Quick answer: Datta Jayanti 2026 in Canada is on Wednesday 23 December 2026 in Toronto, Brampton, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Margashirsha Purnima prevails at local evening that day in every one of these cities, so the whole country celebrates on the same day as India.

Datta Jayanti (Dattatreya Jayanti) marks the birth of Lord Dattatreya on Margashirsha Purnima. The same full moon is Annapurna Jayanti and, for Telugu and Tamil families, the Dhanurmasa Pournami. It comes on a weekday just before Christmas, so most Canadian families will celebrate at home in the evening after work.

About these dates: the Canadian dates are computed with HinduTone's sunrise-tithi calculator, which follows the Drik Panchang method and has been 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 Canada: date city by city

Datta Jayanti is fixed by the Purnima tithi prevailing at local evening, because Dattatreya's birth is traditionally celebrated at dusk.

CityTime zoneDatta Jayanti 2026Compared with India
TorontoAmerica/TorontoWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India
BramptonAmerica/TorontoWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India
OttawaAmerica/TorontoWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India
MontrealAmerica/TorontoWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India
CalgaryAmerica/EdmontonWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India
EdmontonAmerica/EdmontonWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India
VancouverAmerica/VancouverWed 23 Dec 2026Same as India

India: Margashirsha Purnima, Datta Jayanti and Annapurna Jayanti fall on Wednesday 23 December 2026 (calculated; confirm on Drik Panchang). The Purnima tithi begins late in the morning of 23 December, India time. That time applies to India only; do not convert it to Canadian clocks.

Cities not listed, such as Winnipeg, Halifax or Saskatoon, should check Drik Panchang for their own location. From November 2026, Alberta and British Columbia keep daylight time through winter, as reflected in the time zones of our data; this does not change the date.

Who is Dattatreya?

As commonly told, Dattatreya is the son of the sage Atri and his wife Anasuya, famed for her devotion and purity. The story goes that Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva came to test her and were themselves turned into infants by the power of her virtue; when their consorts pleaded, the three gods blessed her with a son who embodied all three. That son was Dattatreya, the Trimurti in one form.

He is shown with three heads and six arms, standing beside a cow with four dogs at his feet. As commonly explained, the cow stands for mother earth or dharma and the dogs for the four Vedas. Dattatreya is above all the Adi Guru, the teacher of teachers. In the Bhagavata tradition he learns from 24 gurus in nature, including the earth, water, the honeybee and the python, a lesson that wisdom is everywhere.

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In the Datta tradition, saints such as Sripada Srivallabha (associated with Pithapuram in Andhra Pradesh) and Narasimha Saraswati (associated with Ganagapur in Karnataka) are revered as incarnations of Dattatreya. For the Datta kshetras in India and more on the festival, see our Datta Jayanti 2026 guide.

How families in Canada observe Datta Jayanti

  • Marathi families: Guru Charitra parayana is the central practice. Many read the Guru Charitra over seven days as a saptaha so that it finishes on Datta Jayanti; others read selected chapters on the day. Evening Datta aarti and a cradle (palna) ceremony at dusk mark the birth.
  • Gujarati families: recitation of the Datta Bavani, a 52-verse hymn to Dattatreya, is popular at home and at satsangs.
  • Telugu families: devotion to Sripada Srivallabha and Datta stotras, sometimes combined with a full-moon puja such as the Satyanarayana vratam that some households keep on Purnima.
  • Kannada families: worship centred on Narasimha Saraswati and the Ganagapur tradition, Datta bhajans and a simple evening puja.
  • Datta bhajans: the chant "Digambara Digambara Shripada Vallabha Digambara" is sung across communities and is easy for children to join.
  • Evening puja at home: light a lamp at dusk, offer flowers, tulsi and a sweet such as sheera or kheer, read a Datta stotra, then do aarti. A short fast until the evening puja is customary in some families; keep it gentle.

Annapurna Jayanti on the same day

Margashirsha Purnima is also Annapurna Jayanti, the appearance of Goddess Annapurna, the giver of food. As commonly told, when Shiva declared the world an illusion and food unimportant, Parvati withdrew and the world went hungry, until she appeared as Annapurna in Kashi to feed everyone, Shiva included. Families cook a fresh meal as naivedyam, share it, and many choose this day to give to a food bank, a meaningful gesture in a Canadian winter.

For the full moon's other observances, see Margasira Pournami 2026.

Practical tips for a Wednesday before Christmas

  • After-work puja: the evening timing suits a weekday. Prepare flowers and the naivedyam the night before so you only need to light the lamp and read.
  • Weather: late December can bring snow across Canada and -20°C on the Prairies. If roads are bad, a home puja is complete in itself.
  • Holiday season: schools are on winter break or close to it, and many families travel. If you are in India on the day, it is the same date, Wednesday 23 December.
  • Temples: some Maharashtrian mandals and Hindu temples in Canada mark Datta Jayanti, sometimes on the nearest weekend. Check your temple's website for its own programme; we do not list events or timings.
  • Lamps safely: keep diyas on a metal tray away from curtains, trees and smoke detectors.

The days before Datta Jayanti are busy: see Gita Jayanti 2026 in Canada (Sun 20 Dec, or Sat 19 Dec for Smarta families in Alberta and BC) and the December 2026 Hindu festivals in Canada calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is Datta Jayanti 2026 in Toronto?

Wednesday 23 December 2026. Margashirsha Purnima prevails at Toronto's evening that day. Brampton, Ottawa and Montreal have the same date.

When is Datta Jayanti 2026 in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton?

Also Wednesday 23 December 2026. Unlike Vaikuntha Ekadashi a few days earlier, Datta Jayanti does not split between Eastern and Western Canada this year.

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Is Datta Jayanti on the same day in Canada and India?

Yes. Datta Jayanti 2026 is Wednesday 23 December in India and in every Canadian city in our table. Do not convert India's Purnima start time to Canadian time; use your local date.

What time should I do Datta Jayanti puja?

Dattatreya's birth is traditionally celebrated in the evening, around dusk, which is why the festival follows the Purnima at local evening. In Canada, sunset in late December is early, so an evening puja after work fits naturally. Follow your family custom or temple for exact timing.

What is read on Datta Jayanti?

Marathi families often complete a Guru Charitra parayana on this day, Gujarati families recite the Datta Bavani, and many families sing Datta bhajans such as "Digambara Digambara Shripada Vallabha Digambara".

Is Annapurna Jayanti the same day?

Yes. Margashirsha Purnima is also observed as Annapurna Jayanti, honouring the goddess of food, so many families offer a special naivedyam and share food that day.

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 Canadian Datta Jayanti dates are computed with our 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. Legends are given as commonly told. We do not list temple events or timings.