2025
- Sunday, 5 January 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
- Monday, 3 February 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
- Tuesday, 4 March 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
- Thursday, 3 April 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
- Friday, 2 May 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
- Sunday, 1 June 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
- Monday, 30 June 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
- Wednesday, 30 July 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
- Thursday, 28 August 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
- Saturday, 27 September 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
- Monday, 27 October 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
- Wednesday, 26 November 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
- Thursday, 25 December 2025 · Skanda Shashthi
2026
- Saturday, 24 January 2026 · Skanda Shashthi
- Sunday, 22 February 2026 · Skanda Shashthi
- Tuesday, 24 March 2026 · Skanda Shashthi
- Wednesday, 22 April 2026 · Skanda Shashthi
- Thursday, 21 May 2026 · Adhika Skanda Shashthi
- Friday, 19 June 2026 · Skanda Shashthi
- Sunday, 19 July 2026 · Skanda Shashthi
- Monday, 17 August 2026 · Skanda Shashthi
- Wednesday, 16 September 2026 · Skanda Shashthi
- Friday, 16 October 2026 · Skanda Shashthi
- Sunday, 15 November 2026 · Skanda Shashthi
- Tuesday, 15 December 2026 · 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.