Quick answer: Datta Jayanti 2026 in Australia falls on Wednesday 23 December 2026 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra. That is the same day as in India. Datta Jayanti is kept on Margashirsha Purnima, and the full-moon tithi is running at local evening on Wednesday across Australia. The same day is Annapurna Jayanti.

It falls on a summer weekday two days before Christmas, when many families are busy with end-of-year plans but children are already on holiday. An evening puja at home after work is the simplest way to keep it.

About these dates: the Australian dates are computed with HinduTone's sunrise-tithi calculator (Drik Panchang method, validated against Drik Panchang to within 1–2 minutes). Please confirm on Drik Panchang for your city and follow your temple's calendar.

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Datta Jayanti 2026 Australia: date by city

Purnima festivals such as Datta Jayanti are decided by the tithi at local evening, the traditional time of Dattatreya's birth. We checked each city with its own time zone.

CityDatta Jayanti / Margashirsha PurnimaCompared with India
SydneyWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India
MelbourneWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India
BrisbaneWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India
PerthWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India
AdelaideWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India
CanberraWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India

In India, Datta Jayanti and Margashirsha Purnima are also on Wednesday 23 December 2026. Hobart and Darwin are not in our table; they will very likely agree, but please check Drik Panchang for your own city.

Why does Australia match India here? Australian clocks run ahead of India's, so the Purnima, which begins during Wednesday in India, is already running by Wednesday evening in every Australian city. There is no reason to shift the festival to a different day.

Who is Lord Dattatreya?

Dattatreya is worshipped as the Trimurti in a single form: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva together, usually shown with three heads and six arms. As commonly told, the sage Atri and his wife Anasuya, famed for her devotion and chastity, were blessed when the three gods came to them; the child born was Datta, "the given one", son of Atri, hence Dattatreya.

The best-known story says that the three goddesses wished to test Anasuya's virtue, and the three gods came to her hermitage as mendicants. By the power of her purity she turned them into infants and cared for them as a mother, and when the goddesses asked for their husbands back, the gods blessed her with a son who held all three of them. Dattatreya is the Adi Guru, the first teacher, and is often shown with a cow behind him and four dogs at his feet, read as the four Vedas.

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He is especially dear to Marathi, Kannada, Telugu and Gujarati families, through the Datta sampradaya and the line of Datta avatars: Sripada Sri Vallabha, Narasimha Saraswati and, for many devotees, Swami Samarth of Akkalkot and Manik Prabhu. For more on Datta kshetras and the tradition, see our Datta Jayanti 2026 guide.

How Australian families keep Datta Jayanti at home

  • Guru Charitra parayana: Marathi and Kannada families in particular read the Guru Charitra over seven days. To finish on Datta Jayanti, begin on Thursday 17 December. If the full book is too much in a working week, read one or two chapters each evening, or a single chapter on the day.
  • Evening puja at dusk: Dattatreya's birth is traditionally remembered at dusk. Bathe, set up a picture or murti of Dattatreya, light a lamp, and offer flowers, tulasi, sandal paste and fruit. Many families offer a cradle ceremony (palna) for the infant Datta, rocking a small cradle while singing.
  • Datta bhajans and the mantra: "Digambara Digambara Shripad Vallabh Digambara" is the best-known Datta bhajan in Marathi homes, and "Om Shri Gurudev Datta" is a simple naama for everyone to chant together.
  • Telugu and Kannada homes: many keep a puja to Dattatreya and Sripada Sri Vallabha, read stories from the Guru Charitra, and offer a sweet such as payasam.
  • Gujarati families: Datta bhajans and the Datta Bavani, a 52-verse prayer, are widely sung on this day.
  • Fasting: some keep a light fast until the evening puja. In the heat, take water and fruit through the day; that is entirely traditional.
  • Annadanam: as Annapurna Jayanti falls the same day, feeding others, from neighbours to a local food bank, is a fitting offering.

Annapurna Jayanti and Margashirsha Purnima on the same day

Margashirsha Purnima is also Annapurna Jayanti, the appearance of the goddess of food and nourishment. As commonly told, Parvati took the form of Annapurna to show that food is sacred, and Shiva himself held out his bowl to her in Kashi. Many families clean the kitchen, worship the stove and rice pot, and cook fresh food as an offering.

For South Indian families, this Purnima falls inside Dhanurmasam, so it is also the Dhanurmasa Pournami. See Margasira Pournami 2026 for the full-moon traditions and Dhanurmasam 2026 in Australia for the month's dates and dawn routine.

A summer weekday before Christmas: practical tips

  • Plan the evening: Wednesday 23 December is a working day for most adults. Set up the altar the night before so the evening puja can start soon after you get home.
  • Heat and long evenings: summer evenings are light until late, so dusk comes well after dinner time in the southern cities. Families often do the puja at a convenient early-evening time and keep the aarti at dusk if they can.
  • Lamps in bushfire season: keep diyas and camphor indoors on a metal plate and never leave them alone. On Total Fire Ban days do not light lamps, camphor or havan fires outdoors, including in backyards and at holiday campsites.
  • Christmas travel: if you leave early for the beach or interstate, take a small picture of Dattatreya, an LED lamp and the Guru Charitra on your phone. A short chant and a fruit offering are enough.
  • Temples: some Australian Hindu temples mark Datta Jayanti. Check your temple's website or newsletter for its plans; we do not list programmes or darshan times.
  • Fasting safely: if you are pregnant, elderly, diabetic or on medication, ask your doctor before fasting in hot weather.

Datta Jayanti in the Margashirsha calendar

Datta Jayanti closes the bright half of Margashirsha, coming three days after Gita Jayanti and Vaikuntha Ekadashi on Sunday 20 December. The month then runs on to Saphala Ekadashi on Sunday 3 January 2027. For the month's Thursdays and festivals see Margashirsha Masam 2026 in Australia; for every December date in one table, December 2026 Hindu festivals in Australia; and for the big Sunday before it, Gita Jayanti 2026 in Australia and Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 in Australia.

Frequently asked questions

When is Datta Jayanti 2026 in Sydney?

Wednesday 23 December 2026. Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra keep it on the same day, which is also the date in India. The date comes from our Drik-method calculator, so please confirm it on Drik Panchang for your city.

When is Datta Jayanti 2026 in Melbourne and Perth?

Wednesday 23 December 2026 in both cities. Datta Jayanti follows the Margashirsha Purnima that is running at local evening, and on Wednesday evening the full-moon tithi is in force across Australia.

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Is Datta Jayanti the same as Margashirsha Purnima?

Yes. Datta Jayanti is celebrated on Margashirsha Purnima, the full moon of Margashirsha. In 2026 that is Wednesday 23 December in Australia and India. The same day is also Annapurna Jayanti and, for South Indian families, the Purnima of Dhanurmasam.

What time should I do the Datta Jayanti puja?

Traditionally Dattatreya's birth is remembered at dusk, so the main puja is usually done in the evening. In practice, families do it after work at whatever time suits them on Wednesday 23 December. Check your temple's website for any temple programme; we do not list timings.

Which book is read on Datta Jayanti?

The Guru Charitra, the life of the Datta avatars Sripada Sri Vallabha and Narasimha Saraswati, is the most common reading. Many families complete a seven-day Guru Charitra parayana that ends on Datta Jayanti.

Is Datta Jayanti a public holiday in Australia?

No. Wednesday 23 December is a normal working day, though schools are already on summer holidays in most states. An evening puja at home fits easily around work.

Editor's note

Editor's note (6 October 2026): This guide has been restored at its original address after the earlier version was lost. The Australian dates are computed with HinduTone's sunrise-tithi calculator (Drik Panchang method, validated to 1–2 minutes). Please confirm on Drik Panchang for your city and follow your temple's calendar. We do not list temple events, programmes or darshan times; please check with your temple.