Hindu festivals follow the lunisolar calendar — most dates are fixed by the tithi (lunar day) and the lunar month, not the Gregorian date. That is why Diwali, Holi and Navratri fall on different Gregorian dates each year. Some regional festivals also depend on the solar month or the Sun's entry into a rashi.

India uses several calendar traditions — Vikram Samvat in the north, Shalivahana Shaka in the west and south, the Kollam calendar in Kerala, and the Bengali calendar in the east. The new month can begin on the full moon (purnimanta) or the new moon (amanta), which shifts some festivals by a fortnight between regions.

A tithi is one of the 30 lunar days of the lunar month — the time the Moon takes to move 12° relative to the Sun. Festivals are celebrated when a specific tithi prevails at sunrise (or during the ritual's prescribed window). Tithi timings can shift the observed date between cities, so always confirm with your local panchang.

This calendar covers the major pan-Indian festivals plus widely observed regional ones — Pongal, Onam, Vishu, Bihu, Chhath and more. If a festival your family observes is missing, it is likely a community-specific observance; the muhurta calculator can still find auspicious timings for your rituals.

Festival dates are computed astronomically and are correct for most of India, but the tithi prevailing at sunrise can differ by a day near borderline cases in some cities. For temple-specific observances, confirm with your local panchang or priest.