Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 (Gurpurab / Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birthday) is observed in India on Tuesday, 24 November 2026, matching Kartik Purnima on the lunar calendar. DrikPanchang’s New Delhi table locks the festival day on 24 November, with Purnima tithi beginning 11:42 p.m. on 23 November and ending 8:23 p.m. on 24 November (Delhi local). It is listed as a gazetted / compulsory Central Government holiday for Guru Nanak’s Birthday. This Monday PILLAR (also ADVANCE) seeds the Festival guides India cluster after Diwali week—without twinning the already-live Diwali hub.
Why 24 November—and what “Kartik Purnima” means here
Sikh tradition marks Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary on Kartik Purnima rather than a fixed Gregorian birthday. In 2026 that lunar alignment lands on Tuesday 24 November nationwide for practical holiday and travel planning. City-level Akhand Path and Nagar Kirtan start times are set by individual gurdwaras—this page does not invent muhurat clocks. If you need a local procession hour, check your city gurdwara notice board or SGPC-linked schedules closer to the week.
What families and travellers usually plan
Typical Gurpurab practice includes early-morning Prabhat Pheri, continuous scripture reading (Akhand Path), Nagar Kirtan processions with the Guru Granth Sahib, and community langar. Major pilgrimage spikes hit Amritsar’s Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), but large urban gurdwaras in Delhi, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, and overseas diaspora centres also run full programmes. Because 24 November is a gazetted holiday for Central Government offices, many private employers in Punjab, Delhi-NCR, and other states follow with a paid day off—confirm your state list rather than assuming every private calendar matches DoPT.
People also ask: is Gurpurab the same as Diwali?
No. Diwali / Deepavali 2026 is already covered on this desk for Sunday, 8 November—a separate Amavasya festival of lights about two weeks earlier. Gurpurab is the Kartik Purnima celebration of Guru Nanak’s birth. Searchers often bounce between the two autumn spikes; keep the keywords distinct so the cluster does not cannibalise itself.
How this links the Festival guides India hub
Use sibling live guides for the earlier autumn stack: Navratri 2026 dates (https://www.thesundayprofile.com/navratri-2026-dates-guide), Dussehra 2026 (https://www.thesundayprofile.com/dussehra-2026-date-guide), and Durga Puja 2026 (https://www.thesundayprofile.com/durga-puja-2026-dates-guide). The Diwali five-day hub remains at its own URL for Lakshmi Puja timing. This page owns Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 / Gurpurab only.
Sources and caveats
Date and Delhi tithi window: DrikPanchang Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 (New Delhi). Gazetted status: Central Government / DoPT 2026 closed-holiday lists naming Guru Nanak’s Birthday on 24 November. Observance context: Prokerala and News18 festival explainers on Kartik Purnima Gurpurab. No invented city muhurat, langar menu claims, or crowd numbers. State holiday notifications can still add or shift restricted lists—verify before booking travel.