2016
- Friday, 15 January 2016 · Skanda Shashthi
- Saturday, 13 February 2016 · Skanda Shashthi
- Sunday, 13 March 2016 · Skanda Shashthi
- Tuesday, 12 April 2016 · Skanda Shashthi
- Wednesday, 11 May 2016 · Skanda Shashthi
- Friday, 10 June 2016 · Skanda Shashthi
- Saturday, 9 July 2016 · Skanda Shashthi
- Monday, 8 August 2016 · Skanda Shashthi
- Wednesday, 7 September 2016 · Skanda Shashthi
- Thursday, 6 October 2016 · Skanda Shashthi
- Saturday, 5 November 2016 · Skanda Shashthi
- Monday, 5 December 2016 · Skanda Shashthi
2017
- Tuesday, 3 January 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
- Thursday, 2 February 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
- Friday, 3 March 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
- Saturday, 1 April 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
- Monday, 1 May 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
- Tuesday, 30 May 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
- Wednesday, 28 June 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
- Friday, 28 July 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
- Sunday, 27 August 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
- Monday, 25 September 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
- Wednesday, 25 October 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
- Friday, 24 November 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
- Sunday, 24 December 2017 · Skanda Shashthi
How the date is fixed
The Shukla Shashthi of every lunar month. The date is the day on which the tithi begins, if it begins between sunrise and sunset (that day it is joined with the tithi before it); if it begins at night, the next day, when it is running at sunrise†. Dark-half entries carry both month names: purnimanta (North India) and amanta.
† Practice varies between schools; our faculty is reviewing these rules.
About
The sixth tithi of every bright half is kept for Murugan (Skanda) in Tamil Nadu and across South India. The day on which Shashthi joins Panchami is preferred: if Shashthi begins between sunrise and sunset, that day is taken; if it begins at night, the next day. The fast can therefore fall on the civil day of Panchami. The Shashthi of amanta Kartika (Tamil Aippasi) is the annual Skanda Shashthi with Soorasamharam.
How it is observed
A fast from sunrise, broken in the evening after the worship of Murugan, with the Kanda Shashti Kavacham recited.