Arudra Darisanam · Thiruvathira
Shiva's cosmic dance, seen at Chidambaram on Ardra in Margazhi; Kerala keeps it as Thiruvathira.
KeralaTamil Nadu
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Saturday, 3 January 2026 |
| 2026 | Thursday, 24 December 2026 |
| 2028 | Tuesday, 11 January 2028 |
| 2028 | Sunday, 31 December 2028 |
| 2029 | Saturday, 22 December 2029 |
| 2031 | Wednesday, 8 January 2031 |
| 2031 | Monday, 29 December 2031 |
Dates are for Mumbai. A tithi that changes close to sunrise or sunset can fall a day earlier or later in another city, so for your own town open the festival in the app.
When it falls
When the Moon reaches Ardra and the Sun is in Sagittarius. Like every lunar festival it lands on a different Gregorian date each year. Muhurtha works the date out from the positions of the Sun and Moon, using the rule for this festival; see how every festival is dated.
The story
Arudra Darisanam is the day Shiva is worshipped as Nataraja, the lord of the cosmic dance, on the Ardra (Thiruvathirai) nakshatra in the month of Margazhi. Its most famous celebration is at the Nataraja temple in Chidambaram. Kerala keeps the same star as Thiruvathira, with women's dances.
How it is kept
Devotees fast and keep a night vigil, then visit a Shiva temple at dawn, where the deity is bathed and taken out in procession. Thiruvathirai kali, a sweet of rice and jaggery, is offered, often with a stew of seven vegetables.
Common questions
How is the date of Arudra Darisanam · Thiruvathira decided?
When the Moon reaches Ardra and the Sun is in Sagittarius. Like every lunar festival it lands on a different Gregorian date each year. Muhurtha works the date out from the positions of the Sun and Moon, using the rule for this festival; see how every festival is dated.
How is Arudra Darisanam · Thiruvathira kept?
Devotees fast and keep a night vigil, then visit a Shiva temple at dawn, where the deity is bathed and taken out in procession. Thiruvathirai kali, a sweet of rice and jaggery, is offered, often with a stew of seven vegetables.
Other festivals nearby
Open the Muhurtha app to see Arudra Darisanam · Thiruvathira for your own town, with the exact time its tithi begins and ends. How every festival is dated.
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