest of all months to Vishnu. It is a day of bathing in holy rivers, giving lamps and charity, and, in countless homes, performing the Satyanarayan Puja.

Kartik Purnima 2026: Date and Timings

Event	Date and Time (IST)
Kartik Purnima 2026	Tuesday, 24 November 2026
Purnima tithi begins	23 November 2026, 11:42 PM
Purnima tithi ends	24 November 2026, 8:23 PM
Snan and daytime puja	Morning of 24 November, from brahma muhurta onwards
Moonrise (Delhi)	24 November 2026, 5:01 PM
Dev Deepawali (Varanasi), pradosh kaal	24 November 2026, 5:08 PM to 7:47 PM

These timings are for Delhi and Varanasi as noted; sunrise, moonrise and pradosh timings shift a little from city to city, so check your own city on our daily panchang. As with every festival this year, Kartik Purnima arrives two to three weeks later than usual because 2026 is an Adhik Maas year, with the extra month Adhik Jyeshtha observed in May and June.

Significance: Tripurari Purnima and the Matsya Avatar

Two great stories meet on this full moon.

Tripurari Purnima. The Puranas tell of Tripurasura, three demon brothers whose three flying cities, the Tripura, made them invincible until all three cities aligned in a single moment. On Kartik Purnima, Lord Shiva, with the earth as his chariot, the sun and moon as its wheels and Vishnu himself as his arrow, destroyed the three cities with a single shot. The gods, freed from fear, lit lamps in celebration, which is why this day is also the Diwali of the gods, Dev Deepawali. Shiva is worshipped on this day as Tripurari, the enemy of Tripura.

The Matsya avatar. This full moon is also revered as the day Lord Vishnu appeared as Matsya, the divine fish, his first avatar, to rescue the Vedas and guide the sage Manu's boat through the great deluge. Bathing in sacred waters on this day carries the memory of that rescue: the tradition that what is holy is preserved through water.

The day is sacred across traditions. For Sikhs it is the Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, celebrated as Guru Nanak Jayanti. In Pushkar, Rajasthan, the famous Pushkar Mela culminates on this Purnima with a snan in Pushkar lake. Jains observe it as a day of pilgrimage to Palitana.

Kartik Snan: The Holy Bath

Bathing in a sacred river on Kartik Purnima, at the Ganga above all, is held to confer merit equal to a thousand ordinary baths. Those who have kept the month-long Kartik snan vrata, bathing daily before sunrise through the month, complete their observance on this day. The ideal time is brahma muhurta, the final ninety minutes or so before sunrise, and in 2026 the morning of 24 November is fully within the Purnima tithi, so the snan is straightforward this year.

• If you can reach a holy river, bathe facing the rising sun, offer arghya (water offering) to Surya, and recite the names of Vishnu and Shiva.
• If not, tradition fully allows the snan at home: add a few drops of Ganga jal to your bathing water, remember the sacred rivers by name, and bathe before sunrise with the same sankalpa.
• After the bath, many observe a fast for the day, or eat only once, and spend the day in japa, temple visits and charity.

Deep Daan: The Gift of Lamps

Deep daan, the offering of lighted lamps, is the signature act of Kartik Purnima. The shastras praise the gift of light in this month above almost every other dana, and on the Purnima it reaches its peak. Lamps are lit and offered in the evening, after sunset:

• At the doorstep and in the puja room of the home,
• Beside the Tulsi plant, completing the month of evening lamps that culminated in Tulsi Vivah a few days earlier,
• At temples, especially Shiva and Vishnu temples,
• And most beautifully, floated on rivers and ponds in small leaf boats, as tribute to the waters and in memory of ancestors.

Simple charity accompanies the lamps: food, warm clothing (winter is setting in), and anna daan (gift of grain) to those in need are all considered especially fruitful on this day.

Dev Deepawali in Kashi

Fifteen days after Diwali, Varanasi celebrates the Diwali of the gods. On the evening of 24 November 2026, during pradosh kaal from about 5:08 PM to 7:47 PM, the entire crescent of ghats along the Ganga, more than eighty of them from Assi to Rajghat, is lit with lakhs of earthen lamps. The belief is that on this night the devas themselves descend to Kashi to bathe in the Ganga, and the city lights their way. Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat is at its grandest, boats drift past ghats lined with fire, and the moon, which rises just after five in the evening, climbs over a city of lamps. If you ever plan one pilgrimage around a festival, this is among the most breathtaking sights in India. Do book stays months ahead; the city fills completely.

Why Kartik Purnima is the Classic Day for Satyanarayan Puja

The Satyanarayan Puja, the household worship of Lord Vishnu as the embodiment of truth, is traditionally performed on a Purnima, and the Skanda Purana's own telling of the katha recommends the full moon as its ideal day. Among all the Purnimas of the year, Kartik Purnima is the most prized, because it multiplies the merit of an already beloved vrata with the sanctity of Vishnu's favourite month. Families perform it in gratitude for a good year, on the fulfilment of a wish, after a new beginning such as a marriage or a new home, or simply as a yearly family tradition, ending with the beloved katha and panchamrit prasad. The full procedure, samagri and the year's other Purnima dates are in our Satyanarayan Puja guide.

The puja is best done with a purohit who conducts the sankalpa, the worship and the five-part katha in full. If you would like to perform Satyanarayan Puja at home this Kartik Purnima, you can request a verified purohit through Purohit. We arrange experienced priests for Satyanarayan Puja in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata, with samagri included if you wish. The evening of 24 November, within the Purnima tithi that runs until 8:23 PM, is ideal; the morning after the snan is equally traditional.

The Spiritual Weight of the Kartik Month

Kartik Purnima is the crown of a month the scriptures single out again and again. "Of plants I am Tulsi, of months I am Kartik," says the tradition attributed to Vishnu in the Padma Purana. Through this month devotees rise for pre-dawn snan, light evening lamps by the Tulsi, read the Bhagavata, and practise restraint in food and speech. The month carries an extraordinary sequence of observances: Dhanteras, Diwali, Chhath Puja, Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Tulsi Vivah, before closing on this Purnima. It is also the gateway to the marriage season: from Dev Uthani onwards the wedding muhurats resume, and many families fix dates in the weeks right after the Purnima; see our guide to wedding muhurat dates in 2026 and 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Kartik Purnima in 2026?

Kartik Purnima 2026 is on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. The Purnima tithi begins at 11:42 PM on 23 November and ends at 8:23 PM on 24 November IST, so the snan, puja and deep daan are all observed on 24 November.

When is Dev Deepawali in Varanasi in 2026?

Dev Deepawali is on Tuesday, 24 November 2026, the same day as Kartik Purnima. The lamps are lit on the ghats during pradosh kaal, from about 5:08 PM to 7:47 PM, and the celebrations continue into the night.

What is the best time for the Kartik Purnima snan in 2026?

The most auspicious window is brahma muhurta, the last hour and a half before sunrise on 24 November 2026. Since the Purnima tithi lasts until 8:23 PM that day, a bath at any time from early morning onwards falls within the tithi.

Why is Kartik Purnima called Tripurari Purnima?

On this full moon Lord Shiva destroyed the three flying cities of the demon Tripurasura with a single arrow, earning the name Tripurari, enemy of Tripura. The gods lit lamps to celebrate the victory, which is why the day is also called Dev Deepawali, the Diwali of the gods.

Can Satyanarayan Puja be done at home on Kartik Purnima?

Yes, Kartik Purnima is considered the finest Purnima of the year for the Satyanarayan Puja at home. Perform it in the morning after the snan or in the evening within the Purnima tithi, which ends at 8:23 PM on 24 November 2026. A purohit conducts the sankalpa, puja and the five-chapter katha, typically in two to three hours.

What is deep daan and how is it done?

Deep daan is the offering of lighted lamps as a sacred gift. On Kartik Purnima evening, light ghee or oil diyas at your doorstep, puja room and Tulsi plant, at a temple, and if possible float a lamp on a river or pond. It is traditionally paired with charity of food and warm clothing.

Is Kartik Purnima the same day as Guru Nanak Jayanti?

Yes. Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born on Kartik Purnima, so Guru Nanak Jayanti (Prakash Parv) falls on the same day, 24 November 2026, celebrated with prabhat pheris, akhand path and langar in gurudwaras.

What should be donated on Kartik Purnima?

Lamps and ghee for deep daan, anna daan (grain or cooked food), warm clothes and blankets as winter begins, and dakshina to priests and the needy are all praised. The shastras hold that dana given on this Purnima carries greatly multiplied merit.

Why is Kartik Purnima so late in 2026?

Because 2026 is an Adhik Maas year. An extra lunar month, Adhik Jyeshtha, was inserted from mid May to mid June 2026, pushing the whole festival calendar, from Raksha Bandhan through Diwali to Kartik Purnima, about two to three weeks later than usual.