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Kaalashtami 2026

calendar1st Nov 2026
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Kaalashtami
Each lunar month on Krishna Paksha Ashtami, devotees of Bhairava — Shiva's skull-bearing form who beheaded Brahma's fifth head — keep a night-long vigil. Because the fast must fall when Ashtami covers the night, it sometimes shifts back to Saptami. Dogs, his vahana, are fed as part of the worship.
Kaalashtami 2026 falls on 1st November 2026.
Panchanga
Panchanga For 1st Nov 2026
Upcoming Dates For Kaalashtami
1st Nov 2026
Sunday
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30th Dec 2026
Wednesday
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29th Jan 2027
Friday
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28th Feb 2027
Sunday
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29th Mar 2027
Monday
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28th Apr 2027
Wednesday
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28th May 2027
Friday
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27th Jun 2027
Sunday
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26th Jul 2027
Monday
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24th Aug 2027
Tuesday
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23rd Sept 2027
Thursday
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22nd Oct 2027
Friday
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About
The story behind the fast comes from the Shiva Purana. Brahma's fifth head spoke arrogantly of Shiva, who flicked out Bhairava to clip it off with a thumbnail. The skull stuck to his palm as a begging bowl — the mark of brahmahatya, the sin of killing a Brahmin — and only fell away when he reached Kashi. That is why Bhairava is called the Kotwal (police chief) of Kashi, and why the Kashi Khand of the Skanda Purana promises that eight circumambulations of his shrine wipe out all sins. The vrat follows this Kashi pattern. Worship is done in each of the four praharas (night-watches) with three arghya offerings, then a jagarana (all-night vigil). Coconut, sindoor, mustard oil and black sesame are offered, and street dogs are fed as Bhairava's own.
PRARTHANA FOR KAALASHTAMI
Kalabhairavashtakam
1. Kalabhairavashtakam
Batuk Bhairava Gayatri Mantra
2. Batuk Bhairava Gayatri Mantra
Prarthanas & mantras for KaalashtamiListen to devotional prarthanas and chants for Hindu festivals

Festival Pooja & Pandit Booking

Want a Pandit-led pooja for this festival at home, or online if you live abroad? Dharmayana connects you with verified Pandits for all major Hindu festivals — Diwali, Navratri, Shivratri, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi and more.

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Bookings, samagri lists and Pandit assignment are all handled inside the Dharmayana app — choose the festival, pick a date and the rest is taken care of.

Prarthana, Mantras & Vrat Katha

Every festival has its own prarthanas, stotras and vrat kathas. Reading or listening to them on the festival day is the simplest way to observe the tradition at home.

Inside the Dharmayana app you can listen to:

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Browse the full collection of prarthanas or get the app to play them on the festival morning without ads.

Festival Date, Tithi & Muhurat

Hindu festivals are tied to a specific Tithi, not a fixed date — so the day shifts every year and even varies slightly across cities.

Open the Panchanga for the festival day to see the exact Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, Karana and Shubh Muhurat for pooja in your location.

The Dharmayana app keeps track of all upcoming festivals on the Hindu calendar and reminds you in advance.

Personalised Astrology Around Festivals

Festivals are also a good time to look at your kundali — many families plan sankalp, donations or new beginnings around them.

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  • Talk to a Jyotisha for guidance around career, relationships or health
  • Run kundali matching before fixing a marriage during the festival season

All of this is available inside the Dharmayana app — no fixed schedule, use it whenever you need it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hindu festivals — like Diwali, Navratri, Mahashivaratri, Holi and Janmashtami — mark sacred moments tied to deities, seasons and lunar/solar cycles. Each festival has its own story, vrat, prarthana and rituals, and is timed using the Panchanga so the date moves slightly every year against the Gregorian calendar.

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