December 2026 Hindu Festivals in Singapore: Dates, Margazhi, Vaikunta Ekadasi and Datta Jayanti

Quick answer: the December 2026 Hindu festivals in Singapore are Kalabhairav Jayanti on Tuesday 1 December, Utpanna Ekadashi on Friday 4 December, Masik Shivaratri on Monday 7 December, Vivah Panchami on Monday 14 December, Champa Shashti (Subrahmanya Shashti) on Tuesday 15 December, the start of Margazhi with Dhanu Sankranti at 12:41 PM on Wednesday 16 December, Vaikunta Ekadasi and Gita Jayanti on Sunday 20 December and Datta Jayanti on Wednesday 23 December. Saphala Ekadashi follows on Sunday 3 January 2027.

For Singapore's largely Tamil Hindu community, December is above all the month when Margazhi begins: the season of dawn bhajans, Andal's Thiruppavai, kolams at the doorstep and, on 20 December, Vaikunta Ekadasi with the opening of the Sorgavasal (Paramapada Vasal) in Vishnu temples. For North Indian, Telugu, Kannada and Marathi families, it is also the month of Margashirsha, Gita Jayanti and Datta Jayanti.

About these dates: Singapore dates are calculated for Singapore with HinduTone's calculator using the Drik Panchang method (validated against Drik to a minute or two). India dates marked Drik are from Drik Panchang New Delhi. Please confirm on Drik Panchang and follow your temple's calendar.

December 2026 Hindu festivals in Singapore: the date table

Ekadashi, Shashti and Panchami follow the tithi at local sunrise; Purnima follows the evening; Kalabhairav Jayanti and Masik Shivaratri follow the tithi at local midnight. Where Smarta and Vaishnava reckoning could differ, we checked both: in Singapore they agree on every Ekadashi this month.

Margashirsha Thursdays in Singapore, for families who keep the Margasira Lakshmivara vratam or Guruvar vrat: Thu 10 Dec, Thu 17 Dec, Thu 24 Dec, Thu 31 Dec 2026 and Thu 7 Jan 2027. These match India's list. See Margasira Masam 2026 and the Lakshmivara vratam.

Not calculated for Singapore: Vinayaka Chaturthi, the Pradosh days, Karnataka's Hanuman Jayanti and Arudra Darshan. For India, Vinayaka Chaturthi is Sun 13 Dec, and Bhauma Pradosh and Hanuman Jayanti (Karnataka) are Tue 22 Dec (all calculated). For Singapore, please check Drik Panchang.

Where Singapore matches India, and where it does not

Singapore's clocks are ahead of India's, so the sunrise, evening and midnight moments that fix each festival mostly land on the same calendar day as in India. Kalabhairav Jayanti on Tuesday 1 December and Masik Shivaratri on Monday 7 December both match India, as do Vaikunta Ekadasi and Datta Jayanti.

The one shift to note is the start of Margashirsha (Margasira) under the South Indian amanta calendar. Our calculation gives Wednesday 9 December for India but Thursday 10 December for Singapore. Because the Margashirsha Thursdays list is the same, this mostly matters to families who count the first day of the month for a particular vratam. If you follow a calendar printed in India, check with your temple which day it uses.

If you share dates with relatives in the West, remember that North America and the UK keep some December festivals a day earlier. Our Karthika guide for Singapore covers the month that ends just before Margashirsha: Karthika Masam 2026 in Singapore.

Margazhi 2026 in Singapore: the Tamil heart of December

The Sun enters Dhanu (Sagittarius) at 12:41 PM on Wednesday 16 December 2026 Singapore time. That transit opens Margazhi in the Tamil calendar and Dhanurmasam in the Telugu and Kannada calendars. The first dawn after the transit is Thursday 17 December, and the last Dhanurmasam dawn is Thursday 14 January 2027, before Makar Sankranti at 11:26 PM that night (Singapore time).

Calendars differ on whether a Sankranti that falls in the middle of the day counts that day as day one, so follow your temple for when the dawn Thiruppavai recitation begins. Margazhi is the month that, as commonly told, Krishna calls the best of months in the Bhagavad Gita ("masanam margashirsho'ham"), and Andal's thirty Thiruppavai pasurams are sung one a day before sunrise.

• Dawn bhajans: Margazhi bhajan groups that sing in the early morning are a long tradition in Tamil communities, in Singapore as in Tamil Nadu. Ask at your temple whether a group meets; we do not list schedules.
• Kolam: many homes draw a fresh rice-flour kolam each Margazhi morning, often larger than usual. In HDB flats, a small kolam on the threshold or a reusable kolam mat works well.
• Thiruppavai at home: one pasuram a day with its meaning is an easy family routine. See Tiruppavai 30 pasurams.

For the full month in Singapore, including the dawn routine and Thai Pongal, see our sibling guide Margazhi and Dhanurmasam 2026 in Singapore, and for the Tamil festival calendar Margazhi 2026: Tamil month festivals.

The festivals of December 2026, one by one

• Kalabhairav Jayanti (Tue 1 Dec): the appearance day of Kala Bhairava, Shiva's fierce guardian form, who, as commonly told, humbled Brahma's pride and guards Kashi. Lighting a sesame-oil lamp and reciting the Kalabhairava Ashtakam are common at home. See Kalabhairava Jayanti 2026.
• Utpanna Ekadashi (Fri 4 Dec): as commonly told, the goddess Ekadashi arose from Vishnu to defeat the demon Mura, and this is the traditional day to begin keeping Ekadashi fasts. See Utpanna Ekadashi 2026.
• Masik Shivaratri (Mon 7 Dec): the Karthika Masa Shivaratri, on the last Karthika Somavaram. An evening abhishekam at home or a visit to a Shiva temple after work is common. See Karthika Masa Shivaratri 2026 and Shiva temples in Singapore for Karthika Masam.
• Vivah Panchami (Mon 14 Dec): the wedding day of Rama and Sita, as commonly told. Reading the Sita Kalyanam passage and offering a sweet suits a weeknight. See Vivah Panchami 2026.
• Champa Shashti / Subrahmanya Shashti (Tue 15 Dec): for Tamil and Kannada families, a Shashti of Lord Murugan (Subrahmanya), whose temples are especially loved in Singapore; for Maharashtrian families, Khandoba's victory over Mani and Malla, as commonly told. See Subrahmanya Shashti 2026.
• Vaikunta Ekadasi and Gita Jayanti (Sun 20 Dec): the biggest Vishnu day of the year for Tamil Vaishnavas, when the Sorgavasal (Paramapada Vasal) is opened in Vishnu temples, and also the day Krishna spoke the Gita, as commonly told. Full guide: Vaikunta Ekadasi and Gita Jayanti 2026 in Singapore.
• Datta Jayanti / Margashirsha Purnima (Wed 23 Dec): the birth of Lord Dattatreya, son of Atri and Anasuya as commonly told, and Annapurna Jayanti. See Datta Jayanti 2026 and Margasira Pournami 2026.
• Saphala Ekadashi (Sun 3 Jan 2027): the "fruitful" Ekadashi, the first Ekadashi of the new calendar year, again on a Sunday in Singapore.

Arudra Darshan (Thiruvathirai): Shiva as Nataraja is celebrated on the Thiruvathirai nakshatra in Margazhi, and it is a major Tamil Shaiva festival. Its date depends on the nakshatra, which we have not calculated for Singapore, so please check Drik Panchang and your temple's calendar. Background: Dhanurmasa Arudra 2026.

December in Singapore: weather, crowds and practical tips

• Monsoon mornings: December falls in the northeast monsoon, with frequent heavy showers. Keep an umbrella ready for dawn Margazhi visits and allow extra travel time.
• Little India in December: Little India becomes busy at weekends and on festival days, and Vaikunta Ekadasi falls on a Sunday this year. Public transport is usually the easiest way in; check your temple's website for any crowd arrangements.
• Fasting in the humidity: a water, fruit or milk fast is fully traditional. Anyone pregnant, elderly, diabetic or on medication should ask a doctor first.
• School holidays and Christmas: the year-end school holidays run through December, so Vaikunta Ekadasi and Datta Jayanti are good days to bring children to the temple. Christmas Day is Friday 25 December.
• Ayyappa season: the Sabarimala Mandalam season overlaps December; see the Sabarimala 2026-27 season guide if someone at home is keeping the vratham.

We do not list temple programmes, darshan times or prices. Singapore's long-established temples, such as its well-known Perumal, Murugan, Amman and Sivan temples, publish their own festival notices, so please check their official websites.

December 2026 Hindu festivals in Singapore: frequently asked questions

What are the Hindu festivals in Singapore in December 2026?

Kalabhairav Jayanti (Tue 1 Dec), Utpanna Ekadashi (Fri 4 Dec), Masik Shivaratri (Mon 7 Dec), the start of Margashirsha (Thu 10 Dec), Vivah Panchami (Mon 14 Dec), Champa Shashti or Subrahmanya Shashti (Tue 15 Dec), Dhanu Sankranti and the start of Margazhi (Wed 16 Dec, 12:41 PM), Vaikunta Ekadasi and Gita Jayanti (Sun 20 Dec) and Datta Jayanti (Wed 23 Dec). Saphala Ekadashi follows on Sun 3 Jan 2027.

Are December 2026 festival dates in Singapore the same as India?

Mostly, yes. Kalabhairav Jayanti (1 Dec), Masik Shivaratri (7 Dec), Vaikunta Ekadasi (20 Dec) and Datta Jayanti (23 Dec) match India. The clearest difference is the start of the South Indian Margashirsha month: Thu 10 Dec in Singapore, against Wed 9 Dec in India (calculated).

When does Margazhi 2026 start in Singapore?

The Sun enters Dhanu (Sagittarius) on Wednesday 16 December 2026 at 12:41 PM Singapore time. The first Margazhi dawn after that is Thursday 17 December, and the last Dhanurmasam dawn is Thursday 14 January 2027. Follow your temple on whether 16 December itself counts as day one.

When is Vaikunta Ekadasi 2026 in Singapore?

Sunday 20 December 2026, for both Smarta and Vaishnava reckoning. It is also Gita Jayanti (Mokshada Ekadashi). Parana is on the morning of Monday 21 December; check Drik Panchang for Singapore for the window.

When is Arudra Darshan (Thiruvathirai) in Singapore in 2026?

We have not calculated a Singapore date for Arudra Darshan, which depends on the Thiruvathirai nakshatra. Please check Drik Panchang for Singapore and your temple's Margazhi calendar.

Is Masik Shivaratri on 7 December a Karthika Somavaram in Singapore?

Yes. Masik Shivaratri falls on Monday 7 December 2026 in Singapore, the same day as in India, and it coincides with the last Karthika Somavaram of the month.

Editor's note

Editor's note (6 October 2026): This guide has been restored at its original address after the earlier version was lost. Dates marked Drik are from Drik Panchang. Singapore values are from HinduTone's calculator (Drik method; moonrise uses the standard astronomical definition, checked against the US Naval Observatory, and Drik may show a few minutes later). Please confirm on Drik Panchang for Singapore and follow your temple. We do not list temple events or darshan timings.

Related guides

• December 2026 Hindu festivals: dates, rituals and significance (India)
• Vaikunta Ekadasi and Gita Jayanti 2026 in Singapore
• Margazhi and Dhanurmasam 2026 in Singapore
• Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Tulsi Vivah 2026 in Singapore
• Karthika Masam 2026 in Singapore
• Margazhi 2026: Tamil month festivals