Karthigai Deepam 2026
24th Dec 2026
Karthigai Deepam 2026 is on Thursday, 24 December 2026.
| Abhijit Muhurta | 12:06 PM – 12:48 PM |
|---|---|
| Times for | Ujjain (IST) |
कार्तिगई दीपम 2026 कब है?
कार्तिगई दीपम 2026 गुरुवार, 24 दिसंबर को है।
On this page: prarthanas and mantras with audio · questions about Karthigai Deepam
Pratipada
Dwitiya
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.
You can book:
- Festival pooja at home with a verified Pandit
- Online / virtual pooja with live video and digital prasad
- Same-day sankalp for time-sensitive festivals
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:
- 1000+ prarthanas, mantras and stotras with clear audio
- Festival-specific kathas — Lakshmi, Durga, Shiva, Ganesha, Krishna
- Multilingual versions: Sanskrit, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and more
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.
Inside the app you can:
- Generate your personal Vedic kundali
- 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
When is Karthigai Deepam in 2026?
Karthigai Deepam 2026 falls on Thursday, 24 December 2026.
What is Karthigai Deepam?
On Karthigai Pournami a giant cauldron of ghee and camphor is lit atop Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai, visible for kilometres. It marks the night Shiva appeared as an endless pillar of fire to settle a quarrel between Brahma and Vishnu over who was supreme.
Why is Karthigai Deepam observed?
The Tiruvannamalai temple runs a ten-day Brahmotsavam that opens with the flag-hoisting (Dwajarohanam) on Uttaradam nakshatra. On the final day, priests light the Bharani Deepam inside the sanctum around 4 a.m. That same flame is then carried up Arunachala — the hill whose name means 'holy fire hill' — and used to light the Maha Deepam at sunset, as crowds below shout 'Annamalaiyarku Arohara'. A second strand of lore ties the day to Murugan: he was born as six infants in the Saravana pond, each tended by one of the six Krittika star-mothers, until Parvati joined them into the six-faced Aarumugan. In Tamil homes the festival shows up as rows of small clay agal lamps lining doorsteps, balconies and temple walls.
Which prarthanas are recited on Karthigai Deepam?
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra, Karpura Gauram and Om Namah Shivay are recited on Karthigai Deepam. You can listen to them with audio on this page.
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