2026 Hindu Festival Calendar: Complete Guide (75+ National & Regional Festivals)

INTRODUCTION

Your astrological year doesn’t align with the Gregorian calendar.

Neither do the festivals that define Hindu tradition.

If you’ve ever noticed that Diwali never falls on the same date twice, or wondered why Holi shifts by weeks from year to year—you’ve spotted the fundamental truth: Hindu festivals follow the lunar calendar, not calendar dates.

This creates a practical problem for anyone serious about prediction: How do you plan your spiritual year when festivals move every year?

This 2026 Hindu festival calendar answers that question completely. We’ve compiled 75+ festivals across all regions of India—national celebrations, regional observances, vrats (fasts), and auspicious dates that most generic calendars omit.

Whether you’re:

• An astrologer planning client consultations around auspicious dates
• A practitioner timing spiritual practices to festival energy
• Someone managing a business or events around festival seasons
• An astrology student tracking festival dates for prediction practice

This guide provides every major Hindu festival for 2026 with exact dates, regional variations, and KP astrology significance.

Plus: We’ve included a calculation method for finding auspicious muhurats (astrologically favorable moments) for personal events during these festivals using JHora.

HOW TO USE THIS CALENDAR

Format: Festivals are organized month-by-month with:

• Festival name (English & Sanskrit)
• Exact date(s) in 2026
• Lunar day (Tithi) associated
• Regional significance (if applicable)
• Astrological significance (if relevant)
• KP Muhurat potential (marked where applicable)

Note on Dates: Hindu festival dates are based on lunar calculations. Some festivals span multiple days or have preliminary ceremonies. Dates listed are primary celebration dates but may vary by 1-2 days depending on regional calculation methods (North vs South India traditions).

JANUARY 2026 FESTIVALS

FEBRUARY 2026 FESTIVALS

MARCH 2026 FESTIVALS

APRIL 2026 FESTIVALS

MAY 2026 FESTIVALS

JUNE 2026 FESTIVALS

JULY 2026 FESTIVALS

AUGUST 2026 FESTIVALS

SEPTEMBER 2026 FESTIVALS

OCTOBER 2026 FESTIVALS

NOVEMBER 2026 FESTIVALS

DECEMBER 2026 FESTIVALS

ADDITIONAL OBSERVANCES & VRATS (FASTS) – 2026

SECTION: HOW TO USE THIS CALENDAR FOR KP ASTROLOGY

Why This Calendar Matters for Your Predictions

Most astrologers treat festivals as cultural events. But in KP (Krishnamurti Paddhati) astrology, festivals have predictive significance:

1. Festival dates reveal planetary transits – Major festivals often coincide with significant planetary movements
2. Energy amplification – Festivals amplify astrological effects; events occurring during festivals have stronger manifestation
3. Muhurat selection – Auspicious moments within festival periods are ideal for starting new ventures

Using JHora to Find Festival Muhurats

For any major festival or personal event during 2026, you can find the most auspicious moment:

1. Open JHora
2. Go to: Muhurat → Electional Astrology (or Auspicious Timing)
3. Select the date of your chosen festival
4. JHora calculates: Shubha Hora (auspicious hour) and optimal time window
5. Use the suggested time for starting your new venture, ceremony, or event

Example: If you want to start a new business during Diwali 2026 (November 8), JHora will find the most auspicious hour within that day—often 1-2 hours at specific times. This amplifies success probability far beyond a random “Diwali is auspicious” assumption.

SECTION: FESTIVAL CALENDAR BY REGION

NORTH INDIA (Hindi-Belt States)

Primary festivals:

• Holi (March 4)
• Diwali (November 8)
• Lohri (January 13)
• Raksha Bandhan (August 28)
• Chhath Puja (November 15) – especially Bihar/UP
• Karwa Chauth (October 29)
• Makar Sankranti (January 14)

SOUTH INDIA (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala)

Primary festivals:

• Thai Pongal / Pongal (January 14-15)
• Maha Shivaratri (February 15)
• Onam (August 26-27) – Kerala specific
• Ganesh Chaturthi (September 14)
• Ugadi (March 19) – Andhra/Karnataka
• Mysore Dasara (October 1-30) – Karnataka specific
• Lakshmi Puja / Diwali (November 8)

EAST INDIA (West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha)

Primary festivals:

• Durga Puja (October 22-26)
• Diwali / Kali Puja (November 8)
• Jagannath Rath Yatra (July 1) – Odisha specific
• Chhath Puja (November 15)
• Karam Utsav (December 1-3) – Jharkhand tribal

WEST INDIA (Gujarat, Maharashtra)

Primary festivals:

• Holi / Rang Wali Holi (March 4-5)
• Gudi Padwa (March 19) – Maharashtra
• Ganesh Chaturthi (September 14)
• Diwali (November 8)
• Karwa Chauth (October 29)

SPECIAL: HIMALAYAN & NORTHEASTERN REGIONS

• Hemis Festival, Ladakh (June 26-27)
• Losar, Sikkim (December 24-25)
• Various tribal festivals in Northeast

COMPARISON TABLE: 2026 VS OTHER YEARS

ECLIPSE DATES 2026 (ASTROLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT)

Note: Eclipse times are inauspicious for starting new ventures.

SECTION: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q1: Why do festival dates shift every year?

A: Hindu festivals follow the lunar calendar (based on Moon’s phases), not the Gregorian calendar (based on solar year). Each lunar month is 29.5 days vs Gregorian month of 30-31 days. This ~1.5-day difference compounds yearly, shifting festival dates by weeks.

Example: Diwali in 2025 is October 20. In 2026 it’s November 8—a 19-day shift due to lunar calculation differences.

Q2: Are dates in this calendar fixed for all of India?

A: Mostly yes for national festivals (Holi, Diwali, Raksha Bandhan). But regional celebrations vary:

• South India follows different Tithi calculations → Pongal date may differ 1-2 days from North
• East India (Bengal) celebrates Durga Puja slightly differently timing than North Navratri
• Always verify with local temple or regional pandit for your specific area

Q3: Can I use this calendar for birth time rectification?

A: Yes. Festival dates provide “life event markers.” If major events happened on specific festival dates, you can use that in KP birth time rectification. See our KP Birth Time Rectification Guide.

Q4: Which festival is most auspicious for starting a business?

A: Traditionally: Diwali (November 8, 2026) – Lakshmi Puja specifically. But check JHora for the auspicious hour (Shubha Hora) within that day—exact timing matters.

Other auspicious festivals: Akshaya Tritiya (April 16), Makar Sankranti (January 14), Ugadi/Gudi Padwa (March 19)

Q5: Do eclipses affect festival energy?

A: Yes. If a festival falls on or near an eclipse, traditional astrology recommends caution for starting major ventures during that period (1-2 weeks around eclipse).

2026 note: September 18 lunar eclipse is close to Janmashtami/Ganesh Chaturthi period—some practitioners advise modified celebrations.

Q6: Can I predict marriage/career events from festival dates?

A: Indirectly. If your Tithi Pravesh (Vedic birthday) falls on a festival date, that year gets extra significance. See our Tithi Pravesh vs Varshaphal Guide for deeper analysis.

SECTION: HOW TO TRACK YOUR PERSONAL FESTIVALS

Action Steps:

1. Calculate your Tithi Pravesh (Vedic birthday) using our Tithi Pravesh guide
2. Note if your Tithi Pravesh coincides with a festival—extra significance for that year
3. Check festival dates against your Dasha running period (from KP Astrology for Beginners)
4. Find Muhurats for personal events using JHora during auspicious festivals
5. Track outcomes—note what happens during each festival you participate in; build your personal prediction accuracy database

CONCLUSION

You now have a complete 2026 Hindu festival calendar with 75+ festivals national and regional—significantly more comprehensive than generic calendars.

Whether you’re:

• An astrologer → Use this for consultation scheduling and explaining why festival periods are significant
• A business owner → Plan launches during Diwali, Akshaya Tritiya, or other auspicious dates (verify with JHora)
• A spiritual practitioner → Align your practices with festival energy and lunar cycles
• An astrology student → Study how festivals correlate with planetary transits using JHora

Next steps:

1. Bookmark this calendar for 2026 reference
2. Use JHora to find auspicious hours during major festivals for your events
3. Track your personal events against festival dates—you’ll see correlations emerge
4. Share with others—this calendar is significantly more complete than what DrikPanchang or other generic calendars provide

The ancient Rishis planned their entire year around Tithi and festivals. Now you can too.

RELATED GUIDES

For deeper integration with astrology:

• Tithi Pravesh vs Varshaphal Guide – Calculate your personal Vedic birthday
• KP Astrology for Beginners – Understand Dasha timing (crucial for festival period predictions)
• KP Horary 1-249 Guide – Ask specific questions about festival timing
• Birth Time Rectification – Use festival events as rectification markers
• JHora Installation Guides – Download JHora to find festival muhurats
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