Hindu Festivals 2018

Solar-anchored festivals are tied to the Sun's transit through a zodiac sign rather than the moon phase, so they repeat within a day or two on the Gregorian calendar. Makar Sankranti always falls on January 14 or 15 (Sun enters Capricorn). Mesha Sankranti (Sun enters Aries) is April 13–14, celebrated as Baisakhi in Punjab, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, and Poila Baisakh in Bengal. Karka Sankranti (Sun enters Cancer) is July 15–16. All other major Hindu festivals — Diwali, Holi, Navratri, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ram Navami, Ekadashis — are lunar and shift 11 days earlier on the Gregorian calendar each year, corrected periodically by an extra month.

Chaturmas literally means 'four months' — the period from Devshayani Ekadashi (Ashadha Shukla 11, typically late June or early July) to Devuthani Ekadashi (Kartika Shukla 11, typically October or November). During this period, Lord Vishnu is believed to be in yoganidra (cosmic sleep), and no major auspicious life events — vivah, upanayanam, griha pravesh, mundan — are conducted by most Hindu communities. Vaishnavas and many North Indian families observe all four months strictly. Some communities observe only the core two months (Ashadha and Bhadrapada). Chaturmas ends with Devuthani Ekadashi, also called Tulsi Vivah, when auspicious events resume. The wedding season that opens in November and runs through winter is directly a consequence of this annual pause.

There are 24 Ekadashis in a standard year (two per lunar month, one in Shukla paksha and one in Krishna paksha), with an extra two in a leap year with an Adhika Maasa. The four most widely observed are: Devshayani Ekadashi (Ashadha Shukla 11) marking the start of Chaturmas; Devuthani Ekadashi (Kartika Shukla 11) ending Chaturmas; Vaikuntha Ekadashi (Margashirsha Shukla 11 in Tamil Margazhi), the holiest Vaishnava Ekadashi; and Mokshada Ekadashi (also Margashirsha Shukla 11 in the North Indian convention), the day the Bhagavad Gita was narrated. Most observant Vaishnavas keep all 24.

Festival dates are completely identical between Amanta and Purnimanta — Diwali is on the same Gregorian date, Holi is on the same date, every Ekadashi is on the same date. The toggle only changes the lunar month name under which each festival is listed. A festival in the Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada (like Pitru Paksha) remains in Bhadrapada in Purnimanta, but appears in Ashvina in Amanta — same dates, different heading. For most festival-planning purposes you will not notice the difference. It matters most for understanding which month a family panchang refers to when it says 'Ashvina Krishna Ashtami' versus 'Bhadrapada Krishna Ashtami'.

This Hindu calendar uses lunar months — Chaitra, Vaisakha, Jyaistha, Ashadha, Shravana, Bhadrapada, Ashvina, Kartika, Margashirsha, Pausha, Magha, Phalguna — which drift against the Gregorian year. The Tamil calendar uses solar months (Chithirai, Vaikasi, Aani…) tied to the Sun's position in each zodiac sign; Tamil months are stable relative to the Gregorian calendar. The Bengali calendar is also solar (Boishakh, Jyaishtha, Asharh…) with a different year count. This Hindu page shows pan-Indian festivals valid across all traditions. The Tamil and Bengali tradition pages on this site add region-specific festivals (Pongal, Naba Barsha) that are not on the Hindu page.

There are two conventions for when Vikram Samvat rolls over to the new year. The North Indian convention — used on this page — increments at Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, which falls in late March or early April. So from January 1 until Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the VS year is still 2082; it becomes 2083 after that point in spring 2026. The Gujarati convention increments at Kartika Shukla Pratipada — the day after Diwali, called Bestu Varas — which means Gujarati sources switched to 2082 at Diwali 2025 and will switch to 2083 at Diwali 2026. Both are valid; the page makes clear which convention it follows.