The October 2026 festival calendar for India opens with the close of Pitru Paksha on Saturday 10 October (Sarva Pitru Amavasya / Mahalaya) and runs straight into Shardiya Navratri from Sunday 11 October, Dussehra on Tuesday 20 October, Sharad Purnima on Sunday 25 October and Karva Chauth on Thursday 29 October. Diwali itself falls in November this year: Dhanteras is Friday 6 November and Lakshmi Puja is Sunday 8 November. This PILLAR guide puts every major date in one place, with the tithi windows people search for most, and points you to our detailed festival guides.
October 2026 festival list at a glance
These dates follow the North Indian (purnimanta) Hindu calendar as published by The Economic Times and Drik Panchang-based almanacs. Tithi timings shift by a few minutes from city to city, and regional calendars in Bengal, Maharashtra and the South sometimes move an observance by a day.
Tue 6 Oct — Indira Ekadashi (falls inside Pitru Paksha)
Thu 8 Oct — Pradosh Vrat and Masik Shivaratri
Sat 10 Oct — Sarva Pitru Amavasya / Mahalaya Amavasya, the last day of Pitru Paksha
Sun 11 Oct — Shardiya Navratri begins with Ghatasthapana
Wed 14 Oct — Vinayaki Chaturthi
Thu 15 Oct — Lalita Panchami
Fri 16 Oct — Saraswati Avahan
Sat 17 Oct — Saraswati Puja and Tula Sankranti
Mon 19 Oct — Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami (same date in the North Indian listing)
Tue 20 Oct — Vijayadashami / Dussehra
Thu 22 Oct — Papankusha Ekadashi
Fri 23 Oct — Pradosh Vrat
Sun 25 Oct — Sharad Purnima / Kojagara Puja
Mon 26 Oct — Valmiki Jayanti (Ashwina Purnima continues)
Thu 29 Oct — Karva Chauth
Sarva Pitru Amavasya 2026: date and tarpan time
Pitru Paksha began on 26 September and ends on Saturday 10 October 2026. The Amavasya tithi runs from about 9:35pm on Friday 9 October to 9:19pm on Saturday 10 October (New Delhi), so the whole of Saturday's daytime falls inside it. Shraddha, tarpan and pind daan are offered in the afternoon aparahna window, roughly 1:18pm to 3:37pm in Delhi. Published city windows put Mumbai at about 1:36pm to 3:58pm and Kolkata at about 12:34pm to 2:55pm. This is the day families remember every ancestor together, including those whose death tithi is unknown or was missed during the fortnight.
In Bengal the same dawn is Mahalaya, when the Mahishasura Mardini recitation is broadcast in the early morning and the countdown to Durga Puja begins. Ghats along the Hooghly, including those near Howrah Bridge, fill with people offering tarpan at first light.
Navratri, Durga Puja and Dussehra: 11 to 20 October
Ghatasthapana on Sunday 11 October starts the nine nights of Shardiya Navratri. Saraswati Avahan (16 October) and Saraswati Puja (17 October) come mid-festival. In the North Indian listing, Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami share Monday 19 October, and Vijayadashami / Dussehra is Tuesday 20 October, when Ravana effigies burn across North India and Bengal says farewell to the goddess. For day-by-day colours, pandal planning and muhurat detail, read our live guides at thesundayprofile.com/navratri-2026-dates-guide, thesundayprofile.com/durga-puja-2026-dates-guide and thesundayprofile.com/dussehra-2026-date-guide.
Sharad Purnima and Karva Chauth: the last week of October
Sharad Purnima falls on Sunday 25 October. It is the Kojagari night of Lakshmi worship, when families leave kheer out under the full moon. Our guide at thesundayprofile.com/sharad-purnima-2026-date-guide has the Nishita window. Karva Chauth is Thursday 29 October. The fast ends at moonrise, so city moonrise times matter more than the date. See thesundayprofile.com/karva-chauth-2026-date-guide for those.
People also ask: when is Diwali 2026, October or November?
Diwali 2026 is in November, not October. The five-day sequence starts with Dhanteras on Friday 6 November, Lakshmi Puja is Sunday 8 November and Bhai Dooj is Wednesday 11 November. Chhath Puja's Sandhya Arghya follows around 15 November, and Guru Nanak Jayanti falls on 24 November. Each has its own Sunday Profile hub: thesundayprofile.com/diwali-2026-date-guide and thesundayprofile.com/bhai-dooj-2026-date-guide.
How to use this calendar
Bookmark this page as your single October 2026 festival reference. When the day gets close, check your local panchang or temple for exact tithi start and end times, because sunrise-based observances can move by a day between cities. Bank holidays and school closures are set by each state, so confirm them with your state government's gazetted list rather than with any national round-up.
Sources
October 2026 dates: The Economic Times October 2026 Hindu festival calendar (North India). Sarva Pitru Amavasya tithi and aparahna windows: Drik Panchang (New Delhi) as cited by DivineHindu, plus Dr RP Sharma's Swiss Ephemeris city table. Dhanteras 6 November: Nitya Panchangam and AstroSage. Regional variations apply.