Kartik Purnima & Dev Deepawali 2026: Date, Snan, Deepdaan

Kartik Purnima 2026 falls on Tuesday, 24 November. The Purnima tithi runs from 11:43 pm on Monday, 23 November to 8:23 pm on Tuesday, 24 November (New Delhi), so the dawn bath, the day's worship and the evening lamps all fall on 24 November.

Key points for 2026:

• Kartik snan (holy bath): early morning of Tuesday, 24 November
• Dev Deepawali lamps in Varanasi: evening of 24 November, after sunset (5:24 pm in Delhi; a little earlier in Varanasi)
• Purnima ends: 8:23 pm on 24 November, so light your lamps early in the evening

The full moon of Kartik closes the month of Kartik, which many devotees keep as a month of vows, early baths and daily lamps. It comes four days after Dev Uthani Ekadashi, when tradition holds that Vishnu wakes from his four-month rest.

Timings vary by city. Check a local panchang or our daily panchang for your sunrise and sunset.

Kartik Purnima carries several traditions at once, which is part of why it is so widely observed:

• Tripurari Purnima: the Puranas tell of Shiva destroying the three flying cities of the demon Tripurasura on this day, earning the name Tripurari. Shaiva devotees worship Shiva with special devotion.
• The end of Kartik vows: devotees who have bathed before dawn, lit lamps and read scripture through the month complete their vows on Purnima.
• Dev Deepawali: tradition holds that the devas themselves celebrate Shiva's victory, and devotees light lamps on the ghats of the Ganga in their honour.
• Tulsi Vivah: in some families, the Tulsi Vivah festivities that began on Dev Uthani Ekadashi conclude on this day.

Because the day is a Purnima, many homes also hold a Satyanarayan Katha, as they do on most full moons.

You do not need to observe all of these. Most families keep the practices their elders followed: a bath, a lamp, a visit to a temple, and a meal shared with others.

Kartik snan is a bath taken before sunrise, ideally in a sacred river such as the Ganga or Yamuna, or at a tirtha. On Kartik Purnima, large crowds of devotees bathe at Haridwar, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Garhmukteshwar and at Pushkar lake in Rajasthan.

If you cannot reach a river, tradition allows a simple bath at home:

1. Wake before sunrise.
2. Add a few drops of Gangajal to your bathing water.
3. Bathe while remembering the sacred rivers and your ishta devata.
4. Wear clean clothes and offer water to the rising Sun from a copper vessel.
5. Light a lamp at your home mandir and near the tulsi plant.

Many devotees also give daan on this day: food, warm clothes as winter begins, a lamp, or grain. Giving to someone who genuinely needs it is the part of the tradition that is easiest to keep, wherever you live.

Some families keep a fast on Kartik Purnima and break it after the evening lamps or after seeing the moon. If you fast, the usual safety note applies: people with health conditions should check with a doctor and can keep a lighter fast.

Deepdaan, the offering of lamps, is the most loved practice of Kartik Purnima. You can do it in three simple ways:

• At home: light ghee or sesame-oil lamps at the entrance, at the home mandir, near the tulsi plant and on the balcony or terrace. Many families light an odd number of lamps, such as 5, 11 or 21, but any number offered with devotion is traditional.
• At a temple: offer a lamp at a Shiva or Vishnu temple in the evening. Many temples arrange rows of diyas on this night.
• At a river or pond: float a small diya in a leaf cup with a flower, and pray silently.

Practical points:

• Use clay diyas and cotton wicks rather than plastic floating lamps, which pollute rivers.
• Place lamps away from curtains, dry leaves and the reach of children.
• Purnima ends at 8:23 pm in Delhi, so light your lamps soon after sunset.
• Never leave lamps burning overnight in a closed room.

While lighting the lamps, many families sing a Shiva aarti such as Om Jai Shiv Omkara, or the Ganga Aarti.

Dev Deepawali, the "Diwali of the gods", is celebrated in Varanasi on the evening of Kartik Purnima. In 2026 that is Tuesday, 24 November. After sunset the ghats along the Ganga are lined with earthen lamps, the evening Ganga aarti draws large crowds, and temples across the city are lit up.

Tradition connects the festival to Shiva's victory as Tripurari, and the devas are said to descend to the ghats to celebrate. Many devotees combine the evening at the ghats with darshan at Kashi Vishwanath.

If you plan to go:

• Reach early, and expect heavy crowds and traffic near the ghats in the evening.
• Boat rides on the river are in heavy demand on this night, so book with a registered operator in advance and insist on life jackets.
• Keep children close, carry little cash, and agree on a meeting point with your group.

If you cannot travel to Kashi, an archana at Kashi Vishwanath can be booked through our famous temples page. A pandit there takes your name, gotra and nakshatra, speaks your sankalp before Vishwanath ji, and offers flowers and prasad in your name. At the time of writing it costs Rs 1,999 all inclusive, with photo proof by email. That prasad is offered at the temple and distributed there.

Depending on where you live, Kartik Purnima coincides with several other celebrations:

• The Pushkar fair in Rajasthan reaches its peak around Kartik Purnima, with pilgrims bathing in Pushkar lake.
• The Sikh community celebrates Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Prakash Purab on Kartik Purnima.
• In Odisha, Boita Bandana is observed, with small boats set afloat at dawn in memory of the region's seafaring traders.
• In many North Indian homes, the Satyanarayan Katha is read and prasad of panchamrit and panjiri is shared.
• Jain communities also regard Kartik Purnima as an important day, and many begin pilgrimages after Chaturmas.

These observances belong to different communities and regions, and each has its own customs. It is a good day to greet neighbours and friends in whatever way they celebrate.

A few safety points if you are bathing in a river or visiting crowded ghats:

• Bathe only at designated ghats, stay within the marked area, and never go into deep or fast-moving water, especially before dawn when visibility is low.
• Children and elderly relatives should always have someone holding their hand near the water.
• Follow the instructions of the local police and river safety staff.

If you would like to mark Tripurari Purnima with Shiva worship but cannot go to a temple, you can book a Rudrabhishek in your name at Sree Vinayak Mandir or CP Hanuman Ji Mandir in Delhi. It takes about 90 minutes and includes Rudra mantra chanted 1,100 times, a panchamrit abhishek of the Shivling, bilva patra offerings and a havan. Photos and a video of the abhishek are emailed to you after the pooja, typically within 24 hours. The booking form asks for your name, gotra (optional), date of birth, your wish and a preferred date.

The days before Kartik Purnima have their own observances: see our guide to Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Tulsi Vivah for 20 and 21 November.