Mandalakala Pooja 2026
17th Nov 2026
Mandalakala Pooja 2026 is on Tuesday, 17 November 2026.
| Abhijit Muhurta | 11:51 AM – 12:34 PM |
|---|---|
| Times for | Ujjain (IST) |
On this page: prarthanas and mantras with audio · questions about Mandalakala Pooja
Ashtami
Festival Pooja & Pandit Booking
Want a Pandit-led pooja for this festival at home, or online if you live abroad? Dharmayana connects you with verified Pandits for all major Hindu festivals — Diwali, Navratri, Shivratri, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi and more.
You can book:
- Festival pooja at home with a verified Pandit
- Online / virtual pooja with live video and digital prasad
- Same-day sankalp for time-sensitive festivals
Bookings, samagri lists and Pandit assignment are all handled inside the Dharmayana app — choose the festival, pick a date and the rest is taken care of.
Prarthana, Mantras & Vrat Katha
Every festival has its own prarthanas, stotras and vrat kathas. Reading or listening to them on the festival day is the simplest way to observe the tradition at home.
Inside the Dharmayana app you can listen to:
- 1000+ prarthanas, mantras and stotras with clear audio
- Festival-specific kathas — Lakshmi, Durga, Shiva, Ganesha, Krishna
- Multilingual versions: Sanskrit, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and more
Browse the full collection of prarthanas or get the app to play them on the festival morning without ads.
Festival Date, Tithi & Muhurat
Hindu festivals are tied to a specific Tithi, not a fixed date — so the day shifts every year and even varies slightly across cities.
Open the Panchanga for the festival day to see the exact Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, Karana and Shubh Muhurat for pooja in your location.
The Dharmayana app keeps track of all upcoming festivals on the Hindu calendar and reminds you in advance.
Personalised Astrology Around Festivals
Festivals are also a good time to look at your kundali — many families plan sankalp, donations or new beginnings around them.
Inside the app you can:
- Generate your personal Vedic kundali
- Talk to a Jyotisha for guidance around career, relationships or health
- Run kundali matching before fixing a marriage during the festival season
All of this is available inside the Dharmayana app — no fixed schedule, use it whenever you need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Mandalakala Pooja in 2026?
Mandalakala Pooja 2026 falls on Tuesday, 17 November 2026.
What is Mandalakala Pooja?
The 41st and closing day of the Mandala vratam at Sabarimala, falling on the 11th or 12th of Dhanu Masam (mid-to-late December). On this day Lord Ayyappa is dressed in the Thanka Anki — a golden robe gifted by the Travancore royal house — and the 18 holy steps receive a special Padi Pooja.
Why is Mandalakala Pooja observed?
The 41-day count is not arbitrary. In tantric and Ayurvedic reckoning, one 'mandalam' is 41 days — the cycle held to be enough to reset body and mind. A pilgrim takes this vow on the first day of Vrishchikam (mid-November), wears a black or blue dhoti, walks barefoot, drops his name and is addressed only as 'Swami'. He cannot enter Sabarimala empty-handed. He must carry the irumudi kettu — a two-pouch cloth bundle with a ghee-filled coconut in the front pouch and offerings in the back. Only those carrying it may climb the Pathinettam Padi, the 18 sacred steps. On Mandala day the ghee from that coconut is poured over the idol (neyyabhishekam), and the emptied shell is thrown into the Aazhi fire-pit below the temple.
What are the other names for Mandalakala Pooja?
Mandalakala Pooja is also known as Mandala Puja.
Which prarthanas are recited on Mandalakala Pooja?
Ayyappa Pancharatnam and Ayyappa Gayatri Mantra are recited on Mandalakala Pooja. You can listen to them with audio on this page.
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