Kartik Purnima 2026 कार्तिक पूर्णिमा

Why Kartik Purnima is celebrated

Kartik is held to be the holiest month of the Hindu year, and its full moon is its brightest point. Devotees believe that a bath in the Ganga or any sacred river at dawn on this day, and a lamp offered at dusk, bring the merit of a whole month of worship. For this reason the day is often simply called Ganga Snan in North India.

The day belongs to both Shiva and Vishnu. Shaivas honour Shiva as Tripurari, the destroyer of the three demon cities, which gives the day its other name, Tripurari Purnima. Vaishnavas close the month of Kartik, which they keep as Damodar month, with lamps for Lord Vishnu and Tulsi.

Light is the main idea. Two weeks after Diwali, when people light lamps for Lakshmi and for Lord Ram's return, Kartik Purnima is the festival of lights of the gods. Tradition says the devas themselves come down to the banks of the Ganga to celebrate, so the day is known as Dev Deepawali.

The same full moon is sacred to Sikhs as the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and to Jains as the day the holy Shatrunjaya hill reopens for pilgrims. Few days in the Indian calendar bring so many faiths to prayer at once.

History and story of Kartik Purnima

The central story comes from the Puranas. Three asura brothers, the sons of Tarakasur, pleased Lord Brahma with long penance and received three flying cities, one of gold, one of silver and one of iron. Together these cities were called Tripura, and their ruler is remembered as Tripurasur. The boon said the cities could be destroyed only when they came into one line and were pierced by a single arrow. Safe in their moving fortresses, the asuras troubled the gods and the sages.

The gods turned to Lord Shiva. He mounted a chariot made from the earth itself, with the sun and moon as its wheels, took Mount Meru as his bow and Lord Vishnu as his arrow, and waited. When the three cities came into line on the full moon of Kartik, he released one arrow and burnt them all. The gods were so relieved that they came down to Kashi, Shiva's own city, and lit lamps on the ghats of the Ganga. Devotees believe they return every year on this night, and Varanasi lights its ghats to welcome them.

Two other legends add to the day. According to tradition, Lord Vishnu took his first avatar, Matsya the fish, on Kartik Purnima to save Manu and the Vedas from the great flood. The Prabodhini Ekadashi four days earlier marks Vishnu waking from his four month sleep, and the Tulsi Vivah, the wedding of the Tulsi plant with Vishnu as Shaligram, can be held on any day from that Ekadashi to the full moon. Kartik Purnima closes this wedding period.

How Kartik Purnima is celebrated

The day starts before sunrise with Kartik snan, a holy dip in a river, lake or temple tank. Many devotees keep this dawn bath through the whole month and end the vow on the full moon. Those who cannot reach a river add a few drops of Ganga jal to their bath water at home.

After the bath, people offer water to the Sun, worship Shiva and Vishnu, and give food, clothes, grain and blankets to the needy. Charity on this day is believed to bring lasting merit. Many families keep a fast or eat one simple meal, and some listen to the Satyanarayan katha in the evening.

Deep daan, the gift of lamps, is the heart of the evening. Small clay diyas filled with ghee or mustard oil are lit at temples, under the Tulsi and peepal trees, at the doorstep and on the riverbank. On the ghats, people set diyas on leaf boats and float them on the water, so the river seems to carry a moving line of light.

At Varanasi, Dev Deepawali is the grandest event of the year. Lakhs of diyas are lit along the ghats from Raj Ghat to Assi as the sun sets. A special Ganga aarti is held at Dashashwamedh Ghat, with priests moving large brass lamps in time with conch shells and chanting. Fireworks rise over the river, and boats crowd the water as pilgrims watch the lit ghats from the Ganga itself.

Symbols, food and customs of Kartik Purnima

The diya is the main sign of Kartik Purnima. A small clay lamp with a cotton wick stands for knowledge and for the light of the gods. On Dev Deepawali the ghats of Varanasi are lined with rows of these lamps, and their reflection on the river is the image most people carry of the festival.

Floating lamps are a custom of their own. People place a diya with flowers on a leaf or a small boat of banana bark and let the river take it, as an offering and a prayer. The Tulsi plant is decorated and given a lamp, since this day ends the Tulsi Vivah period. Some people light 365 wicks in one lamp, believed to give the merit of a lamp lit every day of the year.

Food on the day is simple and satvik. Fasting devotees eat fruit, milk and makhana, and the evening meal may include kheer, puri and halwa offered first to the deity. In Varanasi, boat riders and visitors snack on local sweets and chai along the ghats. In gurdwaras, the langar of dal, roti and kada prasad is open to everyone, and at Pushkar, malpua and fair snacks are part of the visit.

Kartik Purnima across India

In Rajasthan, the Pushkar fair reaches its peak on Kartik Purnima. Pilgrims bathe in the holy Pushkar lake and visit the Brahma temple, while traders gather for one of India's biggest camel and cattle fairs. In Bihar, the Sonepur fair at the meeting of the Ganga and the Gandak begins around the full moon. In Odisha, people float small paper and banana bark boats with lamps at dawn for Boita Bandana, remembering the sea traders who once sailed to Bali and Java.

For Sikhs, the day is Guru Nanak Gurpurab, the birth anniversary of the first Guru. Gurdwaras hold an Akhand Path, a morning prabhat pheri and a nagar kirtan, and serve langar to all. Jains mark Kartik Purnima as the end of chaturmas, when monks start travelling again, and pilgrims climb the Shatrunjaya hill at Palitana in Gujarat, which reopens after the monsoon.

In Uttarakhand, large crowds bathe at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar and at the ghats of Rishikesh, and lamps are floated on the Ganga in the evening. In Dehradun, families visit temples and gurdwaras, because the Hindu full moon and Guru Nanak Jayanti fall together.

Offices, banks, markets and travel during Kartik Purnima

Kartik Purnima is not a national public holiday. Its date is shared with Guru Nanak Jayanti, so banks under the RBI list and the Allahabad and Uttarakhand High Courts are closed on 24 November 2026.

In 2026 Kartik Purnima falls on Tuesday, 24 November, the same day as Guru Nanak Jayanti. The closures on this date are listed for Guru Nanak Jayanti, and they apply to the shared day.

The Reserve Bank of India lists 24 November 2026 as a holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act. Bank holidays differ by state, so check with your branch before you plan a visit. The High Court of Judicature at Allahabad and the High Court of Uttarakhand are closed on 24 November 2026.

For 2027, the High Court of Uttarakhand includes Sunday, 14 November 2027 as a holiday. The 2027 state government and RBI holiday lists are not yet published, so no other 2027 closure is shown here.

Expect heavy crowds and traffic around river ghats on the day. Varanasi sees very large crowds for Dev Deepawali, so hotels and boats are booked well ahead and the police usually limit vehicles near the ghats in the evening. Haridwar and Pushkar are also crowded, and trains to these places fill up early.