Ṣaṣṭī Vrata 2026
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Nagpur
Ṣaṣṭī vrata
Significance of the day
Ṣaṣṭhī comes twice a month, once in each fortnight, and many households treat it as a standing day of fasting. The Saura Purāṇa names Ṣaṣṭhī with Ekādaśī and Tṛtīyā among the tithis on which a vratin should fast, once the tithi has been reckoned carefully from the Sun and Moon. That text sets up a general fast and does not make every Ṣaṣṭhī a Skanda festival. Even so, in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam homes the day belongs to Murugan, and in Bengal and Odisha to Mā Ṣaṣṭhī, the guardian of children.
Pañcāṅga rule and reckoning
- How the day is fixed: The vrata is kept on the day Ṣaṣṭhī prevails at local sunrise. This happens once in the waxing fortnight, as Śukla Ṣaṣṭhī, and once in the waning fortnight, as Kṛṣṇa Ṣaṣṭhī.
- Keep in mind: Named Ṣaṣṭhī days are fixed by their own regional rules and are separate observances. Skanda Ṣaṣṭhī is the six-day Murugan vrata of the Aippasi bright fortnight, and Subrahmaṇya Ṣaṣṭhī falls on Mārgaśīrṣa Śukla Ṣaṣṭhī. In Bengal, Jamai Ṣaṣṭhī in Jyaiṣṭha and the Mahā Ṣaṣṭhī of Durgā Pūjā are likewise days of their own.
- 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.
Worship and observances
- The fast: Those keeping the vrata take a single meal or fast until evening, and many visit a Subrahmaṇya shrine. In Bengal and Odisha mothers worship Mā Ṣaṣṭhī for their children's welfare. The fast is broken as the family or temple custom directs, often when Ṣaṣṭhī ends or on the following morning.
- Worth remembering: Ṣaṣṭhī is a general fasting tithi, and the deity honoured depends on the region. The South keeps it for Murugan, Gujarat and Maharashtra for Kārtikeya, and Bengal and Odisha for Mā Ṣaṣṭhī. The great named Ṣaṣṭhīs of the year are separate observances.
Family custom and ācāra
Whether the day means a single meal, a full fast, a temple visit or a pūjā for the children differs from house to house. The surest guide is the practice the elders of one's own house have kept.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the exact date of Shasti 2026 in Nagpur?
Shasti 2026 date for Nagpur is computed from local sunrise.
- Is every Ṣaṣṭhī a Skanda festival?
No. The Saura Purāṇa lists Ṣaṣṭhī as a general fasting tithi. Murugan worship on the monthly Ṣaṣṭhī is a widespread custom, while Skanda Ṣaṣṭhī and Subrahmaṇya Ṣaṣṭhī are separate named observances.
- When is the Ṣaṣṭhī fast broken?
It follows family or temple custom. Most break it when the Ṣaṣṭhī tithi ends or on the following morning.
- What if Ṣaṣṭhī begins after sunrise?
The vrata is kept on the day Ṣaṣṭhī is present at local sunrise. If the tithi begins after sunrise, the fast usually falls on the next day. Because sunrise differs by place, two cities can keep it a day apart.
- When is Shashti Vrata in 2026?
The Panchang fixes the day by this rule: Ṣaṣṭhī tithi of either fortnight prevailing at local sunrise. 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.
- Why can the Shashti Vrata date differ by city?
How the day is fixed: The vrata is kept on the day Ṣaṣṭhī prevails at local sunrise. This happens once in the waxing fortnight, as Śukla Ṣaṣṭhī, and once in the waning fortnight, as Kṛṣṇa Ṣaṣṭhī.
Subrahmaṇya pūjā
Kavacham
Vedic mantras and full pūjā
Sanskrit texts in Devanagari and IAST on vaidhikadharma.org, our sister site.
Skanda Ṣaṣṭī
Saura Purāṇa includes Ṣaṣṭhī among recurring fasting tithis. This establishes a general fast, not that every Śukla and Kṛṣṇa Ṣaṣṭhī is specifically a Skanda festival.
Source
Saura Purāṇa 51.11.
IAST
Jñātvaivaṃ sūryacandrābhyāṃ tithiṃ sphuṭataraṃ vratī | Ekādaśīṃ tṛtīyāṃ ca ṣaṣṭhīṃ copavaset sadā ||
Having determined the tithi clearly from the Sun and Moon, the observer should always fast on Ekādaśī, Tṛtīyā, and Ṣaṣṭhī.
Note: Dates depend on your place, timezone and vrata settings. Temple custom may differ.