Kartik Purnima 2026: Date, Snan-Daan Muhurat & Significance
Kartik Purnima 2026 falls on Tuesday, 24 November — the final full moon of the Kartik month, and arguably the quietest-but-biggest festival most people outside Varanasi have never heard of. It closes out the entire Kartik month of fasting and ritual, coincides with Dev Diwali, and shares its date with Guru Nanak Jayanti. Book a Pandit on Prayfullit if you'd like guided Satyanarayan Katha or Tulsi Puja for the day.
Kartik Purnima Date and Tithi
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Festival | Kartik Purnima / Tripuri Purnima / Dev Diwali |
| Date | Tuesday, 24 November 2026 |
| Tithi | Kartik Shukla Purnima |
| Coincides with | Dev Diwali, Guru Nanak Jayanti |
| Best for | Snan-Daan (holy bath and charity), especially at the Ganga |
Why This Day Is Bigger Than It Sounds
Kartik Purnima closes out the entire Kartik month — considered one of the most spiritually significant months in the Hindu calendar, during which many devotees observe daily Tulsi puja, early morning baths and dietary restrictions for all 30 days. The Purnima is the "completion" day of all that effort, which is why the snan-daan (holy bath and charitable giving) on this date carries so much weight, particularly at the Ganga, where it's believed to multiply the merit of the whole month's observance.
It's also called Tripuri Purnima, marking the day Lord Shiva destroyed the demon Tripurasura, who had built three flying cities and was terrorising the three worlds. This is the specific reason Varanasi's ghats are lit with thousands of diyas on this night — it's framed as the gods themselves celebrating Shiva's victory, hence "Dev Diwali," literally the Diwali of the gods.
Dev Diwali: The Varanasi Connection
While Diwali itself is a North Indian household festival, Dev Diwali is almost entirely a Varanasi phenomenon — tens of thousands of diyas are lit along the ghats of the Ganga on this night, drawing visitors from across the country. If your content strategy ever extends into a Varanasi-specific piece, Dev Diwali is worth its own dedicated page; it genuinely searches differently from "Kartik Purnima."
What People Do on This Day
- Holy bath (Snan): Ideally in the Ganga, Yamuna or another sacred river, before sunrise.
- Daan (charity): Food, clothes, and sometimes gold are donated — this is considered the single most meritorious day of the year for charitable giving in some traditions.
- Tulsi Puja: A final, elaborate Tulsi puja closes out the month's daily worship.
- Diya lighting: Lamps are floated on rivers or lit at temples in the evening, echoing the Dev Diwali theme even outside Varanasi.
- Satyanarayan Katha: Many households perform this on the day, especially if they skipped it earlier in the month.
A Shared Date Worth Noting
Kartik Purnima 2026 also falls on Guru Nanak Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru. The two festivals are unrelated in origin but share the same lunar date every year, which is worth a line in your content if your readership includes Punjab or has mixed-faith households.
Conclusion
Kartik Purnima on 24 November 2026 quietly closes out one of the most observance-heavy months in the Hindu calendar. Book a Pandit on Prayfullit for Satyanarayan Katha or Tulsi Puja, or explore our Kartik Purnima puja essentials.
