Bhānu is a name of the Sun, and Bhānu Saptamī is simply the day when his weekday and his tithi coincide. It is a calendar marker rather than a festival with its own story, and those who keep it offer worship to Sūrya. How the day is fixed: The day must be a Sunday, and Saptamī must be running at local sunrise. Saptamī of either the bright or the dark fortnight counts. Keep in mind: Because it depends on a weekday meeting a tithi, Bhānu Saptamī comes only a few times a year. A Saptamī that begins after sunrise on Sunday does not count. This year: The 2026 date shown here is worked out from sunrise at the place you chose, so in another city the same day can fall a day earlier or later. Sūrya worship: Households that mark the day worship Sūrya, most simply by greeting the rising Sun with prayer. How much more is done, whether a fast, a longer pūjā or nothing beyond the usual morning prayer, varies by family. Worth remembering: Bhānu Saptamī recurs whenever a Sunday meets Saptamī. Ratha Saptamī, the Sun's great festival on Māgha Śukla Saptamī, is a separate observance whatever weekday it falls on. Many families pass the day without special notice, while others who already honour Sūrya on Sundays give this one a little more care. The surest guide is the way the elders of one's own house have kept the day.
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