Karthigai Deepam
Tamil Nadu's festival of lamps; a great fire on Thiruvannamalai.
Tamil NaduTulu Nadu
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday, 24 November 2026 |
| 2027 | Saturday, 11 December 2027 |
| 2028 | Thursday, 30 November 2028 |
| 2029 | Tuesday, 20 November 2029 |
| 2030 | Sunday, 8 December 2030 |
| 2031 | Friday, 28 November 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 Krittika and the Sun is in Scorpio. 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
Shiva is said to have appeared as an endless column of fire to settle a quarrel between Brahma and Vishnu over who was greater, and to have settled as the hill Arunachala at Tiruvannamalai. The Krittika star marks that day.
How it is kept
Rows of clay lamps light every home, and at Tiruvannamalai a great flame is lit on top of the hill, seen for miles around. Families make sweet pori and appam.
Common questions
When is Karthigai Deepam in 2027?
In 2027, Karthigai Deepam falls on Saturday, 11 December 2027 in Mumbai. Dates for other years are in the table above.
How is the date of Karthigai Deepam decided?
When the Moon reaches Krittika and the Sun is in Scorpio. 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 Karthigai Deepam kept?
Rows of clay lamps light every home, and at Tiruvannamalai a great flame is lit on top of the hill, seen for miles around. Families make sweet pori and appam.
Other festivals nearby
Open the Muhurtha app to see Karthigai Deepam for your own town, with the exact time its tithi begins and ends. How every festival is dated.
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