Dharma festival calendar 2026–2027
Major Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh observances for the next twelve months, with a line on what each one marks and a link to our full guide.
| Date | Festival | Tradition | What it marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11–19 Oct 2026 | Sharad Navaratri | Hindu | Nine nights honoring the Goddess; Durga Puja in Bengal runs alongside. Dussehra (Vijayadashami) follows on 20 Oct. |
| 8 Nov 2026 | Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) | Hindu · Jain · Sikh | Hindus worship Lakshmi and light lamps; Jains mark the nirvana of Mahavira; Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas the same day. Dhanteras falls on 6 Nov. |
| 24 Nov 2026 | Guru Nanak Gurpurab | Sikh | Birth anniversary of Guru Nanak on the full moon of Kartik, preceded by an Akhand Path and prabhat pheris. |
| 6 Mar 2027 | Maha Shivaratri | Hindu | An all-night vigil of fasting, chanting, and abhisheka to Shiva. |
| 22 Mar 2027 | Holi | Hindu | Festival of colors on the day after the Phalguna full moon; the Holika bonfire is lit the evening before. |
| 14 Apr 2027 | Vaisakhi | Sikh | Harvest festival and the anniversary of the founding of the Khalsa in 1699. |
| 19 Apr 2027 | Mahavir Jayanti | Jain | Birth anniversary of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara. |
| 20 May 2027 | Vesak / Buddha Purnima | Buddhist | Date shown is for India. Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and East Asian communities may observe on a different full-moon day. |
| 28 Aug – 4 Sep 2027 | Paryushana (Svetambara) | Jain | Eight days of fasting, study, and reflection, ending with Samvatsari on 4 Sep, the day of asking forgiveness (Micchami Dukkadam). |
| 5–14 Sep 2027 | Das Lakshana Parva (Digambara) | Jain | Ten days, each devoted to one of the ten virtues, ending on Anant Chaturdashi. |
| 29 Oct 2027 | Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) | Hindu · Jain · Sikh | The festival of lights returns about ten days earlier than in 2026. |
Why the dates move every year
Most of these festivals are set by a lunar or lunisolar calendar. A lunar month is about 29.5 days, so twelve lunar months fall roughly eleven days short of a solar year. Indian calendars correct for this by inserting an extra month (adhika masa) about every 32 to 33 months. The result is that a festival tied to a particular moon, such as Diwali on the new moon of Kartik or Holi at the Phalguna full moon, lands on a different Gregorian date each year but stays in the same season.
Vaisakhi is the main exception here: it follows the solar calendar (the sun's entry into Aries in the sidereal zodiac) and so falls on 13 or 14 April almost every year.
Why your local date may differ
- Time zone. A tithi (lunar day) can begin in the afternoon in India and after midnight in North America, so diaspora communities sometimes observe a day earlier or later.
- Regional calendars. North Indian (purnimanta) and South and West Indian (amanta) calendars name months differently, and some communities follow their own almanac.
- Sect and lineage. Svetambara and Digambara Jains observe Paryushana on different days; Buddhist countries fix Vesak by their own calendars.
When in doubt, follow the date announced by your local temple, gurdwara, derasar, or vihara. Dates on this page are for India and were last checked on 23 September 2026. If you spot an error, please let us know.