Quick answer: Karthika Masam 2026 (Telugu/Kannada amanta calendar) runs from 10 November to 8 December 2026. Karthika Somavaram Mondays are 16, 23 and 30 November and 7 December. Karthika Pournami (Kartik Purnima) is Tuesday 24 November, and the month ends with Karthika Amavasya on 8 December. Because 2026 has an extra lunar month, the whole season is about three weeks later than last year. US clocks fall back on Sunday 1 November, so the entire month is on standard time.

Karthika Masam is the eighth month of the Telugu panchangam and one of the holiest months of the Hindu year, sacred to both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. For Hindu families in the United States, it is a chance to keep up daily lamp lighting, Monday fasts and temple visits while working around school runs, office hours and cold, early evenings. 2026 falls in the Telugu year Parabhava Nama Samvatsaram.

Karthika Masam 2026 by country

By the local panchang (Drik Panchang rules for US and Canadian sunrise), Karthika Masam 2026 begins on Monday 9 November, so North America has five Karthika Somavarams — 9, 16, 23 and 30 November and 7 December — and the Pournami tithi is current on the evening of Monday 23 November. Temples that follow the Indian calendar keep 10 November and four Mondays; follow your temple.

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Karthika Masam 2026 at a glance

Date (USA, 2026)Observance
Sun 8 NovDiwali / Lakshmi Puja (Karthika begins after this Amavasya)
Mon 9 NovGovardhan Puja / Bali Padyami, Gujarati New Year (US dates)
Tue 10 NovKarthika Masam begins (amanta calendar); Bhai Dooj in the USA
Mon 16 NovFirst Karthika Somavaram
Fri 20 NovDevuthani (Prabodhini) Ekadashi
Sat 21 NovTulsi Vivah
Mon 23 NovSecond Karthika Somavaram
Tue 24 NovKarthika Pournami / Kartik Purnima / Dev Deepawali
Mon 30 NovThird Karthika Somavaram
Mon 7 DecFourth Karthika Somavaram
Tue 8 DecKarthika Amavasya, end of Karthika Masam

North Indian families who follow the purnimanta calendar observe Kartik from roughly 26 October to 24 November 2026, ending on the same full moon. Chhath Puja falls on 13 to 16 November. See our November 2026 festival calendar for every date.

US time zones: what changes and what does not

Dates in the table above are US calendar dates. What you should not do is take a tithi start time or muhurat printed in Indian Standard Time and convert it to your zone; the panchang is calculated for a location, and the converted figure will be wrong. Instead:

  • Set Drik Panchang or your preferred app to your own US city for tithi, sunrise and sunset
  • Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday 1 November 2026, before Karthika begins, so all of Karthika Masam is on EST, CST, MST or PST
  • Light evening lamps after your local sunset, which arrives very early in November and December
  • For Ekadashi parana (breaking the fast), follow the time your local panchang gives for your city

As a guide to how early evenings are, here are local sunset times on Diwali, two days before Karthika begins:

City (time zone)Sunset on Sun 8 Nov 2026
New York (Eastern)4:44 PM
Chicago (Central)4:36 PM
Houston (Central)5:29 PM
Los Angeles (Pacific)4:54 PM

Sunset gets a little earlier through November, so for most families the evening deepam can be lit as soon as they get home from work or school.

Daily practice adapted for American life

Morning

  • Wake before sunrise (about 90 minutes before is the traditional Brahma Muhurta)
  • Karthika snanam: a shower with prayer works where there is no river; some add a few tulsi leaves or a little turmeric to the water and remember the Ganga or Godavari
  • Light a lamp and incense at the home altar and recite a short stotram, Vishnu Sahasranama or Lalitha Sahasranama, or simply "Om Namah Shivaya"
  • Even 10 to 15 minutes before leaving for work keeps the observance alive

Evening

  • Light deepams after local sunset at the altar, front door and, where safe, on the porch or windowsill
  • Make lamp lighting a family moment with children
  • Short family puja and bhajans; longer satsang or temple visits at weekends

Karthika Somavaram: Monday fasting in 2026

The four Karthika Mondays in 2026 are 16, 23 and 30 November and 7 December. Traditionally devotees fast and worship Lord Shiva, offering water, milk and bilva leaves to the Shiva linga and chanting "Om Namah Shivaya". Our Karthika Somavaram 2026 guide has the full vidhi.

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Options for working professionals

  • Full fast: water only until sunset (or until the stars appear), then a sattvic meal
  • Nakta vratam: one meal after sunset, with fruit or milk during the day if needed
  • Modified fast: sattvic vegetarian food without grains, onion or garlic
  • Morning puja before work, evening abhishekam at home or at the temple after work

Foods usually allowed on partial fasts include fresh fruit, milk and yogurt, nuts, coconut water and vrat staples such as sabudana and rock salt. Grains, lentils, onion, garlic and all non-vegetarian food are avoided. Anyone with diabetes or another medical condition, and pregnant or nursing mothers, should modify or skip fasting and consult a doctor.

Karthika Pournami and the key festival days

Devuthani Ekadashi (Friday 20 November): Lord Vishnu wakes from his four-month yoga nidra, ending Chaturmas. Many devotees fast and break it the next morning at the parana time for their city.

Tulsi Vivah (Saturday 21 November): The ceremonial marriage of the tulsi plant with Lord Vishnu (Shaligram or Krishna). Falling on a Saturday in 2026, it is an easy day for a family or temple celebration. See our Tulsi Vivah 2026 guide.

Karthika Pournami (Tuesday 24 November): The most important day of the month: Tripurari Purnima, Dev Deepawali and, in Telugu homes, the night of lighting 365 wicks (one for each day of the year). Plan to light lamps after sunset and, if possible, take the evening off or visit the temple. More in our Karthika Pournami 2026 guide.

Karthika Amavasya (Tuesday 8 December): The end of the month, a day for pitru tarpan (offerings to ancestors) and charity.

Nagula Chavithi, important to Telugu and Kannada families, falls early in the month; check your panchangam for the exact US date.

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Finding temples and community

Most large US metro areas have temples that hold Karthika programmes such as Monday abhishekams, deepotsavam, Tulsi Vivah and Karthika Pournami celebrations. Long-established temples with active Telugu and South Indian communities include:

  • Northeast: temples in Edison and central New Jersey, Sri Lakshmi Temple (Ashland, Massachusetts)
  • Southeast: Hindu Temple of Atlanta (Riverdale, Georgia), Hindu Center of Charlotte
  • Midwest: Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (Lemont), temples in the Detroit area, Hindu Temple of Minnesota (Maple Grove)
  • South: Sri Meenakshi Temple (Pearland, Texas), DFW Hindu Temple (Irving, Texas)
  • West: Sunnyvale and Livermore temples in the Bay Area, Malibu Hindu Temple (Calabasas), Hindu Temple and Cultural Center (Bothell, Washington)

Check each temple's website, newsletter or WhatsApp group for its 2026 Karthika schedule and to register for special pujas.

What you need at home

  • Brass or clay diyas, cotton wicks, sesame oil or ghee
  • Incense, camphor, kumkum, turmeric and sandalwood paste
  • Fresh flowers and, if you can find them, bilva leaves for Shiva
  • A tulsi plant (Indian grocery stores often sell them; keep it indoors once nights turn cold)
  • A small Shiva linga or Krishna murti, a bell and an aarti plate
  • Vrat foods: sabudana, rock salt, fruit, nuts and milk

Indian grocery chains and regional Indian stores stock most puja items, and temple shops are a good way to support your local mandir.

Sattvic food for busy families

During the month many families keep a vegetarian diet and strict observers also avoid onion and garlic. Easy options: upma, poha, idli or dosa from pre-made batter for breakfast; dal and rice, vegetable curry with roti, curd rice or khichdi for lunch and dinner; sabudana khichdi, fruit salad and banana with milk on fast days. Cook in batches at the weekend and use a pressure cooker or slow cooker on weekdays.

Safety, work and family

  • Place oil lamps on metal plates away from curtains and never leave them unattended; use LED diyas in children's rooms or where lease rules restrict open flames
  • Incense can trigger smoke alarms: use dhoop cups, ventilate, or switch to an electric diffuser
  • Request a day off or leave early for Karthika Pournami if you can; most employers respect religious observance with advance notice
  • At work potlucks, simply explain you are observing a holy month and bring a vegetarian dish
  • Teach children with stories of Shiva and Krishna, simple shlokas, rangoli and supervised lamp lighting

Above all, Karthika Masam is about devotion, self-discipline and service. Donate to your temple's annadanam, a food bank or a cause you care about; a sincere, steady practice is what matters most.

Frequently asked questions

When does Karthika Masam 2026 start and end in the USA?

In the Telugu and Kannada (amanta) calendar, Karthika Masam 2026 runs from 10 November to 8 December (Karthika Amavasya). In US time zones the Pratipada tithi that opens the month falls on Monday 9 November, so some US temple calendars show the month starting a day earlier. Follow your own temple or family panchangam.

What are the Karthika Somavaram dates in 2026?

The Karthika Mondays are 16 November, 23 November, 30 November and 7 December 2026.

When is Karthika Pournami 2026?

Karthika Pournami (Kartik Purnima, Dev Deepawali) is on Tuesday 24 November 2026 in the USA.

Why is Karthika Masam so late in 2026?

2026 has an extra lunar month (Adhik Maas), so Diwali, Karthika Masam and the festivals around them fall about three weeks later than they did last year.

Do I need to convert Indian puja times to US time?

No. Tithis and muhurats depend on location, so a time printed for India and converted to Eastern or Pacific time is not correct. Use a panchang set to your US city (Drik Panchang lets you choose a city) and light evening lamps after your local sunset.

Can I observe Karthika Masam if I work full-time?

Yes. Lighting one lamp morning and evening, keeping a vegetarian diet and observing the Monday fast in a modified form are all meaningful. Intention and regularity matter more than perfection.

Editor's note (4 October 2026)

This guide has been fully revised for 2026. Festival dates follow Drik Panchang for the USA. We have removed all converted India-time tithi and moonrise tables from the previous edition; please use a panchang set to your own US city for exact times, and confirm temple programmes directly with your mandir.