Temple Festivals and Timings: What Is Coming Up
These pages cover the next big temple festivals: Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali, Dev Deepawali, Karthigai Deepam and more. Each page gives the dates and any change a temple has posted. We say when a fact comes from the news.
Big festivals bring big crowds. Some temples change their darshan rules, and some do not.
We read the temples' own pages first. When a date comes from a calendar site, we link it. When we found nothing, we say so.
Festivals coming up
Navratri and Durga Puja 2026
Dates for Ashtami, Navami and Durga Puja, and changes at big temples.
20 to 21 October 2026UpcomingDussehra 2026
20 October in most places, 21 October in Bengal and Mysuru.
6 to 11 November 2026UpcomingDiwali 2026
Diwali is on 8 November. See all five days and temple notes.
17 November 2026 to 15 January 2027UpcomingSabarimala Mandalam and Makaravilakku Season 2026-27
Due to begin 17 November. Expected dates, daily timetable and rules.
Tuesday, 24 November 2026UpcomingDev Deepawali and Kartik Purnima 2026
All fall on 24 November. Varanasi lamps, holy dips and Gurpurab.
Tuesday, 24 November 2026UpcomingKarthigai Deepam 2026
24 November. The great lamp on Arunachala hill, and Srirangam days.
Sunday, 20 December 2026UpcomingVaikuntha Ekadashi 2026
20 December. Srirangam's full festival days, and what Tirumala has not announced.
14 to 16 January 2027UpcomingMakar Sankranti and Pongal 2027
15 January 2027. Bhogi, Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Uttarayan.
Maha Shivratri 2027
Saturday 6 March 2027, says Drik Panchang. At Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar, news reports say the Mahadeepa is raised on the temple crown on Shivratri night (10 PM in 2025). We will add temple timings closer to the date.
How to use these pages
- Pick the festival on the cards below. Each card shows its date and whether it has started.
- Read the dates table first. Calendars can differ by a day.
- Read the temple section for the temple you plan to visit.
- Check the temple's own site again a day before you go.
Common festival questions
Do temples change their timings on festival days?
Some do. We list the changes that a temple's own pages or a named report mention. Many temples post no change at all.
Why do festival dates differ between websites?
Each calendar counts the lunar day in its own way. A lunar day can start or end in the middle of a day, so the date can move by one day.
How often do you update these pages?
We show the date we last checked at the top of each page. We update the pages as temples post new notices.
Quick summary
Use these pages to plan, and check the temple's own notice before you travel.