Introduction

General information

The Hindu festivals, fasts, rituals, holy baths and the observance of sacred days are part and parcel of the great cultural heritage. They are religious and social and a great source of spiritual and moral enrichment. They also lend zest, variety, colour and grandeur to an otherwise insipid, routine and care-worn day-to–day human existence. The Hindu festivals are more than what they appear to be. They are essentially a way of living and thinking in the course of existence, and as such bring their whole right to bear on the individual and the society.

Unlike the deities of the Hindu pantheon, the festivals are numerous and frequent, but basically religious, psychological and intimately connected with the changes of seasons, though many of them have lost the history of their origin in the mists of hoary past. With passage of time they have undergone a process of transformation and evolution and many new festivals have been grafted upon the old ones.

A Hindu festival is, in fact, something more than a ‘festival’. It is cathartic in nature, and as a means of purification strengthens the spirit within. Their goal is to find enjoyment through renunciation and self-denial. They are more of an exploration of the colourful things of life, without being bound to or obsessed by them.

Why do we require panchang for different cities (Countries)?

Most people buy the Panchang from India and use it everywhere in the world. This is not a good practice and one could lead to people observing festivals on incorrect days and at incorrect times abroad. Each festival has a different set of rules about when to observe them.

Hindu festivals are generally based on the Tithi and/or Nakshatra as per the lunar calendar (& some as per the solar calendar). For example, Ganesh Chaturthi is Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi Madhyahn purvavidha vyapini (4^th tithi prevailing at midday).

Each tithi begins and ends at the same instant all over the world. After correcting for the time zones, the tithi will begin/end at different local times in different parts of the world. The next thing is to decide if the tithi is visible during the specified time. This is done by using local sunrise, local sunset and local moonrise times. Since India has little variation in terms of sunrise/sunset, a panchang computed for one area of the country is generally usable throughout the country. For example - on a given day if Chaturthi end time is 2:30pm in India. Hence, UK will observe the chaturthi end time of 9:00am (GMT). This clearly indicates in the United Kingdom that the Chaturthi tithi is not prevailing during madhyahan kal (noon time) but it does prevail in India. Hence, the UK will celebrate Ganesha chaturthi on the previous day, as the chaturthi prevails during the noon on the previous day (chaturthi start time is 9:30am GMT in the UK.). What is important is to observe the festival at the right time in your location. If you blindly use the Indian calendar published in India, it won’t be any good to you as the festival observance dates might change due to local sunrise, sunset, moonrise, time differences etc.

The panchang available in India only prints end times in Indian standard times (IST). You need to convert them to your local standard time and use local sunrise and sunset to find out when it can be observed. Most common mistakes people make is observing Pradosh and Ekadashi vrat on incorrect days by following the Indian panchang printed in India.

Gujarati GCSE Classes online. (Pearson Edexcel GCSE 9-1 - See below for details). 

This month’s main Panchang Details.

29 October 26 - Sankasht Chaturthi, Karak, Karva Chauth, Moon rise 18:18

31 October 26 - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Jayanti

01 November 26 - Kalashtami, Ahoi Ashtami (Punjab), Panjab, Hariyana Day,

                           The best day for buying Books with Pushya Nakshatra from 9:22

04 November 26 - Rama Ekadashi - Smart UK

05 November 26 - Rama Ekadashi - Vaishnavi UK, Govats Dwadashi, Vagh Barash

06 November 26 - Dhan Trayodashi, Dhan Pooja, Dhanvantri Jayanti, Pradosh

07 November 26 - Kali Chaudas, (Narak Chaturdashi, Moon rise 5:14am), Shree Hanumanji

                           Poojan, Shivratri

08 November 26 - Darsh Amavas, Lakshmi, Sharada, Chopada Poojan, Diwali, Mahavir

                            Swami Nirvan Din - Jain, (Moon set 15:25)

09 November 26 - Vikram Samvat 2083, Kalyukta Samvatsar, Jain Samvat 2553, Bali

                           Pratipada, Govardhan Pooja, annakut, (1st Vruddhi Tithi)

10 November 26 - Bhaiduj, Bhai Beej, Yam Dwittiya

13 November 26 - Vinayak Chaturthi

14 November 26 - Labh Pancham, Baldin-Nehru Jayanti, King Charles III Birthday

16 November 26 - Shree Jalaram Jayanti

17 November 26 - Durgashtami, Gopashtami

20 November 26 - Devuthi Ekadashi, Tulsi Voivah begins, Chaturmas ends, Bhisma

                            Panchak Vrat begins

22 November 26 - Pradosh, Vaikunth Chaturdashi fast, Jetha Ravivar

23 November 26 - Vaikunth Chaturdashi, Jain Chaumasi Chaturdashi Vrat, Vrat Purnima

24 November 26 - Tripurari Purnima, Kartik Swami Darshan to 14:53, Devdiwali, Tulsi

                            vivah ends, Bhishma Panchak Vrat ends, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Guru

                            Tegbahadur Shahid din

27 November 26 - Sankasht Chaturthi, Moon rise 18:38

01 December 26 - Kalashtami, Kalbhairav Jayanti

04 December 26 - Utpatti Ekadashi

08 December 26 - Darsh Amavas

Diwali 2026 - Muhurt

Image: DetailsofAuspicioustimesatDiwali2026.jpg

Eclipse Details 2027

Image: EclipseDetails2027-Leicester.jpg

Festival List - 2026-27 - Gujarati

Image: Festivals_G_2027.jpg 

Festival List - 2026-27 - English

Image: Festivals_E_2027.jpg

If you would like a copy of the Rushi Panchang VS 2083 - 2026/27.

Please call 07976 738671 for further details.

or email at Rushi.Panchang@gmail.com

The auspicious times are calculated according to the Leicester, UK co-ordinates Latitude 52N38 and Longitude 1W05.

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(Website Contact Email: pyg_hounslow@hotmail.com)

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LIST OF IMPORTANT HINDU FESTIVALS & VRATS FOR U.K.
From 22-10-2025 TO 08-11-2026 - V.S. 2082
(Prepared according to local UK Time).

 Important Note:

The Hindu festivals are generally based on a certain Tithi (roughly translated as the lunar phase) or the Nakshatra (Position of Asterisms with respect to the moon and the earth) in a given month or the transition of other heavenly bodies. When the time and place differ a lot from the place for which the Panchang (Religious Almanac) is computed the occurrence of the festival on a given day could change. To correctly compute the time and date of a festival, one must compute the Tithi, Nakshatra etc. for that place in terms of the local time of that place. The festival celebration times and days/dates listed here are calculated according to local UK times and these may differ from other places in the world (e.g. India, USA).

Lunisolar Almanac:

Lunisolar months are lunar months and based upon the appearance of the moon. Interestingly there are two kinds of lunisolar months too.

1. Amanta Months: The months start with the new moon and end with the new moon. This almanac is synchronized with the Nirayana year i.e. with the leap year consideration. Amanta months are divided into Sudi (Sukla Paksha) and Vadi (Krishna Paksha). The sudi is the period of new moon to the full moon (i.e. increasing moon shape), it is also called the waxing phase. The vadi is the period of full moon to the next new moon (i.e. decreasing moon phase), it is also called the waning phase. The Amanta months start with the Sudi (Sukla Paksha). The Chaitra Amanta Lunisolar almanac the New Year starts with Chaitra and is followed in the South and South-West Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.The Kartika Amanta Lunisolar almanac the New Year Starts with Kartika and is followed in Gujarat including Sauratra-Kathiawar.The Aashadhh Amanta Lunisolar almanac the New Year Starts with Aashadhh and is followed in Kachhchh region of Gujarat.

2. Purnimanta Months (in Rushi Panchang the Purnimant months are written in brackets): This type of almnac uses the full moon ending months. Thus the months start with the day after the full moon to the next full moon. The Purnimanta months are also divided into vadi and sudi paksha (period) like amanta months. Thus the purimantha months start with the Vadi (Krishna Paksha). The vadi is the period of full moon to the next new moon (i.e. decreasing moon phase), it is also called the waning phase. The sudi is the period of new moon to the full moon (i.e. increasing moon shape), it is also called the waxing phase. The Purnimanta Almanac is followed in most of the North India (Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Bihar). 

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News from Vidyasagar School

We have started the GCSE Gujarati Classes online via Zoom.

     For further details please contact -

     Sharad Mistry - 07976 738671 (GCSE)

     (GCSE Gujarati Classes are held on ZOOM, every Tuesday evening)

     (Beginners Gujarati Classes are held on ZOOM, every Thursday evening)

     (School Email: vidyasagar_school@hotmail.com)