Festival calendar
Festivals 2018 · Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Each festival is dated for this town from the Moon's phase (the tithi) at the time of day its tradition uses: sunrise for most, and midday, afternoon, evening or midnight for some. That is why a date can differ by a day from one town to another.
This year has an extra lunar month: Adhika Jyeshtha (extra month). Most festivals of that month are kept in the regular month that follows it.
January 2018
| Date | Festival |
|---|---|
| 02 Jan 2018 Tuesday |
Pausha Purnima the Magha bathing month opens Pausha, shukla 15 · sunrise |
| 14 Jan 2018 Sunday |
Makar Sankranti / Pongal / Uttarayan the Sun enters Makara; the only major festival fixed to the solar year, which is why it barely moves in the Gregorian calendar while the lunar ones swing by a month Fixed by the Sun, not the Moon |
| 22 Jan 2018 Monday |
Vasant Panchami Saraswati, and the first of spring Magha, shukla 5 · sunrise |
February 2018
| Date | Festival |
|---|---|
| 13 Feb 2018 Tuesday |
Maha Shivaratri kept through the night, so the date follows nishita and not sunrise - Phalguna Krishna 14 in the purnimanta reckoning Magha, krishna 14 · nishita (midnight) |
March 2018
| Date | Festival |
|---|---|
| 01 Mar 2018 Thursday |
Holika Dahan the bonfire is lit at pradosh, so the date follows the evening Phalguna, shukla 15 · pradosh (dusk) |
| 02 Mar 2018 Friday |
Holi / Dhulandi the colours - always the day after the bonfire, which is why it is dated from Holika Dahan rather than from its own tithi at sunrise. Chaitra Krishna 1 in the purnimanta reckoning Phalguna, krishna 1 · the day after Holika Dahan |
| 09 Mar 2018 Friday |
Sheetala Ashtami (Basoda) worship of Sheetala Mata; food cooked the day before is eaten cold Phalguna, krishna 8 · sunrise |
| 18 Mar 2018 Sunday |
Ugadi / Gudi Padwa the lunar new year in the Deccan and Maharashtra Chaitra, shukla 1 · sunrise |
| 18 Mar 2018 Sunday |
Chaitra Navratri begins the first of the nine nights of the spring Navratri, with ghatasthapana in the morning Chaitra, shukla 1 · sunrise |
| 20 Mar 2018 Tuesday |
Gangaur women's festival of Gauri and Shiva, the close of eighteen days of worship after Holi Chaitra, shukla 3 · sunrise |
| 25 Mar 2018 Sunday |
Rama Navami Rama's birth Chaitra, shukla 9 · sunrise The tithi began and ended between two sunrises this year, so it prevails at no sunrise at all. The observance goes on the day it began. |
| 29 Mar 2018 Thursday |
Mahavir Jayanti the birth of Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Jain Tirthankara Chaitra, shukla 13 · sunrise |
| 31 Mar 2018 Saturday |
Hanuman Jayanti Hanuman's birth in most of north India Chaitra, shukla 15 · sunrise |
April 2018
| Date | Festival |
|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2018 Saturday |
Mesha Sankranti / Baisakhi / Puthandu / Pohela Boishakh the Sun enters Mesha; the solar new year in Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Kerala and Assam Fixed by the Sun, not the Moon |
| 18 Apr 2018 Wednesday |
Akshaya Tritiya held to need no muhurta of its own - the day is the muhurta Vaisakha, shukla 3 · sunrise |
| 18 Apr 2018 Wednesday |
Parashurama Jayanti the birth of Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, kept at dusk Vaisakha, shukla 3 · pradosh (dusk) |
| 24 Apr 2018 Tuesday |
Sita Navami the birth of Sita, kept at midday Vaisakha, shukla 9 · madhyahna (midday) |
| 28 Apr 2018 Saturday |
Narasimha Jayanti Vishnu's appearance as Narasimha, which the story places at sunset Vaisakha, shukla 14 · sunset |
| 30 Apr 2018 Monday |
Buddha Purnima the Buddha's birth, waking and death Vaisakha, shukla 15 · sunrise |
May 2018
| Date | Festival |
|---|---|
| 15 May 2018 Tuesday |
Shani Jayanti / Vat Savitri Vrat the birth of Shani; married women also fast and worship the banyan tree for their husbands Vaisakha, krishna 15 · sunrise |
| 24 May 2018 Thursday |
Ganga Dussehra the Ganga's descent Adhika Jyeshtha (extra month), shukla 10 · sunrise |
June 2018
| Date | Festival |
|---|---|
| 28 Jun 2018 Thursday |
Vat Purnima Vrat the banyan-tree fast for a husband's long life, kept on the full moon in the west and south Jyeshtha, shukla 15 · sunrise |
July 2018
| Date | Festival |
|---|---|
| 14 Jul 2018 Saturday |
Rath Yatra Jagannath's chariot procession Ashadha, shukla 2 · sunrise |
| 23 Jul 2018 Monday |
Devshayani Ekadashi Vishnu is held to sleep from here to Kartika; no marriages in between Ashadha, shukla 11 · sunrise |
| 27 Jul 2018 Friday |
Guru Purnima honouring the teacher Ashadha, shukla 15 · sunrise |
August 2018
| Date | Festival |
|---|---|
| 13 Aug 2018 Monday |
Hariyali Teej the monsoon festival of Parvati's union with Shiva; swings, green clothes and fasting Shravana, shukla 3 · sunrise The tithi began and ended between two sunrises this year, so it prevails at no sunrise at all. The observance goes on the day it began. |
| 15 Aug 2018 Wednesday |
Nag Panchami the serpents Shravana, shukla 5 · sunrise |
| 26 Aug 2018 Sunday |
Raksha Bandhan the thread between siblings Shravana, shukla 15 · sunrise |
| 29 Aug 2018 Wednesday |
Kajari Teej a fast by married women for their husbands, with songs of the rains Shravana, krishna 3 · sunrise |
September 2018
| Date | Festival |
|---|---|
| 03 Sep 2018 Monday |
Krishna Janmashtami Krishna's birth - Bhadrapada Krishna 8 in the amanta reckoning. Dated here by the ashtami prevailing at sunrise, which is the Vaishnava rule and the one most published panchangs follow. Smarta practice dates it by nishita instead, and in some years the two fall on different days - 2023 was one Shravana, krishna 8 · sunrise |
| 12 Sep 2018 Wednesday |
Hartalika Teej a strict fast by women in honour of Parvati's penance for Shiva Bhadrapada, shukla 3 · sunrise |
| 13 Sep 2018 Thursday |
Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesha's installation, kept in madhyahna - the middle of the day Bhadrapada, shukla 4 · madhyahna (midday) |
| 14 Sep 2018 Friday |
Rishi Panchami honour to the seven sages, kept at midday Bhadrapada, shukla 5 · madhyahna (midday) |
| 17 Sep 2018 Monday |
Radha Ashtami the birth of Radha, fifteen days after Janmashtami, kept at midday Bhadrapada, shukla 8 · madhyahna (midday) |
| 23 Sep 2018 Sunday |
Anant Chaturdashi the immersion that closes Ganesh Chaturthi Bhadrapada, shukla 14 · sunrise |
| 25 Sep 2018 Tuesday |
Pitru Paksha begins a fortnight for the ancestors, ending at the next new moon Bhadrapada, shukla 15 · sunrise |
October 2018
| Date | Festival |
|---|---|
| 08 Oct 2018 Monday |
Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya the last day of Pitru Paksha. Shraddha is an afternoon rite, so the date follows aparahna - Ashwina Krishna 15 in the purnimanta reckoning Bhadrapada, krishna 15 · aparahna (afternoon) |
| 10 Oct 2018 Wednesday |
Sharad Navaratri begins nine nights of the Goddess Ashwina, shukla 1 · sunrise |
| 17 Oct 2018 Wednesday |
Durga Ashtami the eighth night. Kept at sunrise, unlike the ninth and tenth, which are afternoon rites - so Ashtami and Navami land on the same day in some years and consecutive days in others Ashwina, shukla 8 · sunrise |
| 17 Oct 2018 Wednesday |
Maha Navami the ninth night Ashwina, shukla 9 · aparahna (afternoon) |
| 19 Oct 2018 Friday |
Vijayadashami / Dussehra the tenth day, kept in aparahna - dating it from sunrise puts it a day late whenever the dashami begins late in the morning Ashwina, shukla 10 · aparahna (afternoon) |
| 24 Oct 2018 Wednesday |
Sharad Purnima the harvest moon Ashwina, shukla 15 · sunrise |
| 27 Oct 2018 Saturday |
Karva Chauth the fast breaks at moonrise, so the date follows the evening - Kartika Krishna 4 in the purnimanta reckoning Ashwina, krishna 4 · pradosh (dusk) |
| 31 Oct 2018 Wednesday |
Ahoi Ashtami a mothers' fast for their children, broken on seeing the stars in the evening Ashwina, krishna 8 · pradosh (dusk) |
November 2018
| Date | Festival |
|---|---|
| 05 Nov 2018 Monday |
Dhanteras the first day of the Diwali sequence, kept at pradosh Ashwina, krishna 13 · pradosh (dusk) |
| 06 Nov 2018 Tuesday |
Naraka Chaturdashi / Choti Diwali the pre-dawn oil bath Ashwina, krishna 14 · sunrise |
| 07 Nov 2018 Wednesday |
Diwali / Lakshmi Puja the puja is at pradosh, so the date follows the evening and not sunrise - Kartika Krishna 15 in the purnimanta reckoning Ashwina, krishna 15 · pradosh (dusk) |
| 08 Nov 2018 Thursday |
Govardhan Puja / Bali Pratipada the day after Diwali Kartika, shukla 1 · sunrise |
| 09 Nov 2018 Friday |
Bhai Dooj brothers and sisters Kartika, shukla 2 · sunrise |
| 13 Nov 2018 Tuesday |
Chhath Puja (Sandhya Arghya) the offering to the setting Sun, so the date follows sunset Kartika, shukla 6 · pradosh (dusk) |
| 14 Nov 2018 Wednesday |
Chhath Puja (Usha Arghya) the offering to the rising Sun - always the morning after the evening arghya, so it is dated from that and not from its own tithi Kartika, shukla 7 · the day after Chhath Puja (Sandhya Arghya) |
| 19 Nov 2018 Monday |
Devuthani Ekadashi Vishnu wakes; the marriage season reopens Kartika, shukla 11 · sunrise |
| 20 Nov 2018 Tuesday |
Tulsi Vivah the ceremonial marriage of the tulsi plant to Vishnu, which opens the wedding season Kartika, shukla 12 · sunrise |
| 23 Nov 2018 Friday |
Kartika Purnima / Dev Diwali the lamps on the ghats Kartika, shukla 15 · sunrise |
| 29 Nov 2018 Thursday |
Kalabhairav Jayanti the appearance of Kala Bhairava, Shiva's fierce form, kept at midnight Kartika, krishna 8 · nishita (midnight) |
December 2018
| Date | Festival |
|---|---|
| 19 Dec 2018 Wednesday |
Gita Jayanti the day the Bhagavad Gita was spoken, on Mokshada Ekadashi Margashirsha, shukla 11 · sunrise |
| 19 Dec 2018 Wednesday |
Vaikuntha Ekadashi the southern observance Margashirsha, shukla 11 · sunrise |
| 22 Dec 2018 Saturday |
Dattatreya Jayanti the birth of Dattatreya, kept in the evening of the full moon Margashirsha, shukla 15 · pradosh (dusk) |
Fasting days (vrats) this year
Each list gives the date, and when the tithi begins and ends, so you can also follow your own family's rule.
- Ekadashi 2018 · 24 days
- Purnima 2018 · 13 days
- Amavasya 2018 · 12 days
- Pradosh 2018 · 24 days
- Sankashti Chaturthi 2018 · 13 days
- Vinayaka Chaturthi 2018 · 12 days
- Masik Shivaratri 2018 · 12 days
- Sankranti 2018 · 12 days
Dates and times are for Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Another town can differ by a day when a tithi changes close to sunrise. You can change the place above.