Tamil calendar · Chennai
Tamil Calendar — Karthigai 2026
The Tamil solar calendar, read from Chennai on the Coromandel coast. Its months are the Sun’s twelve sidereal signs, not the Moon’s phases, so a Tamil month begins the moment the Sun changes sign and Tamil Nadu keeps that whole day if the Sankranti falls before sunset.
Karthigai runs 17 Nov – 15 Dec 2026 — a solar (Sankranti to Sankranti) month. Karthigai Deepam lights the hills. Timings are computed for Chennai; the tithi and the month hold across India. Ritu: Autumn.
Tuesday, 17 November 2026
Shukla Ashtami
- Vrishchika SankrantiSankranti
- Nakshatra
- Dhanishta
- Yoga
- Vriddhi
- Sunrise
- 6:08 AM
- Sunset
- 5:39 PM
Wednesday, 18 November 2026
Shukla Navami
- Nakshatra
- Shatabhisha
- Yoga
- Dhruva
- Sunrise
- 6:08 AM
- Sunset
- 5:39 PM
Thursday, 19 November 2026
Shukla Navami
- Nakshatra
- Shatabhisha
- Yoga
- Vyaghata
- Sunrise
- 6:09 AM
- Sunset
- 5:39 PM
Friday, 20 November 2026
Shukla Dashami
- Dev Uthani EkadashiFestival
- Nakshatra
- Purva Bhadrapada
- Yoga
- Harshana
- Sunrise
- 6:09 AM
- Sunset
- 5:39 PM
Saturday, 21 November 2026
Shukla Ekadashi
- Shukla EkadashiVrat / fast
- Nakshatra
- Uttara Bhadrapada
- Yoga
- Siddhi
- Sunrise
- 6:10 AM
- Sunset
- 5:39 PM
Sunday, 22 November 2026
Shukla Trayodashi
- Shukla PradoshVrat / fast
- Nakshatra
- Ashwini
- Yoga
- Vyatipata
- Sunrise
- 6:10 AM
- Sunset
- 5:39 PM
Monday, 23 November 2026
Shukla Chaturdashi
- Nakshatra
- Bharani
- Yoga
- Variyana
- Sunrise
- 6:11 AM
- Sunset
- 5:39 PM
Tuesday, 24 November 2026
Shukla Purnima · Full moon
- Kartik PurnimaFestival
- Guru Nanak JayantiFestival
- PurnimaFull / new moon
- Nakshatra
- Krittika
- Yoga
- Parigha
- Sunrise
- 6:11 AM
- Sunset
- 5:39 PM
Wednesday, 25 November 2026
Krishna Pratipada
- Nakshatra
- Rohini
- Yoga
- Shiva
- Sunrise
- 6:12 AM
- Sunset
- 5:39 PM
Thursday, 26 November 2026
Krishna Dwitiya
- Nakshatra
- Mrigashira
- Yoga
- Siddha
- Sunrise
- 6:12 AM
- Sunset
- 5:39 PM
Friday, 27 November 2026
Krishna Tritiya
- Nakshatra
- Ardra
- Yoga
- Shubha
- Sunrise
- 6:13 AM
- Sunset
- 5:39 PM
Saturday, 28 November 2026
Krishna Chaturthi
- Sankashti ChaturthiVrat / fast
- Nakshatra
- Punarvasu
- Yoga
- Shukla
- Sunrise
- 6:13 AM
- Sunset
- 5:39 PM
Sunday, 29 November 2026
Krishna Shashthi
- Nakshatra
- Pushya
- Yoga
- Brahma
- Sunrise
- 6:14 AM
- Sunset
- 5:40 PM
Monday, 30 November 2026
Krishna Saptami
- Nakshatra
- Ashlesha
- Yoga
- Indra
- Sunrise
- 6:14 AM
- Sunset
- 5:40 PM
Tuesday, 1 December 2026
Krishna Ashtami
- Nakshatra
- Magha
- Yoga
- Vaidhriti
- Sunrise
- 6:15 AM
- Sunset
- 5:40 PM
Wednesday, 2 December 2026
Krishna Navami
- Nakshatra
- Purva Phalguni
- Yoga
- Vishkambha
- Sunrise
- 6:15 AM
- Sunset
- 5:40 PM
Thursday, 3 December 2026
Krishna Dashami
- Nakshatra
- Uttara Phalguni
- Yoga
- Priti
- Sunrise
- 6:16 AM
- Sunset
- 5:40 PM
Friday, 4 December 2026
Krishna Ekadashi
- Utpanna EkadashiFestival
- Krishna EkadashiVrat / fast
- Nakshatra
- Hasta
- Yoga
- Ayushman
- Sunrise
- 6:16 AM
- Sunset
- 5:41 PM
Saturday, 5 December 2026
Krishna Dwadashi
- Nakshatra
- Chitra
- Yoga
- Saubhagya
- Sunrise
- 6:17 AM
- Sunset
- 5:41 PM
Sunday, 6 December 2026
Krishna Trayodashi
- Krishna PradoshVrat / fast
- Nakshatra
- Swati
- Yoga
- Shobhana
- Sunrise
- 6:17 AM
- Sunset
- 5:41 PM
Monday, 7 December 2026
Krishna Chaturdashi
- Masik ShivratriVrat / fast
- Nakshatra
- Vishakha
- Yoga
- Atiganda
- Sunrise
- 6:18 AM
- Sunset
- 5:42 PM
Tuesday, 8 December 2026
Krishna Amavasya · New moon
- AmavasyaFull / new moon
- Nakshatra
- Anuradha
- Yoga
- Sukarma
- Sunrise
- 6:18 AM
- Sunset
- 5:42 PM
Wednesday, 9 December 2026
Krishna Amavasya · New moon
- AmavasyaFull / new moon
- Nakshatra
- Jyeshtha
- Yoga
- Dhriti
- Sunrise
- 6:19 AM
- Sunset
- 5:42 PM
Thursday, 10 December 2026
Shukla Pratipada
- Nakshatra
- Mula
- Yoga
- Shula
- Sunrise
- 6:20 AM
- Sunset
- 5:43 PM
Friday, 11 December 2026
Shukla Dwitiya
- Nakshatra
- Purva Ashadha
- Yoga
- Ganda
- Sunrise
- 6:20 AM
- Sunset
- 5:43 PM
Saturday, 12 December 2026
Shukla Tritiya
- Nakshatra
- Uttara Ashadha
- Yoga
- Vriddhi
- Sunrise
- 6:21 AM
- Sunset
- 5:43 PM
Sunday, 13 December 2026
Shukla Chaturthi
- Nakshatra
- Shravana
- Yoga
- Dhruva
- Sunrise
- 6:21 AM
- Sunset
- 5:44 PM
Monday, 14 December 2026
Shukla Panchami
- Nakshatra
- Shravana
- Yoga
- Vyaghata
- Sunrise
- 6:22 AM
- Sunset
- 5:44 PM
Tuesday, 15 December 2026
Shukla Shashthi
- Nakshatra
- Dhanishta
- Yoga
- Harshana
- Sunrise
- 6:22 AM
- Sunset
- 5:45 PM
- Sankranti
- Festival
- Vrat / fast
- Full / new moon
Festivals in Karthigai
These are the major festivals in this Tamil month. Dates use an India-wide reference, so a regional observance may shift by one day.
Vrats & observances in Karthigai
For Chennai, we derive Ekadashi, Pradosh, Sankashti, the full and new moon, any Sankranti and any eclipse from the sunrise-prevailing tithi.
- Vrishchika SankrantiTue 17 NovSankrantiSun enters Scorpio · 7:43 PM
- Shukla EkadashiSat 21 NovVratShukla paksha · Kartika
- Shukla PradoshSun 22 NovVratShukla paksha · Kartika
- PurnimaTue 24 NovMoonKartika (purnimanta)
- Sankashti ChaturthiSat 28 NovVratKrishna paksha · Kartika
- Krishna EkadashiFri 4 DecVratKrishna paksha · Kartika
- Krishna PradoshSun 6 DecVratKrishna paksha · Kartika
- Masik ShivratriMon 7 DecVratKrishna paksha · Kartika
- AmavasyaTue 8 DecMoonMargashirsha (purnimanta)
- AmavasyaWed 9 DecMoonMargashirsha (purnimanta)
The Tamil months
All twelve, in order, with the Gregorian window each usually falls in.
- ChithiraiApril–May
Opens the year at Puthandu.
- VaikasiMay–June
Vaikasi Visakam honours Murugan.
- AaniJune–July
The Aani Thirumanjanam abhishekams.
- AadiJuly–August
Aadi Perukku and the Amman festivals.
- AavaniAugust–September
Avani Avittam, the thread month.
- PurattasiSeptember–October
The Saturdays kept for Perumal.
- AippasiOctober–November
Annabhishekam and Kanda Sashti.
- KarthigaiNovember–December
Karthigai Deepam lights the hills.
- MargazhiDecember–January
The Thiruppavai dawn month.
- ThaiJanuary–February
Pongal opens it — Thai pirandhal vazhi pirakkum.
- MaasiFebruary–March
Maasi Magam and its sea-bathing festivals.
- PanguniMarch–April
Panguni Uthiram, the month of divine marriages.
FAQ
Is the Tamil calendar solar or lunar?
Solar. Each month is one sidereal sign of the Sun, so it lasts 29 to 32 days and begins at a Sankranti rather than at a new or full moon. The lunar tithi is still printed for each day, because vrats and festivals are counted by it.
On which day does a Tamil month start?
On the day of the Sankranti if the Sun changes sign before sunset; otherwise the next day. This is the classical Tamil rule, and it is why Puthandu is 14 April 2026 even though the Mesha Sankranti falls mid-morning.
Why does the Tamil month start a day before the Malayalam one?
Kerala uses the Malabar rule — the month starts that day only if the Sankranti falls before aparahna, about three-fifths of the way from sunrise to sunset. A mid-afternoon Sankranti therefore opens the Tamil month that day but the Malayalam month the next: in 2026 Thai begins 14 January while Makaram begins 15 January.
When is the Tamil New Year?
Chithirai 1 — Puthandu — the day the Sun enters Mesha, in mid-April.
Regional calendars
The same sky, cut into months three different ways. Open the calendar your family keeps.
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