Kartik Purnima 2026देव दीपावली
Kartik Purnima 2026 is on Tuesday, November 24, 2026. The Tripurari katha, the Dev Diwali of Kashi, the closing Kartik snan, deepdan and Guru Nanak Jayanti on the same full moon.
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The story of Kartik Purnima
Three asura brothers held three flying cities of iron, silver and gold, and they could be destroyed only by a single arrow at the one moment in a thousand years when the three aligned. Shiva waited for that moment and took the shot, and the three cities fell together; from that day he is Tripurari, and the gods came down to Kashi to light lamps in thanksgiving. That is Dev Diwali, the Diwali of the gods, kept fifteen days after ours on the Kartika Purnima.
The same full moon carries more than one remembering: it is the appearance day of the Matsya avatar of Vishnu, the day Kartikeya was born, and the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, kept as Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurpurab. In Kashi the ghats are lined with more than a million lamps from Ravidas to Rajghat, and the Ganga carries the reflection of every one.
How Kartik Purnima is celebrated
| Kartik snan | a dawn bath in the Ganga or any river closes the month long Kartik snan that began at the Sharad Purnima. |
| Deepdan | lamps are floated on the water at dusk, and the ghats and the tulsi courtyard are lined with them. |
| Dana | the Kartika dana of food, ghee lamps, blankets and clothes is held especially meritorious on this day. |
| Path | the Satyanarayan katha at home, and in gurudwaras the Guru Granth Sahib is read through for Gurpurab. |
Varanasi keeps Dev Diwali as the largest night of its year; Pushkar holds its camel fair and the Brahma temple snan; Sikhs worldwide keep Guru Nanak Jayanti; and in Odisha it is Boita Bandana, when small boats are floated in memory of the old sea trade.
Frequently asked questions
When is Kartik Purnima in 2026?
Kartik Purnima, kept as Dev Diwali, is on Tuesday, November 24, 2026, fifteen days after Diwali on November 8, 2026.
What is Dev Diwali?
The Diwali of the gods: after Shiva destroyed the three flying cities as Tripurari, the devas came down to Kashi to light lamps in thanksgiving. Varanasi still lights its ghats with over a million lamps on this night.
Is Guru Nanak Jayanti on the same day?
Yes. Guru Nanak Dev’s birth anniversary is kept on the Kartika Purnima, so Gurpurab and Dev Diwali fall on the same full moon.
What is done on Kartik Purnima?
A dawn bath in a river to close the month of Kartik snan, deepdan on the water at dusk, dana of food and ghee lamps, and the Satyanarayan katha at home.
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Dates are verified against authoritative Panchang sources (Drik Panchang, New Delhi). Traditions vary by family and region; for muhurat and puja vidhi please also consult your family panditji.