Karthika Masam 2026 in the UK: Dates, Five Somavarams and Karthika Pournami Timings City by City

Quick answer: By the UK local panchang, Karthika Masam 2026 begins on Monday 9 November 2026 and ends with Karthika Amavasya on Tuesday 8 December 2026. That gives British devotees five Karthika Somavarams: 9, 16, 23 and 30 November and 7 December. India begins a day later, on Tuesday 10 November, with four Mondays. Purnima tithi runs from 6:12 PM GMT on Monday 23 November to 2:53 PM GMT on Tuesday 24 November, so it covers neither sunset in Britain: Karthika Pournami (Kartika Purnima) and Karthigai Deepam fall on Tuesday 24 November, while lamps lit after 6:12 PM on Monday 23 November are within Purnima itself.

Editor's note (5 October 2026): Dates in this guide were calculated with Drik Panchang rules for local sunrise in the UK (the tithi current at sunrise names the day; Nagula Chavithi takes Chaturthi at midday, Masik Shivaratri takes Krishna Chaturdashi at midnight, and Karthigai Deepam takes Krittika nakshatra at sunset). They were checked against Drik Panchang for New York, Toronto, London and New Delhi; Drik Panchang's London day panchang marks Monday 9 November as Kartika Shukla Pratipada. Purnima begin and end times are exact tithi instants shown in UK time (GMT), and sunsets use the NOAA method. Temple programmes for 2026 have not been confirmed, so none are listed here.

Karthika Masam is the most beloved month of the year for Telugu, Kannada and many South Indian families: a month of pre-dawn baths, glowing lamps, Monday fasts for Lord Shiva and Tulasi worship for Lord Vishnu. In Britain it arrives with the darkest weeks of the year, when the sun sets at around half past four or earlier in every city we cover. For the whole month in one place, see our Karthika Masam 2026 guide.

Karthika Masam 2026 dates in the UK

These dates hold for every UK city — London, Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast. British clocks went back on Sunday 25 October 2026, so every time in this guide is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

How does the UK end up a day ahead of India at the start? Tithis begin and end at the same instant all over the world, but a panchang names each day by the tithi running at local sunrise. At British sunrise on Monday 9 November, Pratipada has already begun; at Indian sunrise that morning, Amavasya is still current, so India's month begins on Tuesday 10 November.

Many UK temples follow the Indian dates from a panchangam printed in India; others use a local calculation. Before the month begins, ask your temple which calendar it uses, and keep the Mondays and festival days it announces. Where the two disagree, the differences in the UK are the first Monday (9 November), Masik Shivaratri (6 December locally, 7 December in India) and the evening of Pournami — all explained below.

Karthika Somavaram 2026 dates and the Monday vratham

Monday (Somavaram) belongs to Lord Shiva, and in Karthika Masam every Monday becomes a vratham. By the UK local calendar the five Somavarams are Monday 9 November, 16 November, 23 November, 30 November and 7 December 2026. If your temple follows India, count four, starting 16 November. The third Somavaram, 23 November, is especially sweet in Britain: Purnima tithi begins that same evening at 6:12 PM, so the Monday lamp and the start of the full moon meet.

How to keep the Somavaram vratham

• Choose a fast you can sustain: traditionally a full fast (upavasam) until evening; many keep a fruit-and-milk fast; others take one simple sattvic meal. Elders, children, pregnant women and anyone with a health condition should choose a gentle form — devotion matters more than hardship.
• Morning: bathe early, light a lamp before Shiva, and offer water, milk or bilva leaves to a Shiva lingam if you have one. Chanting "Om Namah Shivaya" 108 times takes only a few minutes.
• Rudrabhishekam: many Shiva and Venkateswara temples in the UK offer abhishekam on Karthika Mondays; check their calendars and book ahead where needed. At home, a simple abhishekam with water and milk while reciting the Panchakshari is a complete offering.
• Evening lamp: light a ghee or sesame-oil deepam after sunset. In November the UK sun sets at around half past four or earlier, so you can light it the moment you get home.
• Nakta meal: those keeping the traditional nakta vratham break the fast with a sattvic meal after sunset or after the moon is seen. Avoid onion, garlic, meat, eggs and alcohol for the day — many families keep these rules for the whole month.

Working-week tips for UK devotees

All five Somavarams are working days. A fruit fast is easier to hold through an office day than a full fast; carry dates, a banana or a flask of milk. Early sunsets help: you can light the lamp on reaching home and eat the nakta meal at a normal dinner time. If you cannot visit the temple on a Monday, many families do the abhishekam at home and attend the temple on the weekend. Our Karthika Somavaram 2026 UK Monday rituals guide has more ideas, and Karthika Somavaram 2026 explains the significance.

Karthika Pournami 2026 in the UK, city by city

Karthika Pournami is the brightest night of the month: Tripura Purnima, when Lord Shiva destroyed the three cities of the asuras, and the night on which lamps are lit by the hundreds in homes and temples. Here are Purnima tithi times and sunsets for nine UK cities. The begin and end times are a single instant in the sky, so they are identical across the country; only sunset changes.

The UK Purnima-vs-sunset situation, explained

In most years the full moon tithi is current at sunset on at least one evening, and that evening is clearly the one for the Pournami lamps. In Britain in 2026 it is not. Look at London: sunset on Monday 23 November is at 4:01 PM, but Purnima does not begin until 6:12 PM. By sunset on Tuesday 24 November, 4:00 PM, Purnima has already ended at 2:53 PM. So Purnima covers neither UK sunset. Two sound readings follow from this:

• Monday 23 November, after 6:12 PM: the full moon tithi is actually running. Lamps lit after 6:12 PM on Monday evening fall within Purnima, and families who hold that the Pournami deepam should be lit during Purnima itself choose this evening. It also happens to be a Karthika Somavaram.
• Tuesday 24 November: Purnima is current at sunrise, so by the sunrise rule this is the calendar date of Kartika Purnima in the UK. The Pournami morning snanam and Karthigai Deepam (Krittika at sunset) all belong to Tuesday. Families who follow the calendar date light their lamps on Tuesday evening, even though Purnima has ended by then.

Neither choice is a mistake. Indian panchangams, read in India, place Pournami on Tuesday 24 November, where Purnima runs until 8:23 PM IST in New Delhi and so covers the Indian sunset; UK temples that follow India will therefore keep Tuesday. The fairest advice is simple: follow your temple or family priest. If you want to honour both readings, light a few lamps after 6:12 PM on Monday and the main Pournami deepam on Tuesday evening.

A word of caution about forwarded messages: India's Purnima times (beginning 11:42 PM IST on 23 November) are not UK times and should never be used directly. The times in the table above already are the same instant, shown in GMT.

Pournami traditions: 365 wicks, Jwala Thoranam and deepa daanam

• 365 wicks: many Telugu families light a lamp of 365 cotton wicks soaked in ghee — one for each day of the year — so that the merit of a full year of lamps is gained in one evening. See our guide to 365 wick oil deepam (vattulu).
• Jwala Thoranam: in temples in India a burning arch is raised before the deity on Pournami night, recalling Shiva's victory; devotees pass beneath it. In the UK this is usually seen only where a temple has the space and permission, so do not expect it everywhere.
• Deepa daanam: giving a lit lamp — to a temple, a priest or a neighbour — is one of the most praised acts of the month. Read more in Karthika snanam and deepa daanam 2026.
• Floating lamps: in India lamps are floated on rivers and tanks. In the UK, please do not float lamps on rivers, canals or park ponds; a bowl of water at home with a floating diya keeps the custom safely.

More on the meaning of the night is in Karthika Pournami 2026.

Nagula Chavithi, Ksheerabdi Dwadasi, Karthigai Deepam and Masik Shivaratri

Nagula Chavithi — Friday 13 November

On Nagula Chavithi, the fourth day of the bright fortnight, Telugu families worship the serpent deities for the protection and health of children. In India milk is poured into anthills; in Britain families offer milk, turmeric and flowers to a silver or clay naga image or a picture at home, or join a temple's Naga puja. Many keep a fast until the puja. In the UK the date is Friday 13 November, the same as India (the USA keeps it on Thursday 12 November). See Nagula Chavithi and Karthika Deepam.

Devutthana Ekadashi and Ksheerabdi Dwadasi — 20 and 21 November

Lord Vishnu wakes from his four-month yogic sleep on Devutthana (Uttana or Prabodhini) Ekadashi, Friday 20 November, and the auspicious season for weddings reopens. The next day, Saturday 21 November, is Ksheerabdi Dwadasi, when Telugu families perform the Tulasi kalyanam — the wedding of the Tulasi plant with Lord Vishnu, often represented by an amla (usirika) branch — and light lamps around the Tulasi pot. North Indian families celebrate Tulasi Vivah the same day. More in Karthika Ekadashi (Prabodhini) 2026.

Karthigai Deepam (Tamil) — Tuesday 24 November

Tamil families keep Karthigai Deepam when Krittika nakshatra prevails at sunset in the solar month of Karthigai (Vrishchika). In the UK that is Tuesday 24 November, the same day as in India and the calendar date of Kartika Purnima. Rows of agal vilakku are lit at the doorstep and in every room, recalling the column of fire at Tiruvannamalai. See Karthigai Deepam 2026 and our Arunachaleswara temple guide.

Masik Shivaratri — Sunday 6 December

The Shivaratri of Karthika Masam falls on Sunday 6 December in the UK (India: Monday 7 December).

Other days: Sankranti, Kalabhairav Jayanti, Utpanna Ekadashi, Amavasya

Vrishchika Sankranti, the sun's entry into Scorpio, is on Monday 16 November. Kalabhairav Jayanti, honouring the fierce form of Shiva who guards Kashi, is on Monday 30 November. Utpanna Ekadashi is on Friday 4 December, and the month closes with Karthika Amavasya on Tuesday 8 December.

Daily Karthika practices in the UK

The heart of Karthika Masam is daily: a bath before dawn, a lamp at dusk, sattvic food and the name of the Lord. These adapt well to British life.

• Karthika snanam: the ideal is a bath in a river before sunrise. In a British November, with near-freezing mornings, a warm shower before sunrise with a prayer to Ganga, Godavari and the sacred rivers is the sensible form. Sunrise is late, so "before sunrise" is achievable even before work.
• Deepam every evening: light a lamp at the threshold or by the Tulasi plant after sunset. Tulasi plants struggle in the cold — keep yours indoors on a bright windowsill and away from radiators.
• Fire safety: test your smoke alarm before the month begins, keep lamps on a metal or stone plate away from curtains, never leave them unattended, and keep children and pets clear. If you rent or live in a flat, check your tenancy and building rules about naked flames and balconies; LED diyas are a good choice for windows and shared spaces.
• Food: many families give up onion, garlic, meat and eggs for the month. Our Karthika Masam food rules and fasting recipes for NRIs help.
• Reading and mantras: a chapter of the Karthika Puranam each day is a beautiful family habit; see Karthika Mahatmya stories and Karthika Masam mantras.

A step-by-step home routine is in how to perform Karthika Masam vratham at home.

Telugu Karthika Masam vs North Indian Kartik

This guide follows the amanta calendar used in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat, where a month runs from the day after Amavasya to the next Amavasya. North Indian families follow the purnimanta calendar, in which Kartik runs from the day after one full moon to the next. Their Kartik began in late October, around 26 October, and ends at Kartika Purnima on Tuesday 24 November. Both calendars agree on the festivals themselves — Prabodhini Ekadashi, Tulasi Vivah and Kartik Purnima fall on the same days — only the month names around them differ.

Temples and community in the UK

The UK has a rich network of Hindu temples, and many hold Karthika Somavaram abhishekams, Karthika Deepotsavam and Pournami programmes. Well-known temples such as BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden and the Highgate Hill Murugan Temple in London publish their own festival calendars, as do many Telugu, Kannada and Tamil associations and local Shiva, Venkateswara and Murugan temples across the country. We have not listed specific events because 2026 schedules are not yet published — please check your temple's calendar or notice board.

Frequently asked questions

When does Karthika Masam 2026 start in the UK?

By the local panchang, Karthika Masam (amanta, as followed by Telugu, Kannada and Marathi families) begins on Monday 9 November 2026 in the UK, because Kartika Shukla Pratipada is current at British sunrise that day. It ends with Karthika Amavasya on Tuesday 8 December 2026. In India the month begins on Tuesday 10 November, and many UK temples follow the Indian dates, so check your temple's panchangam.

How many Karthika Somavarams are there in the UK in 2026?

Five by the UK local calendar: 9, 16, 23 and 30 November and 7 December 2026. India has four (16, 23, 30 November and 7 December) because its month starts on Tuesday 10 November. If your temple follows the Indian calendar, Monday 9 November may not be counted as a Karthika Somavaram, but keeping an extra Monday of devotion is never a loss.

What are the Karthika Pournami 2026 timings in London?

Purnima tithi begins at 6:12 PM GMT on Monday 23 November and ends at 2:53 PM GMT on Tuesday 24 November 2026. The same times apply across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Sunset in London is 4:01 PM on 23 November and 4:00 PM on 24 November.

Should I light the Karthika Pournami lamps on 23 or 24 November in the UK?

In the UK, Purnima covers neither sunset: it starts after dark on Monday 23 November and ends before sunset on Tuesday 24 November. Lamps lit after 6:12 PM on Monday 23 November fall within Purnima tithi, while Tuesday 24 November is the calendar date of Kartika Purnima and of Karthigai Deepam. Both practices are followed; the simplest guide is to keep the evening your temple or family priest announces.

When is Nagula Chavithi 2026 in the UK?

Nagula Chavithi falls on Friday 13 November 2026 in the UK, the same date as in India. (In the USA it falls a day earlier, on Thursday 12 November.)

When is Karthigai Deepam 2026 in the UK?

Karthigai Deepam, the Tamil festival of lamps, is on Tuesday 24 November 2026 in the UK, when Krittika nakshatra prevails at sunset in the solar month of Vrishchika. It is the same date as in India.

Related guides

• Karthika Masam 2026 — dates, rituals and significance
• Karthika Masam 2026 UK — complete guide with city-wise timings
• Karthika Pournami 2026
• Karthika Somavaram vratham katha
• Karthika Masam 2026 USA: dates, Somavarams and Pournami city by city
• Karthika Masam 2026 Canada: dates, Somavarams and Pournami city by city
• Karthika Masam 2026 Australia: dates, Somavarams and Pournami city by city
• Karthika Masam 2026 Dubai and UAE guide
• Diwali 2026 UK: Lakshmi Puja muhurat city by city
• November 2026 Hindu festivals calendar