Kartik Purnima is one of the holiest full moons in Hinduism. It completes the month-long Kartik bath, fasts and deep daan. On this day Lord Shiva destroyed the demon Tripurasur, so it is also called Tripurari Purnima, and the gods celebrate Dev Deepawali in Kashi. In 2026 Kartik Purnima is on Tuesday, 24 November, which is also Guru Nanak Jayanti (Prakash Parv). Below are the tithi, snan-daan muhurat, puja vidhi, deep daan, moon arghya and the katha.
Kartik Purnima 2026: date and muhurat
| Detail | Time (2026) |
|---|---|
| Kartik Purnima (bath, charity, fast) | Tuesday, 24 November 2026 |
| Purnima tithi begins | 23 November, about 11:42 PM |
| Purnima tithi ends | 24 November, about 8:23 PM |
| Brahma Muhurat for bath – Delhi | 5:14 AM to 6:02 AM |
| Brahma Muhurat for bath – Varanasi | 4:45 AM to 5:33 AM |
| Deep daan / Dev Deepawali Pradosh – Delhi | 5:24 PM to 7:48 PM |
| Dev Deepawali Pradosh – Varanasi | 5:07 PM to 7:31 PM |
| Moonrise – Delhi | about 4:56 PM |
| Nakshatra | Krittika (until about 11:25 PM) |
These times come from our Panchang engine and may differ by a few minutes from your local panchang. Check your city’s sunrise and sunset on Today’s Panchang.
Why is this Kartik Purnima special?
On 24 November the full moon falls in Krittika nakshatra. By tradition a Kartik Purnima in Krittika is called “Maha Kartiki”, and the bath and charity on this day are considered especially fruitful. It is also the last day of Bhishma Panchak, which began on Dev Uthani Ekadashi, and the last auspicious day for Tulsi Vivah.
Significance of Kartik Purnima
- Tripurari Purnima: on this day Lord Shiva destroyed Tripurasur, who tormented the three worlds, and came to be called “Tripurari”.
- Dev Deepawali: it is believed the gods descend to Kashi to celebrate the victory over Tripurasur with lamps. That is why the Varanasi ghats glow with lakhs of diyas.
- Matsya avatar: it is believed that Lord Vishnu took his first incarnation, the Matsya (fish) avatar, on Kartik Purnima.
- End of Kartik Snan: the month-long Kartik bath that began on Sharad Purnima is completed on this day.
- Guru Nanak Jayanti: the Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, founder of Sikhism, is celebrated on Kartik Purnima — on 24 November in 2026.
- Pushkar Mela: the famous fair and holy bath at Pushkar lake and the Brahma temple in Rajasthan take place on Kartik Purnima.
Kartik Purnima puja samagri
- Gangajal (to add to your bath water if you cannot bathe in a river)
- A picture or idol of Lord Vishnu / Satyanarayan and Lord Shiva
- Clay lamps, ghee or sesame oil, cotton wicks
- Yellow flowers, tulsi leaves, bel leaves, sandalwood, roli, akshat
- Panchamrit, bananas, fruit, panjiri or churma (Satyanarayan prasad)
- Raw milk, water, rice and white flowers for the moon arghya
- Grain, clothes, blankets, jaggery and sesame for charity
Kartik Purnima puja vidhi — step by step
- Wake in Brahma Muhurat and bathe in the Ganga or any holy river. At home, add Gangajal to your bath water, then offer water to the Sun.
- Take the sankalp of the fast. Many keep a fruit fast and break it in the evening after the moon arghya.
- Worship Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva — offer yellow flowers and tulsi to Vishnu, and bel leaves and water to Shiva.
- Listen to or read the Satyanarayan Katha with your family and offer bananas, panchamrit and panjiri.
- In the evening Pradosh Kaal, do deep daan at home, at the temple, by the tulsi and peepal and at the water’s edge. Floating a lamp on a leaf cup in a river is very auspicious.
- After moonrise, offer arghya to the moon with water mixed with raw milk, rice and white flowers, and chant “Om Som Somaya Namah”.
- Sing Om Jai Jagdish Hare and Om Jai Shiv Omkara. Then give grain, clothes and lamps to the needy.
Mantra for deep daan
शुभं करोति कल्याणमारोग्यं धनसम्पदा। शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते॥
Shubham karoti kalyanam arogyam dhanasampada, shatrubuddhi vinashaya deepajyotir namostute
Meaning: salutations to the lamp’s flame, which brings well-being, health and wealth and destroys ill thoughts. Chant it while lighting lamps. Many families light a lamp with 365 wicks on this day, believed to equal a whole year of deep daan.
Charity on Kartik Purnima
Charity on Kartik Purnima is believed to bring many times the merit. Winter is beginning, so giving blankets, warm clothes, grain, ghee, jaggery and sesame is especially auspicious. Service to cows, feeding Brahmins and deep daan are also key offerings of the day. Always give according to your means and with faith.
The story of Kartik Purnima — the destruction of Tripurasur
The three sons of Tarakasur — Tarakaksha, Kamalaksha and Vidyunmali — performed severe penance and asked Lord Brahma for a boon. When Brahma refused them immortality, they asked for three cities — of gold, silver and iron — that would float in the sky and come into one line only once in a thousand years. Only one who could destroy them with a single arrow could kill them.
The demon architect Maya built these three cities, called Tripura. Protected by the boon, the three brothers began tormenting the gods and sages. All the gods sought refuge with Lord Shiva. They made the earth his chariot, the sun and moon its wheels, Mount Meru his bow, Vasuki the bowstring and Lord Vishnu the arrow.
On Kartik Purnima, as soon as the three cities came into line, Lord Shiva burnt Tripura with a single arrow. From then on he was called Tripurari. To celebrate the victory the gods lit lamps in Kashi — a tradition alive today as Dev Deepawali.
Rules of Kartik Purnima
- Avoid tamasic food, meat, alcohol, onion and garlic on this day.
- Avoid anger, quarrels and harsh words; keep the mind calm.
- Always light a lamp near the tulsi and peepal.
- Avoid sleeping in the daytime and sing bhajans in the evening.
- The sick, pregnant women and the elderly should bathe at home with Gangajal water instead of in a cold river.
Read more on Wikipedia and about Dev Deepawali. See also the Tulsi Vivah and Dev Uthani Ekadashi pages and our Vrat Calendar.
Frequently asked questions
When is Kartik Purnima in 2026?
Kartik Purnima is on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. Purnima tithi runs from about 11:42 PM on 23 November to about 8:23 PM on 24 November, so the bath, charity and fast are on 24 November.
What is the best time for the Kartik Purnima bath?
The holy bath is best in Brahma Muhurat — on 24 November about 5:14 to 6:02 AM in Delhi and about 4:45 to 5:33 AM in Varanasi. Bathing and charity can also be done through the day after sunrise.
When is Dev Deepawali in 2026?
Dev Deepawali is also on Kartik Purnima, Tuesday 24 November 2026. The Pradosh Kaal for lighting lamps on the Varanasi ghats is about 5:07 PM to 7:31 PM.
What time is moonrise on Kartik Purnima 2026?
On 24 November 2026 the moon rises at about 4:56 PM in Delhi, 4:45 PM in Lucknow, 4:41 PM in Varanasi and 5:37 PM in Mumbai. Offer arghya to the moon after it rises.
What should be donated on Kartik Purnima?
Grain, clothes, blankets, ghee, jaggery, sesame, lamps and service to cows are considered auspicious. Giving warm clothes and food to the needy brings special merit on this day.
