Kartik Puja 2026: when and what time
In Bengal, Kartik Puja is held on the last day of the month of Kartik, when the Sun enters Vrishchika. By Drik Siddhanta the Sankranti is Monday 16 November 2026; by Surya Siddhanta, 17 November.
Last checked:
Vrishchika Sankranti time
Kolkata times are IST, Dhaka times BST.
| Day | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 16 Nov | Vrishchika Sankranti | 7:48 pm (Source: Drik Panchang, Sankranti 2026 (Kolkata)) |
| Day | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 16 Nov | Vrishchika Sankranti | 8:18 pm (Source: Drik Panchang, Sankranti 2026 (Dhaka)) |
Kartik Puja follows the Sankranti, not a lunar tithi: 16 Nov by Drik Siddhanta, 17 Nov by Surya Siddhanta, which is common in West Bengal (MyAstrology). Which day you keep depends on family and local custom; check your panjika. Drik's page gives no separate Kartik Puja time.
Which day is Kartik Puja
Kartik Puja is held on the last day of the solar month of Kartik, in the evening and night of Kartik Sankranti; the day depends on the Sun changing sign, not on the Moon's tithi. By Drik Siddhanta in 2026 it is 30 Kartik 1433, Monday 16 November; by Surya Siddhanta, Tuesday 17 November. (Source: MyAstrology, Kartik Puja 2026)
Drik Panchang's Bengali calendar also lists Vrishchika Sankranti on Monday 16 November 2026. (Source: Drik Panchang, Bengali calendar 2026 (Kolkata))
Kartikeya in Bengal
In East India, a clay model of the deity is placed before the door of a newlywed couple's house, usually by their friends, on the last day of Kartik; it is worshipped the next evening and offered toys. In West Bengal Kartikeya is also associated with childbirth. (Source: Wikipedia, Kartikeya)
Katwa's Kartik Larai
Katwa's Kartik Puja is famous as Kartik Larai. Historian Swapan Kumar Thakur says weavers of 18th-century Katwa introduced small Kartik idols and triangular bamboo galleries called Thaka, each holding up to 31 idols; the tradition has run for nearly 300 years. (Source: The Statesman, Excitement of Kartik duel grips Burdwan (copy on bengalinfo.com))
- Katwa is very crowded on procession nights; check your return train or bus beforehand.
Questions
- When is Kartik Puja in 2026?
- On Kartik Sankranti: Monday 16 November by Drik Siddhanta, Tuesday 17 November by Surya Siddhanta (MyAstrology).
- What time is Kartik Sankranti in Kolkata in 2026?
- 7:48 pm on 16 November (Drik Panchang).
- What time is Vrishchika Sankranti in Dhaka in 2026?
- 8:18 pm on 16 November (Drik Panchang).
- What is Katwa's Kartik Larai?
- Katwa's famous Kartik Puja procession, with Kartik idols arranged on Thaka galleries introduced by weavers; a tradition of nearly 300 years (The Statesman).