Karthika Masam 2026: Ultimate Guide for NRIs in USA, Canada, UK, Australia and Germany

Quick answer: Karthika Masam 2026 runs from Tuesday 10 November to Tuesday 8 December 2026 (Telugu/Kannada amanta calendar). Karthika Somavaram Mondays are 16, 23 and 30 November and 7 December, and Karthika Pournami is Tuesday 24 November. Karthika Amavasya, the last day, is 8 December. Because 2026 has an extra lunar month, the season comes about three weeks later than last year.

Karthika Masam is one of the most sacred months of the Hindu year, dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Kartikeya. For NRIs in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia and Germany it is a month of lamps, early baths, Monday fasts and temple visits that keeps families connected to their roots even in a northern winter or an Australian spring. This guide gives the 2026 dates by country, the core rituals and vratas, and practical tips for observing the month abroad.

Karthika Masam 2026 key dates

Other observances in the month, such as Nagula Chavithi, Ksheerabdi Dwadashi and Poli Swargam, depend on tithis that can shift by a day between time zones. Check Drik Panchang for your city or your temple's printed calendar for those dates.

What is Karthika Masam?

Karthika Masam takes its name from the Krittika nakshatra, near which the month's full moon falls. It is the eighth month of the lunar year and is praised in the Skanda Purana and the Karthika Puranam as a month in which simple acts of devotion, a lamp, a bath, a prayer, a gift of food, bear exceptional fruit. Shiva is worshipped as Someshwara, especially on Mondays; Vishnu as Damodara and Satyanarayana; and Kartikeya, born of the Krittikas, is also honoured.

For NRIs, Karthika is a bridge to home. The rituals are small enough to fit into a working week, and the evening lamp in a window in Toronto, London or Frankfurt carries the same meaning as one by a river in Andhra Pradesh or Karnataka.

Core daily rituals for NRIs

1. Karthika snanam (dawn bath)

• Bathe before sunrise, ideally in Brahma Muhurta; check your local sunrise time, which changes quickly in November.
• Chant "Om Namah Shivaya" or "Om Namo Narayanaya" and remember the sacred rivers as you bathe.
• Warm water is fine in cold climates. A few drops of Gangajal, available at many Indian grocery stores, can be added if you have it.

2. Deepa danam (lamp lighting)

• Light ghee or sesame-oil lamps at dawn and dusk near the tulsi plant, the home altar or a window.
• Chant "Deepam Jyoti Parabrahma, Deepam Sarva Tamopaham" while lighting.
• In flats with fire restrictions, common in the UK and Germany, use a small enclosed lamp on a metal tray or an LED diya.

3. Fasting and food

• Ekabhuktam (one meal a day) or nakta vratam (eating only after the evening lamp) are traditional, especially on Mondays.
• Many families avoid meat, eggs, onion and garlic for the month.
• Simple sattvic meals such as khichdi, curd rice, pongal and vegetable curries are easy to make with ingredients from any supermarket.
• Pregnant women, the elderly and anyone with a health condition should keep fasts light and consult their doctor.

4. Tulasi puja

Water the tulsi plant, offer flowers and a lamp each evening. In cold countries, keep tulsi indoors on a sunny windowsill through the winter; if you do not have a plant, worship a picture or dried tulsi leaves.

5. Scripture

Read or listen to a chapter of the Karthika Puranam, the Bhagavad Gita or the Damodarashtakam each day. Many temples and Telugu associations run online or in-person satsangs during the month.

Key vratas for NRIs

Karthika Somavaram vratam (16, 23, 30 Nov; 7 Dec)

• Fast during the day and perform abhishekam to a Shiva lingam at home with water and milk, chanting "Om Namah Shivaya" or Sri Rudram.
• Offer bilva leaves (or tulsi if bilva is unavailable) and light a lamp after sunset.
• Traditionally the fast is broken after the evening lamp or when the stars appear.
• Many temples abroad hold Rudrabhishekam on Karthika Mondays; check their 2026 schedules.

Satyanarayana vratam

Karthika is a favoured month for the Satyanarayana puja, especially on Ekadashi or Pournami. Families often perform it at home with a priest, or join a group vratam at a temple.

Karthika Pournami (Tuesday 24 November)

• Light as many lamps as you can at dusk; many families light 365 wicks to cover the whole year.
• Fast until evening and chant the Vishnu Sahasranama or Shiva stotras.
• Float a small lamp in a bowl of water at home if a river or pond is not accessible.
• Temples in India hold grand deepotsavams, and many are streamed online for devotees abroad.

Karthika Amavasya and Poli Swargam

On Karthika Amavasya (8 December) families offer tarpanam for ancestors. The day after, many Telugu households float lamps on water for Poli Swargam, bidding farewell to the month.

Where to celebrate abroad

Temples and associations hold Rudrabhishekams, deepotsavams and Satyanarayana vratams during Karthika. Programmes, timings and sponsorship details change each year, so check your local temple or association for 2026 programmes. Temples that have long observed the month include:

• USA: Sri Venkateswara Temple in Cary, North Carolina; the Hindu Temple of Atlanta; Malibu Hindu Temple in California.
• Canada: the Hindu Temple of Ottawa-Carleton, and Venkateswara and Shiva temples in the Greater Toronto Area.
• UK: Sri Venkateswara (Balaji) temples and Swaminarayan temples, including in Leicester.
• Australia: Sri Venkateswara Temple in Sydney and Hindu temples in Melbourne.
• Germany: the Sri Kamadchi Ampal temple in Hamm and Hindu communities in Berlin.

If there is no temple near you, a small home altar, a lamp and a regular time for prayer are enough. Many families also gather with Telugu or Kannada friends for a weekend Karthika vanabhojanam (a shared vegetarian meal outdoors) or a group Satyanarayana puja.

Practical tips for NRIs

• Time zones: tithis start and end at different clock times in each country; use Drik Panchang set to your own city rather than an Indian calendar.
• Work schedules: Somavaram fasts and lamps fit an evening routine; save longer pujas for weekends.
• Supplies: Indian grocery stores stock diyas, wicks, ghee, bilva and puja items; order early before Diwali week.
• Children: let them light the evening lamp and learn one simple mantra for the month.
• Charity: donating food or warm clothing to local shelters is a meaningful Karthika dana abroad.

Frequently asked questions

When does Karthika Masam 2026 start and end?

In the Telugu and Kannada (amanta) calendar, Karthika Masam 2026 runs from Tuesday 10 November to Tuesday 8 December. In the USA, Canada, UK and Germany, Pratipada falls on 9 November in local time, so some temples abroad may begin the month a day earlier; follow your temple's calendar.

What are the Karthika Somavaram dates in 2026?

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

When is Karthika Pournami 2026?

Karthika Pournami (Kartika Purnima, Dev Deepawali) is on Tuesday 24 November 2026 in India, the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia and Germany.

Why is Karthika Masam later in 2026?

2026 contains an extra lunar month (Adhik Maas), so Diwali and Karthika Masam are about three weeks later than last year.

How can I do Karthika deepam in an apartment abroad?

Light a small ghee or sesame-oil lamp on a metal plate at your altar or window and never leave it unattended. Where open flames are not allowed, an LED diya is an acceptable offering; the devotion behind the lamp is what matters.

Editor's note (4 October 2026)

Rewritten for 2026. Dates are from Drik Panchang data for each country and the Telugu/Kannada amanta calendar. We removed last year's dates, time conversions, shop and product promotions, and editorial notes that did not belong in the article. Programmes at the temples listed change every year; please confirm directly.

Related guides

• Karthika Masam 2026
• Karthika Somavaram 2026
• Karthika Pournami 2026
• Tulsi Vivah 2026
• Diwali 2026 Canada
• November 2026 festival calendar