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Amavasya Dates & Timings 2026

Amavasya (New Moon) dates and exact tithi timings for 2026. Timings shown for New Delhi. Select a different city to see local timings.

12 Sacred Days
Precise Timings
New Delhi
Next:Shravana Amavasya (Hariyali Amavasya) on August 12 in New Delhi
2025
Year
2026
2027
Next:Shravana Amavasya (Hariyali Amavasya) on August 12 in New Delhi

2026 Amavasya Calendar

Timings calculated for New Delhi

Magha Amavasya (Mauni Amavasya)

Sun, Jan 18, 2026
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Tithi Timings
Start:Sun, Jan 18, 2026, 12:05 AM
End:Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 1:22 AM

The most spiritually charged Amavasya! Observed with silence (Maun) and sacred river baths, especially at Prayag. This day holds the power to cleanse lifetimes of karma through disciplined practice.

Phalguna Amavasya

Tue, Feb 17, 2026
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Tithi Timings
Start:Mon, Feb 16, 2026, 5:35 PM
End:Tue, Feb 17, 2026, 5:31 PM

As winter ends and spring approaches, this final Amavasya of the year helps you release the old and embrace renewal. Perform tarpan to thank ancestors for their year-long protection and guidance.

Chaitra Amavasya

Thu, Mar 19, 2026
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Tithi Timings
Start:Wed, Mar 18, 2026, 8:26 AM
End:Thu, Mar 19, 2026, 6:54 AM

As spring blooms and nature awakens, Chaitra Amavasya invites you to plant seeds of new intentions while honoring ancestors who guide your path forward.

Vaishakha Amavasya

Thu, Apr 16, 2026
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Tithi Timings
Start:Thu, Apr 16, 2026, 8:12 PM
End:Fri, Apr 17, 2026, 5:22 PM

During the peak of summer heat, this sacred day reminds us to offer water and food to our departed elders, seeking their blessings for prosperity and peace in our homes.

Jyeshtha Amavasya

Sat, May 16, 2026
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Tithi Timings
Start:Sat, May 16, 2026, 5:12 AM
End:Sun, May 17, 2026, 1:31 AM

Known as the month of Lord Vishnu, this Amavasya calls for inner purification through fasting and meditation, helping you find calm amidst life's intensity.

Amavasya

Mon, Jun 15, 2026
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Tithi Timings
Start:Sun, Jun 14, 2026, 12:20 PM
End:Mon, Jun 15, 2026, 8:24 AM

New Moon (Amavasya) — suitable for introspection, tarpan, and charity.

Ashadha Amavasya

Tue, Jul 14, 2026
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Tithi Timings
Start:Mon, Jul 13, 2026, 6:50 PM
End:Tue, Jul 14, 2026, 3:14 PM

As monsoon rains arrive, this day symbolizes washing away past karmas. Devotees perform tarpan near rivers, connecting with ancestral souls through the sacred flow of water.

Shravana Amavasya (Hariyali Amavasya)

Wed, Aug 12, 2026
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Tithi Timings
Start:Wed, Aug 12, 2026, 1:54 AM
End:Wed, Aug 12, 2026, 11:07 PM

Falling in the greenest heart of the monsoon in Lord Shiva's month, Hariyali Amavasya is kept with tree-planting, charity, and remembrance of the ancestors.

Bhadrapada Amavasya

Fri, Sep 11, 2026
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Tithi Timings
Start:Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 10:34 AM
End:Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 8:57 AM

The Amavasya of Bhadrapada, observed with tarpan and charity for the departed as the monsoon draws to a close.

Ashwina Amavasya (Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya)

Sat, Oct 10, 2026
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Tithi Timings
Start:Fri, Oct 09, 2026, 9:36 PM
End:Sat, Oct 10, 2026, 9:20 PM

The most important Amavasya for ancestor worship — it concludes Pitru Paksha with Sarva Pitru Shraddha, when families honour every departed ancestor, especially those whose tithi of passing is unknown.

Kartika Amavasya (Diwali)

Mon, Nov 9, 2026
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Tithi Timings
Start:Sun, Nov 08, 2026, 11:29 AM
End:Mon, Nov 09, 2026, 12:32 PM

The most celebrated Amavasya! Diwali transforms the darkest night into a festival of lights, prosperity, and new beginnings. Lakshmi puja brings wealth while ancestor worship ensures their continued blessings.

Margashirsha Amavasya

Tue, Dec 8, 2026
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Tithi Timings
Start:Tue, Dec 08, 2026, 4:13 AM
End:Wed, Dec 09, 2026, 6:22 AM

As winter sets in, this introspective day is perfect for meditation and self-reflection. Devotees honor ancestors while preparing mentally and spiritually for the year ahead.

About Amavasya (New Moon)

Amavasya is the New Moon day in the Hindu lunar calendar, observed for spiritual reflection, pitru tarpan, and inner purification. Below you will find city-wise exact tithi start and end timings for your selected year.

Significance

Amavasya marks renewal and introspection. Many devotees perform tarpan for ancestors and maintain sattvic discipline.

Observances

Common practices include simple diet/fasting, tarpan where customary, meditation, mantra japa, and charity.

Timing Source

All timings are computed per city timezone using accurate lunar calculations for the given year.

"Amavasya is the day of divine grace"

The ancient scriptures state that observing Amavasya with devotion grants the same merit as performing thousands of sacrifices and pilgrimages.

Traditions and Observance

Amavasya observance varies by region and family tradition. The following concise pointers can be adapted respectfully.

Purity & Restraint
  • Follow a simple sattvic diet or fast where appropriate
  • Practice calm speech and introspection
  • Offer prayers for inner clarity and peace
Spiritual Practice
  • Chant mantras and meditate in a quiet setting
  • Read sacred texts as per family tradition
  • Donate food or essentials to those in need
Pitru Tarpan (where customary)
  • Perform tarpan with guidance from elders or priests
  • Prefer morning hours; respect local customs and calendars
  • Keep the mind composed and prayerful

Important Reminder

Always consult with your spiritual guide or family traditions for specific observance practices. The timings may vary based on your location and local customs. Listen to your body and practice with devotion rather than mere ritual.

Amavasya FAQs — Meaning, Fasting & Rules

What is Amavasya (New Moon)?

Amavasya is the New Moon day in the Hindu lunar calendar. It is observed for inner purification, remembrance of ancestors (tarpan where customary), and spiritual renewal.

Do timings change by city?

Yes. Timings are computed using your selected city’s timezone and astronomical data, so they vary by location and season.

Are the tithi times start and end of New Moon?

The times shown are the Amavasya tithi start and end in local time for the selected city.

How should I observe Amavasya?

Follow family tradition: a simple sattvic diet or fasting, prayer, meditation, mantra japa, and charity. Perform tarpan where it is customary.

Is it auspicious to start something new on Amavasya?

Generally, Amavasya is considered inauspicious for starting new material ventures, marriages, or important purchases. However, it is highly auspicious for spiritual practices and charity.

What should we avoid on Amavasya?

It is traditionally advised to avoid non-vegetarian food, alcohol, starting new journeys, and major financial transactions. Focus should be on simplicity and devotion.

Which Amavasya is the most important?

Mahalaya Amavasya (Sarva Pitru Amavasya) and Mauni Amavasya are considered extremely significant. Somvati Amavasya (falling on a Monday) is also highly revered for spiritual practices.

Can we wash hair on Amavasya?

Many traditional families advise against washing hair, cutting nails, or shaving on Amavasya, as the day is meant for austerity and observing restraint.

2026 brings 12 new moons to New Delhi, including Magha Amavasya (Mauni Amavasya), Ashwina Amavasya (Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya). Those carry extra weight for ancestor rites and temple offerings—mark them early.

Times calculated for New Delhi. Observances may vary by family tradition and regional custom.

Amavasya month by month

January 2026: In January 2026, Amavasya falls on Sunday, 18 January (Magha Amavasya).

February 2026: In February 2026, Amavasya falls on Tuesday, 17 February (Phalguna Amavasya).

March 2026: In March 2026, Amavasya falls on Thursday, 19 March (Chaitra Amavasya).

April 2026: In April 2026, Amavasya falls on Thursday, 16 April (Vaishakha Amavasya).

May 2026: In May 2026, Amavasya falls on Saturday, 16 May (Jyeshtha Amavasya).

June 2026: In June 2026, Amavasya falls on Monday, 15 June.

July 2026: In July 2026, Amavasya falls on Tuesday, 14 July (Ashadha Amavasya).

August 2026: In August 2026, Amavasya falls on Wednesday, 12 August (Shravana Amavasya).

September 2026: In September 2026, Amavasya falls on Friday, 11 September (Bhadrapada Amavasya).

October 2026: In October 2026, Amavasya falls on Saturday, 10 October (Ashwina Amavasya).

November 2026: In November 2026, Amavasya falls on Monday, 9 November (Kartika Amavasya).

December 2026: In December 2026, Amavasya falls on Tuesday, 8 December (Margashirsha Amavasya).

The Ancestors' Tithi: Why Amavasya Belongs to the Pitrs

Every tithi in the Hindu calendar is defined by the angular distance between the sun and the moon. Amavasya is the fifteenth tithi of the dark fortnight — the stretch during which that distance closes to zero and the two luminaries stand in exact conjunction. The moon's lit face turns entirely away from the earth; no crescent rises that night. The classical name for this conjunction is darsha, and the amavasya on which it completes is called Darsha Amavasya — the same word that names the fortnightly Vedic rite of darsha-ishti.

Why does this darkest tithi belong to the ancestors? The Puranic framework — laid out in texts such as the Garuda Purana and elaborated in the shraddha sections of the Dharmashastra digests — measures time differently for the pitrs, the departed forebears. One human month equals a single day and night in their reckoning, and amavasya corresponds to their midday: the hour of their meal. Tradition therefore holds that offerings made on this tithi reach them most directly. This is the logic behind tarpan, the offering of water mixed with black sesame poured while reciting the names of three paternal generations, and behind darsha shraddha, the monthly remembrance that many families perform on every amavasya rather than waiting for the annual death-tithi.

The yearly culmination of this monthly rhythm is Mahalaya, better known as Sarva Pitru Amavasya — the new-moon day that closes Pitru Paksha, the ancestral fortnight of the month of Ashwin. Its distinctive purpose: it covers everyone. A shraddha performed on this day is held to reach ancestors whose exact tithi of death is unknown, forgotten, or was missed during the fortnight — which is why even families who observe nothing else in Pitru Paksha gather for this one day.

Alongside the rites runs the snan-daan tradition: bathing at a river, preferably a confluence, at daybreak, followed by daan — sesame, food grains, clothing, or a meal offered to those in need. Flowing water is treated in the Dharmashastra as the proper medium for ancestral offerings, which is why ghats from Haridwar to Prayagraj and Gaya fill on every amavasya morning. These observances are described here in an educational spirit, as tradition has handed them down; how far to follow them is best decided by your own family custom, your health, and your circumstances.

Somvati, Shani, Mauni, Hariyali: How the Weekday and the Month Rename the New Moon

Not every amavasya carries the same weight in practice. The tithi returns every lunar month, but tradition grades individual occurrences by two overlays: the weekday on which the sunrise-anchored day falls, and the lunar month it belongs to.

The weekday overlay produces the two high-observance combinations. Somvati Amavasya is the new moon falling on a Monday — Somvar, the day of Soma, the moon itself. The symmetry is the point: the moon's own weekday coinciding with the moon's darkest tithi is treated as a rare and potent alignment. It is observed most visibly by married women, who circumambulate the peepal tree and take a river bath held to carry special merit; only a handful of Mondays a year can qualify, and some years bring just one or two. Shani Amavasya falls on Saturday, the day of Shani — in Puranic genealogy the son of Surya and his consort Chhaya. Because propitiation of Shani and rites for the ancestors both incline toward austere, sober observance, Saturday new moons draw the largest crowds of the year at Shani temples; Shani-shanti rituals and pitru tarpan are commonly performed together that day.

The month overlay names two more. Mauni Amavasya arrives in Magha, deep in winter: the amavasya of silence, on which observers keep maun — a full day's vow of not speaking — treating restrained speech as the fitting discipline for the moonless day of the mind. It is also the great bathing day of the Magha kalpavas tradition at Prayagraj. Hariyali Amavasya comes in Shravana, at the height of the monsoon; hariyali means greenness, and the day is kept with tree planting and gratitude toward the newly green earth, opening the festive sequence that runs through Hariyali Teej and the Shravan Mondays.

Each of these four — Somvati, Shani, Mauni, and Hariyali — has its own detailed page on this site, with dates, timings, and the full observance tradition.

Why should a weekday matter at all? The panchang reads any day as a stack of five limbs — vara, tithi, nakshatra, yoga, and karana — and muhurta literature has long singled out particular vara-tithi pairings as reinforcing one another. A Monday or Saturday amavasya is the most familiar everyday instance of that principle: the same tithi, yet the weekday changes what the day is for.

A Deliberate Pause: What Tradition Sets Aside on Amavasya, and What It Turns Toward

Walk through any panchang's muhurta section and you will notice a consistent absence: amavasya never appears among the tithis recommended for beginnings. Weddings, griha pravesh, the opening of a new shop, large purchases — tradition schedules all of these elsewhere. The reasoning is not superstition about a 'bad day' but a specific piece of Vedic psychology. The Purusha Sukta declares 'chandrama manaso jatah' — the moon was born of the cosmic mind — and Jyotisha carries the equation forward: the moon is the karaka, the signifier, of the mind itself. On the night the moon gives no light at all, the mind's strength is held to be at its monthly ebb. An undertaking that needs enthusiasm, resolve, and public momentum is simply thought to deserve a stronger day.

What the tradition removes with one hand, it offers with the other. Amavasya is not treated as inauspicious so much as inward. The observances considered genuinely fruitful on this tithi all share a turning away from outward enterprise: pitru karma — tarpan and shraddha for the ancestors; deep-daan, the offering of a sesame-oil lamp at dusk near a peepal tree or on a riverbank; japa and meditation, which benefit from the day's stillness; and quiet charity. Many observers keep a fast or a single daytime meal, matching the body's lightness to the day's temperament.

Temple tradition attaches two specific ritual streams to the day. Kalasarpa dosha shanti — performed when all planets in a birth chart fall between Rahu and Ketu — is conducted principally on amavasya at centres such as Trimbakeshwar and Kalahasti. Pitru dosha pujas follow the same calendar logic, with Somvati and Sarva Pitru Amavasya considered the strongest occasions. The underlying reasoning is consistent: rites addressed to the ancestors and to the shadow planets are matched to the tithi that belongs to the ancestors themselves.

A word of perspective: the fasting practices, lamp offerings, and dosha-shanti rituals described here are traditional beliefs, presented for educational understanding rather than as prescriptions. Whether and how to take them up is a personal decision, best made in line with your family's own tradition, your health, and — where fasting is involved — a doctor's advice.

One Tithi, Two Dates: Reading the Amavasya Timings Like a Panchang

A tithi is not a calendar date. It is a span of celestial geometry — the time the moon takes to move 12 degrees relative to the sun — and because the moon's speed varies along its orbit, a tithi can run anywhere from roughly 20 to 27 hours. It begins and ends at whatever clock-time the geometry dictates: mid-afternoon, midnight, an hour after dawn. Amavasya therefore almost always straddles two civil days, starting one afternoon, say, and ending the next.

So which of the two days is 'the' amavasya? The panchang answers with the udaya-tithi rule: the day on whose sunrise the tithi is current takes the name. If amavasya begins on a Tuesday afternoon and ends on Wednesday afternoon, Wednesday — whose sunrise falls inside the tithi — is listed as amavasya, and Wednesday is the day for snan, daan, and the general vrat. The dates in the table on this page follow this sunrise-anchored convention, city by city.

Different rites, however, key to different parts of the day, and this is where careful readers gain. Shraddha and tarpan are governed not by sunrise but by aparahna — the afternoon portion of daylight — because the Dharmashastra assigns that window to the ancestors. When the tithi's span is awkward, the shraddha day can differ from the snan-daan day: shraddha belongs to whichever day has amavasya prevailing in the afternoon. The darsha moment — the exact conjunction of sun and moon — is different again; it can fall on the evening before the listed date, which matters to those keeping the specific darsha vrat.

Finally, geography. The start and end of a tithi are single astronomical instants, identical the world over. Sunrise is not — it sweeps across India over well more than an hour from Kolkata to Dwarka. In borderline months, when the tithi begins or ends close to dawn, the udaya-tithi day can genuinely differ between an eastern and a western city: sunrise in Kolkata may fall inside amavasya while sunrise in Mumbai still belongs to chaturdashi, or the reverse. That is why this page computes timings per city rather than publishing one national date — and why, when travelling, the sunrise of the place where you will actually bathe or offer tarpan is the one to follow.

More vrat & tithi calendars

Ekadashi Dates
The 24 Vishnu fasting days with Smarta & Vaishnava dates
Purnima Dates
Full-moon days with tithi timings and named Purnimas
Pradosh Vrat
Twilight Shiva worship — every Trayodashi with kaal timings
Festival Calendar
The full month-by-month Hindu festival calendar