About Kartik Purnima
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- 🙏 Deity: Lord Vishnu (Damodara), Lord Shiva (Tripurantaka), Lord Brahma (Pushkar)
- 📅 Kartik Purnima 2026 date:
- ⏳ Duration: 1 day
- 🌙 Lunar month: Kartik
- 🗺️ Celebrated in: Pan-India — especially Varanasi, Pushkar, Prayagraj, Haridwar, Mathura, Vrindavan
Kartik Purnima falls on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Kartik (October-November), and is celebrated as one of the most auspicious days in the entire Hindu year. In 2026, Kartik Purnima falls on November 24. This single day is celebrated under multiple names and traditions — as Tripurotsav (the festival of Shiva's victory over the Tripura demons), as Dev Deepawali (the Diwali of the Gods) on the ghats of Varanasi, and as the peak holy bathing day of the Pushkar Mela in Rajasthan.
Dev Deepawali at Varanasi is one of India's most spectacular spectacles — all 84 ghats of the Ganges are illuminated with hundreds of thousands of earthen lamps, creating a river of light that is visible from afar. Pilgrims take ritual dips in the Ganges at Varanasi, Prayagraj, Pushkar, and other sacred rivers on this day. The Pushkar Camel Fair reaches its climax on Kartik Purnima, with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims taking the holy dip in Pushkar Lake.
Kartik Purnima is also revered in Sikhism as Guru Nanak Jayanti — the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism — bringing together millions of Sikhs in prayer and celebration. In Jainism, this day is observed as Deva Diwali, marking the return of Lord Mahavira's soul from the heavens. The day is universally considered ideal for charity (daan), lamp lighting (deepdan), fasting, and Vishnu or Shiva worship, with extraordinary spiritual merit attached to any devotional act performed on this day.
Significance of Kartik Purnima
Kartik Purnima is charged with multiple layers of cosmic and spiritual significance:
Deities worshipped on Kartik Purnima
Follow the links to explore each deity’s mantras, stories, and temples on Temples.bio.
Lord Shiva
Tripurantaka — destroyer of the three demon cities of Tripura, honored through lamp lighting on Kartik Purnima
The Supreme Destroyer and Transformer of the Universe — The Adiyogi, Lord of Lords, and the First Yogi.
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Lord Vishnu
Damodara — the entire Kartik month is sacred to Vishnu who is worshipped with tulsi and lamps throughout
The Preserver of the Universe — the all-pervading Supreme Being who descends to Earth in divine avatars whenever righteousness declines and evil rises.
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Goddess Lakshmi
Worshipped alongside Vishnu during the Kartik deepdan tradition for prosperity blessings
The Invincible Mother Goddess — Supreme Feminine Power who destroys evil, protects the righteous, and embodies the divine energy of the entire universe.
View deity →Multiple deities preside over Kartik Purnima, making it a uniquely multi-deity celebration:
Lord Shiva is the primary deity of Tripurotsav, worshipped in his Tripurantaka (destroyer of Tripura) form. The lighting of lamps on this night commemorates his cosmic victory. Shiva temples conduct special Rudrabhishek and the Shiva Deepotsav.
Lord Vishnu is deeply associated with Kartik Purnima as the entire month of Kartik is his. He is worshipped as Damodara throughout the month. Vishnu is believed to awaken from his cosmic sleep (Yoganidra) on Devutthana Ekadashi — four days before Kartik Purnima — making the full moon the climax of his awakening period. Vaishnavas worship Vishnu with tulsi leaves and lamp offerings throughout Kartik.
Lord Brahma is specifically associated with Pushkar on Kartik Purnima — the Brahma temple at Pushkar, the only major Brahma temple in India, sees its largest annual gathering on this day.
Goddess Ganga is venerated through the ritual bathing tradition — her waters are believed to be most potent on this full moon, washing away accumulated sins.
How to celebrate Kartik Purnima 2026
1. Wake up at Brahma Muhurta (approximately 4-5 AM) on Kartik Purnima.
2. Take a ritual bath — ideally in a sacred river (Ganga, Yamuna, Pushkar Lake, or any river). If not near a river, add gangajal to your bathing water.
3. Wear clean, fresh clothes — preferably yellow or white.
4. Visit a Vishnu or Shiva temple in the morning for darshan and special puja.
5. Offer tulsi leaves to Vishnu — this is the most meritorious act during Kartik month.
6. Perform deepdan (lamp donation) — light earthen diyas and offer them to the deity and float them on a river or water body.
7. Observe a fast for the day — consume only fruits, milk, and sattvic food, or observe a complete fast until evening.
8. Donate generously — food, clothes, lamps, or money to the poor and to Brahmins (daan on Kartik Purnima has thousandfold merit).
9. In the evening, light diyas around the house, at the tulsi plant, and in front of the deity.
10. If in Varanasi — attend the Dev Deepawali celebrations on the ghats with lamp lighting and Ganga aarti.
11. Chant Vishnu Sahasranama, recite the Kartik Mahatmya, or listen to sacred stories.
12. Perform Satyanarayan Katha if possible — this is one of the most auspicious days for this ritual.
Rituals & regional traditions
Spiritual benefits
Mantras & sacred chants
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya — ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Meaning: "I bow to Lord Vasudeva (Vishnu)" — the twelve-syllable Dvadashakshara mantra, the primary Vishnu mantra chanted throughout Kartik month and especially on Kartik Purnima for Vishnu's blessings.
Kartik Deepdan Mantra — दामोदराय नमस्तुभ्यं नमस्ते रुक्मिणीपते | प्रद्युम्नाय नमस्तुभ्यं अनिरुद्धाय वै नमः ||
Meaning: "Salutations to Damodara (Vishnu bound by the rope), salutations to the lord of Rukmini, salutations to Pradyumna, and salutations to Aniruddha" — chanted while lighting lamps during Kartik month.
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra for Tripurotsav — ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् | उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात् ||
Meaning: "We worship the three-eyed Lord Shiva who nourishes all beings. May He liberate us from the bondage of death and grant us immortality" — chanted on Tripurotsav for Shiva's blessings on Kartik Purnima.
Kartik Purnima 2026 — FAQs
Kartik Purnima in 2026 falls on November 24 (Tuesday). It is the full moon day of the Hindu month of Kartik and is also celebrated as Dev Deepawali, Tripurotsav, and Guru Nanak Jayanti.
Dev Deepawali (Diwali of the Gods) is celebrated on Kartik Purnima — in 2026 on November 24. On this night, all 84 ghats of the Ganges at Varanasi are illuminated with hundreds of thousands of earthen lamps, celebrating Lord Shiva's victory over the Tripura demons. It is one of India's most magnificent spectacles.
A holy dip (snan) on Kartik Purnima is believed to grant merit equal to performing a thousand Ashwamedha yagnas. The sacred rivers — especially the Ganges at Varanasi and Haridwar, Pushkar Lake, and Yamuna at Mathura — are considered most potent on this full moon for purifying all sins.
The Pushkar Camel Fair (Pushkar Mela) 2026 peaks on Kartik Purnima, November 24, 2026. The fair typically runs for 5-7 days around Kartik Purnima, with the holy dip in Pushkar Lake on the full moon day being the most sacred event of the mela.
Yes, Guru Nanak Jayanti (Gurpurab) is celebrated on Kartik Purnima. In 2026, Guru Nanak Jayanti falls on November 24, 2026. Gurdwaras across India and the world hold Akhand Path (48-hour continuous scripture recitation), nagar kirtan processions, and langar (community meals) to celebrate the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
To observe Kartik Purnima at home: wake at Brahma Muhurta and take a ritual bath with gangajal, visit Vishnu or Shiva temple in the morning, offer tulsi leaves to Vishnu, fast for the day consuming only sattvic food, perform deepdan (light earthen lamps) in the evening especially near the tulsi plant, donate food or lamps to the needy, and chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya 108 times.
Kartik Purnima is one of the most auspicious days for charity in the Hindu calendar — any daan on this day generates thousandfold merit. Recommended daan includes: lamps and oil to temples, food to the poor, clothes to the needy, tulsi plants, sesame seeds (til), and donations to Brahmin scholars. Even a small act of charity on this day is considered highly meritorious.
Tripurotsav is the celebration of Lord Shiva's cosmic victory over the Tripura — three flying cities of gold, silver, and iron built by the sons of demon Tarakasura. With a single arrow, Shiva destroyed all three cities simultaneously on Kartik Purnima. This victory is celebrated with the lighting of thousands of lamps, making it the original Dev Deepawali.
