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School of Vedic Sciences, FORE

Panchang · Festivals and vrats

Festivals and vrats in 2015

Each date is worked out from the lunar day, the Moon’s nakshatra or the Sun’s entry into a sign, by the sunrise of the chosen city. Open a festival to read how its date was fixed.

Dates for New Delhi · change city

Month names: the rules use the amanta month, which ends at the new moon (as in South and West India). In the dark half of the month North India’s purnimanta calendar has already moved to the next month, so dark-half entries show both names, for example Kamika Ekadashi: Shravana Krishna (purnimanta) = Ashadha Krishna (amanta). Shravan Somvar follows the purnimanta month, as Delhi almanacs print it.

January 2015

February 2015

March 2015

April 2015

May 2015

  • 1 MayFri

    Shukra Pradosh (Shukla)

    Thirteenth lunar day; Shiva is worshipped at dusk

  • 7 MayThu

    Ekadanta Sankashti Chaturthi

    Fourth day of the dark half; a Ganesha fast broken at moonrise

  • 14 MayThu

    Apara Ekadashi

    Eleventh lunar day; a fast for Vishnu · Jyeshtha Krishna (purnimanta) = Vaishakha Krishna (amanta)

  • 15 MayFri

    Shukra Pradosh (Krishna)

    Thirteenth lunar day; Shiva is worshipped at dusk

  • 16 MaySat

    Masik Shivaratri

    Krishna Chaturdashi, kept at midnight · Jyeshtha (purnimanta) = Vaishakha (amanta)

  • 18 MayMon

    Vat Savitri

    Women's vow at the banyan, on the Amavasya before Jyeshtha in the north.

  • 23 MaySat

    Skanda Shashthi

    Shukla Shashthi, on the day it joins the tithi before · Jyeshtha

  • 29 MayFri

    Nirjala Ekadashi

    The waterless Ekadashi of Jyeshtha Shukla, held equal to all twenty-four.

  • 31 MaySun

    Ravi Pradosh (Shukla)

    Thirteenth lunar day; Shiva is worshipped at dusk

June 2015

July 2015

August 2015

  • 3 AugMon

    Shravan Somvar

    The Mondays of Shravana as North India counts it (purnimanta), kept for Shiva.

  • 3 AugMon

    Gajanana Sankashti Chaturthi

    Fourth day of the dark half; a Ganesha fast broken at moonrise

  • 10 AugMon

    Shravan Somvar

    The Mondays of Shravana as North India counts it (purnimanta), kept for Shiva.

  • 10 AugMon

    Kamika Ekadashi

    Eleventh lunar day; a fast for Vishnu · Shravana Krishna (purnimanta) = Ashadha Krishna (amanta)

  • 11 AugTue

    Bhauma Pradosh (Krishna)

    Thirteenth lunar day; Shiva is worshipped at dusk

  • 12 AugWed

    Masik Shivaratri

    Krishna Chaturdashi, kept at midnight · Shravana (purnimanta) = Ashadha (amanta)

  • 17 AugMon

    Shravan Somvar

    The Mondays of Shravana as North India counts it (purnimanta), kept for Shiva.

  • 20 AugThu

    Skanda Shashthi

    Shukla Shashthi, on the day it joins the tithi before · Shravana

  • 24 AugMon

    Shravan Somvar

    The Mondays of Shravana as North India counts it (purnimanta), kept for Shiva.

  • 26 AugWed

    Shravana Putrada Ekadashi

    Eleventh lunar day; a fast for Vishnu · Shravana Shukla

  • 27 AugThu

    Guru Pradosh (Shukla)

    Thirteenth lunar day; Shiva is worshipped at dusk

September 2015

October 2015

  • 8 OctThu

    Indira Ekadashi

    Eleventh lunar day; a fast for Vishnu · Ashwina Krishna (purnimanta) = Bhadrapada Krishna (amanta)

  • 10 OctSat

    Shani Pradosh (Krishna)

    Thirteenth lunar day; Shiva is worshipped at dusk

  • 11 OctSun

    Masik Shivaratri

    Krishna Chaturdashi, kept at midnight · Ashwina (purnimanta) = Bhadrapada (amanta)

  • 18 OctSun

    Skanda Shashthi

    Shukla Shashthi, on the day it joins the tithi before · Ashwina

  • 24 OctSat

    Papankusha Ekadashi

    Eleventh lunar day; a fast for Vishnu · Ashwina Shukla

  • 25 OctSun

    Ravi Pradosh (Shukla)

    Thirteenth lunar day; Shiva is worshipped at dusk

  • 30 OctFri

    Karwa Chauth

    Wives' fast from dawn to moonrise on the Chaturthi after Sharad Purnima.

  • 30 OctFri

    Vakratunda Sankashti Chaturthi

    Fourth day of the dark half; a Ganesha fast broken at moonrise

November 2015

  • 3 NovTue

    Ahoi Ashtami

    Mothers' fast for their children on Kartika Krishna Ashtami (purnimanta), ended at star-rise.

  • 7 NovSat

    Rama Ekadashi

    Eleventh lunar day; a fast for Vishnu · Kartika Krishna (purnimanta) = Ashwina Krishna (amanta)

  • 8 NovSun

    Ravi Pradosh (Krishna)

    Thirteenth lunar day; Shiva is worshipped at dusk

  • 9 NovMon

    Masik Shivaratri

    Krishna Chaturdashi, kept at midnight · Kartika (purnimanta) = Ashwina (amanta)

  • 17 NovTue

    Skanda Shashthi

    Shukla Shashthi, on the day it joins the tithi before · Kartika

  • 22 NovSun

    Devutthana Ekadashi

    Also: Devutthana (Prabodhini) Ekadashi

    Kartika Shukla Ekadashi, the end of chaturmasa and the reopening of the wedding season.

  • 23 NovMon

    Soma Pradosh (Shukla)

    Thirteenth lunar day; Shiva is worshipped at dusk

  • 29 NovSun

    Ganadhipa Sankashti Chaturthi

    Fourth day of the dark half; a Ganesha fast broken at moonrise

December 2015

Plain-language notes are the School’s summaries of common almanac usage, for study. They are not advice.

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