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Naraka Chaturdashi 2026

calendar8th Nov 2026
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Naraka Chaturdashi
The pre-dawn oil bath, not the night fireworks, is the heart of this day. <cite index="1-2">Krishna himself bathed in oil at Brahma Muhurta after killing the demon Narakasura</cite>, and devotees repeat that bath before sunrise — believed to spare the bather from Naraka (hell), the very word the festival is named after.
Panchanga
Panchanga For 8th Nov 2026
Upcoming Dates For Naraka Chaturdashi
8th Nov 2026
Sunday
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28th Oct 2027
Thursday
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About
The bath has rules. <cite index="2-3,2-6">Sesame (til) oil is rubbed in as ubtan during the Abhyang Snan</cite>, and the wash happens before sunrise — which is why Maharashtra simply calls the day Abhyang Snan. The same name Roop Chaturdashi points to a second belief: the oil-and-paste rub restores 'roop' (beauty and lustre) lost in the fight. Regional split matters. <cite index="1-19">In Tamil Nadu and most of South India, this day is Deepavali itself — the main festival, not a 'small' one</cite>. <cite index="11-1,11-2,11-3">In Bengal, Odisha and Assam, Kali Puja (also called Shyama Puja) is held at midnight, but one day later, on Amavasya.</cite> <cite index="13-5,13-6">Gujarat's Kali Chaudas — Bhut Chaturdashi — is timed to Maha Nishita (deep midnight) and involves offerings to the Goddess of darkness and Veer Vetal, sometimes at cremation grounds</cite> — a very different mood from the dawn bath.
PRARTHANA FOR NARAKA CHATURDASHI
Krishna Ashtakam
1. Krishna Ashtakam
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra
2. Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra
Krishna Ashtakshari Mantra
3. Krishna Ashtakshari Mantra
Krishnaya Vasudevaya - Shloka
4. Krishnaya Vasudevaya - Shloka
Prarthanas & mantras for Naraka ChaturdashiListen to devotional prarthanas and chants for Hindu festivals

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

Hindu festivals — like Diwali, Navratri, Mahashivaratri, Holi and Janmashtami — mark sacred moments tied to deities, seasons and lunar/solar cycles. Each festival has its own story, vrat, prarthana and rituals, and is timed using the Panchanga so the date moves slightly every year against the Gregorian calendar.

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