Quick answer: Karthika Masam 2026 (Telugu/Kannada amanta calendar) runs from 10 November to 8 December 2026 in Malaysia, starting just after Deepavali on Sunday 8 November. Karthika Somavaram Mondays are 16, 23 and 30 November and 7 December, Karthika Pournami is Tuesday 24 November, and the month closes with Karthika Amavasya on 8 December. Because 2026 has an extra lunar month, these dates are about three weeks later than last year.

Malaysia is home to around two million Hindus, mostly of Tamil descent, with Telugu, Malayalee, Punjabi and other communities, concentrated in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley, Penang, Perak, Johor and Melaka. For Tamil Malaysians the season is Karthigai, crowned by Karthigai Deepam; for Telugu and Kannada families it is Karthika Masam, a full month of lamp lighting, Monday fasts and devotion to Shiva and Vishnu. This guide covers the 2026 dates, the meaning of the month, rituals, and the temples where Malaysian devotees gather.

Karthika Masam 2026 dates in Malaysia

Date (2026)Observance
Sun 8 NovDeepavali (Diwali / Lakshmi Puja)
Tue 10 NovKarthika Masam begins; Govardhan Puja / Bali Padyami
Wed 11 NovBhai Dooj
Mon 16 NovFirst Karthika Somavaram
Sat 21 NovDevuthani (Prabodhini) Ekadashi
Sun 22 NovTulsi Vivah
Mon 23 NovSecond Karthika Somavaram
Tue 24 NovKarthika Pournami / Kartika Purnima
Mon 30 NovThird Karthika Somavaram
Mon 7 DecFourth Karthika Somavaram
Tue 8 DecKarthika Amavasya, end of the month

Dates follow Drik Panchang for Malaysia. Note that Devuthani Ekadashi and Tulsi Vivah fall one day later in Malaysia than in India this year. Tamil Karthigai Deepam is set by the Krittika nakshatra in the solar month of Karthigai and may not coincide with Karthika Pournami, so confirm its 2026 date with your temple. Nagula Chavithi also falls early in the month; check your panchangam for the exact day.

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Why Karthika Masam matters

Karthika is praised in the Skanda Purana and Padma Purana as the month in which devotion bears the greatest fruit. Three threads run through it:

  • Shiva as light:
  • the legend of Shiva appearing as an endless column of fire to settle the dispute between Brahma and Vishnu, remembered at Tiruvannamalai with the great Karthigai Deepam flame on the hill
  • Vishnu and Tulsi:
  • Vishnu wakes from his four-month sleep on Devuthani Ekadashi and is ceremonially married to Tulsi
  • Murugan and the Krittikas:
  • the month is named after the Krittika star cluster, the six mothers who nursed Lord Murugan (Kartikeya), which gives the season special meaning for Malaysia's Tamil Murugan devotees

Lighting a lamp (deepam) is the heart of the month: a daily reminder that knowledge dispels ignorance as light dispels darkness. Devotees also practise daana (giving), seva (service) and a sattvic lifestyle, values that sit comfortably with the Malaysian spirit of gotong-royong.

Karthika in Malaysia: a short history

Hindu traders reached the Malay peninsula many centuries ago, and in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries large numbers of Tamil and Telugu workers came to the rubber estates and railways. On the estates, Karthika and Karthigai were observed simply, with lamps at small shrines and family fasts. Temples built by these communities grew into today's major shrines, and organisations such as the Malaysia Hindu Sangam, founded in 1965, have helped coordinate festivals and religious education. Deepavali is a public holiday in most of Malaysia, and Karthika Masam follows naturally in the weeks after it.

Temples where devotees gather

Temples across Malaysia hold daily deepam, Monday abhishekams for Shiva and special Pournami pujas through the season. Programmes and timings change every year, so check your temple's notice board, website or social media for the 2026 schedule. Well-known temples include:

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor

  • Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple, Batu Caves: the great Murugan shrine in limestone caves north of the city, a focus for Karthigai devotion
  • Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Jalan Tun H.S. Lee: one of the oldest Hindu temples in Kuala Lumpur, in the heart of the old city
  • Temples in Brickfields (Little India), with many South Indian shops for puja supplies

Penang

  • Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple (Waterfall Hill Temple): the hilltop Murugan temple reached by a long flight of steps
  • Sri Arulmigu Karumariamman Temple and the temples of Little India, George Town

Perak

  • Sri Subramaniar Swamy and other temples in Ipoh, the centre of a large Tamil community

Johor

  • Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple, Johor Bahru: famous for its interior covered in glass mosaic
  • Arulmigu Sri Raja Mariamman Devasthanam and other temples in Johor Bahru

Melaka

  • Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple: among the oldest functioning Hindu temples in Malaysia, in the historic heart of Melaka

Key rituals of the month

  • Daily deepam:
  • light a ghee or sesame oil lamp at the altar and doorway morning and evening; some families add one more lamp each day of the month
  • Karthika snanam:
  • an early bath before sunrise with prayer, often with a few tulsi leaves in the water
  • Somavara vratam:
  • fasting on Mondays and offering water, milk and bilva leaves to the Shiva linga, chanting "Om Namah Shivaya" (see our
  • Karthika Somavaram 2026 guide
  • )
  • Tulsi puja:
  • daily worship of the tulsi plant, culminating in Tulsi Vivah on 22 November
  • Gadapa puja:
  • lamps on the threshold to welcome auspiciousness and keep away negativity
  • Vana bhojanam:
  • a community meal under trees, ideally amla (Indian gooseberry), with sattvic food
  • Karthika Pournami:
  • the grand finale on 24 November, with 365 wicks lit at home and special temple pujas (see our
  • Karthika Pournami 2026 guide
  • )

Sattvic food for the month

Many families keep a vegetarian diet for the month, and strict observers avoid onion and garlic. Temple and home favourites include:

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  • Sweet and ven pongal offered as naivedya
  • Idli and dosai with coconut chutney
  • Payasam made with jaggery or palm sugar
  • Vadai and sundal as prasadam
  • Local fruit such as banana, papaya, rambutan and mango for offerings

Indian vegetarian restaurants in Brickfields, George Town's Little India and other Indian neighbourhoods make it easy to keep the diet on busy days.

Community life and modern adaptations

  • Bhajan groups and organisations such as ISKCON Malaysia hold devotional singing through the season
  • Bharatanatyam and kolattam performances often accompany temple deepam celebrations
  • Many temples stream pujas online for devotees who cannot attend in person
  • Panchang apps help families track tithis, but always set them to your Malaysian city
  • Charity drives for the needy, organised by temple committees and Hindu associations, carry on the month's spirit of daana

Practical tips for Malaysian devotees

  • November and December bring the north-east monsoon: keep outdoor lamps sheltered or move them indoors
  • Use clay diyas, natural wicks and LED lamps where condominium rules restrict open flames
  • Monday fasts in a hot climate: drink enough water and coconut water if you are on a partial fast, and modify the fast if you have health conditions
  • Invite friends of other faiths to the lamp lighting; the message of light over darkness is easy to share
  • Plan temple visits early on Karthika Pournami and the Somavarams, when crowds are largest

Frequently asked questions

When is Karthika Masam 2026 in Malaysia?

In the Telugu and Kannada (amanta) calendar, Karthika Masam 2026 runs from 10 November to 8 December. Karthika Pournami is on Tuesday 24 November.

What are the Karthika Somavaram dates in 2026?

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

When are Devuthani Ekadashi and Tulsi Vivah in Malaysia in 2026?

According to Drik Panchang for Malaysia, Devuthani (Prabodhini) Ekadashi is on Saturday 21 November and Tulsi Vivah on Sunday 22 November 2026, one day later than in India.

Is Karthigai Deepam the same day as Karthika Pournami?

Not always. Tamil Karthigai Deepam is fixed by the Krittika nakshatra in the Tamil solar month of Karthigai, so it can fall on a different day from the Telugu Karthika Pournami. Check your temple's 2026 Tamil calendar for the Karthigai Deepam date.

Why is Karthika Masam later in 2026?

2026 has an extra lunar month, so Deepavali, Karthika Masam and the festivals around them fall about three weeks later than last year.

Editor's note (4 October 2026)

This guide has been fully revised for 2026. Dates follow Drik Panchang for Malaysia. We have removed last year's temple event dates and timings because they cannot be confirmed for 2026; please check your temple or the Malaysia Hindu Sangam for this year's programmes. Om Namah Shivaya.