The Odia Calendar 2026, based on the Kohinoor Panji, opens with Makar Sankranti on 14 January and Saraswati Puja on 23 January, moves through Maha Shivaratri on 15 February and Holi on 3–4 March, and reaches its most important Odisha-specific festival, the Jagannath Rath Yatra, on 16 July. Chaturmas runs from 25 July to 20 November, during which no weddings or housewarming ceremonies are performed. The year’s biggest festive stretch falls across Dussehra on 20 October and the Diwali cluster from Dhanteras (6 November) through Bhai Dooj (11 November), before closing with Nuakhai, Kartik Purnima, and Christmas. The full month-by-month table, cross-checked against independent Panchang sources, is below.
If you follow the Odia calendar, you already know how often the same festival shows up with three different dates across different websites. This guide pulls together the Kohinoor Panji’s festival list, the Ekadashi vrat calendar, and the marriage muhurat months for 2026, checked date by date against independent sources rather than copied from a single page, so you are not left guessing which version to trust.
What Is the Kohinoor Odia Calendar (Kohinoor Panji)?
The Kohinoor Odia Calendar is one of the most widely followed traditional almanacs in Odisha, based on the lunisolar Panjika system. It provides the daily Tithi, Nakshatra, Rashi, Yoga, and Karana, along with sunrise and sunset timings specific to the Odisha region. Families across the state use it to time pujas and vrats correctly, and to fix auspicious dates for weddings (Vivaha), housewarming ceremonies (Gruha Pravesh), and thread ceremonies (Bratopanayan).
Because festival dates depend on precise tithi calculations, it is common to see the same festival listed on different days across different calendar websites. For the major festivals below, dates were checked against the Hindu Panchang and, where possible, against real event coverage, rather than taken from a single source.
Odia Calendar 2026 – Major Festivals Month by Month
| Date | Festival or Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | English New Year | Gregorian calendar New Year |
| 14 January | Makar Sankranti | Sun’s transition into Capricorn; harvest festival and holy bath |
| 23 January | Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) | Worship of the goddess of knowledge and the arts |
| 26 January | Republic Day | National holiday |
| 15 February | Maha Shivaratri | Night-long fasting and prayer dedicated to Lord Shiva |
| 3 March | Dola Purnima / Holika Dahan | Odisha’s Dolayatra of Lord Jagannath; bonfire on the eve of Holi |
| 4 March | Holi (Dhuleti) | Festival of colours |
| 14 April | Maha Bishuba Sankranti (Pana Sankranti) | Odia New Year, start of the solar year |
| 19 April | Akshaya Tritiya | Highly auspicious day for new ventures, gold purchases, and weddings |
| 16 July | Jagannath Rath Yatra (Sri Gundicha Yatra) | Odisha’s most important festival; the chariot procession in Puri |
| 24 July | Bahuda Yatra | Return journey of the deities to the Jagannath Temple |
| 25 July | Devshayani Ekadashi (Suna Besha) | Chaturmas begins; Lord Vishnu enters cosmic rest |
| 29 July | Guru Purnima (Vyasa Purnima) | Honouring spiritual and academic teachers |
| 15 August | Independence Day | National holiday |
| 28 August | Raksha Bandhan | Celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters |
| 4 September | Janmashtami | Birth of Lord Krishna |
| 14 September | Ganesh Chaturthi | Birth of Lord Ganesha |
| 15 September | Nuakhai | Western Odisha’s major agricultural festival |
| 2 October | Gandhi Jayanti | National holiday |
| 20 October | Dussehra (Vijayadashami) | Victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura |
| 6 November | Dhanteras | Opens the Diwali cycle; auspicious for buying metals |
| 8 November | Diwali (Kali Puja) | Festival of Lights |
| 10 November | Govardhan Puja | Worship of Lord Krishna and Mount Govardhan |
| 11 November | Bhai Dooj | Celebrates the sibling bond |
| 20 November | Devutthana Ekadashi | Chaturmas ends; Lord Vishnu awakens |
| 24 November | Kartik Purnima / Guru Nanak Jayanti | Holy full moon bath; Sikh founder’s birth anniversary |
| 16 December | Dhanu Sankranti | Sun’s transition into Sagittarius |
| 25 December | Christmas (Bada Dina) | Birth of Jesus Christ |
A Note on Accuracy: Where Odia Calendars Commonly Disagree
A few widely shared Odia calendars for 2026 carry dates that do not match independently verified Panchang sources or real event records. The table above uses the checked date in each case, with the commonly seen alternative noted so you can compare against whatever calendar your family already follows:
- Ram Navami: Several calendars list this in April, but checked sources and event coverage place it on Thursday–Friday, 26–27 March 2026, with Friday 27 March as the most commonly cited main day.
- Holi: Some lists show mid-March, but Holika Dahan falls on 3 March and Holi (Dhuleti) on 4 March 2026.
- Maha Shivaratri: A few calendars list 23 February, but verified sources, including same-day event coverage, confirm 15 February 2026.
- Akshaya Tritiya: Some calendars push this into May, but it falls on 19 April 2026, with the tithi extending into the morning of 20 April.
- Janmashtami and Ganesh Chaturthi: A few older calendar pages still show August dates for Janmashtami, but 2026’s correct dates are 4 September (Janmashtami) and 14 September (Ganesh Chaturthi).
If your family temple or local priest follows a different date for any of these, that is likely tied to a regional tithi convention, so always confirm with your local Panchang before finalising puja timing.
Jagannath Rath Yatra 2026: Odisha’s Most Important Festival
No Odia calendar is complete without Rath Yatra, and 2026 is no exception. The festival falls on Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya, which lands on 16 July 2026. Lord Jagannath, along with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, is ceremonially brought out of the Puri temple and placed on three massive, hand-built wooden chariots for the journey to the Gundicha Temple.
| Rath Yatra Event | 2026 Date |
|---|---|
| Netra Utsav (eye-opening ceremony) | 14 July |
| Sri Gundicha Yatra (main Rath Yatra) | 16 July |
| Bahuda Yatra (return journey) | 24 July |
| Suna Besha | 25 July |
The nine-day gap between the outward and return journey is when the deities rest at the Gundicha Temple, and the Suna Besha, where the deities are adorned in gold ornaments, traditionally closes out the festival just as Chaturmas begins.
Chaturmas 2026 and Why It Matters for Planning
One of the most important stretches to mark on the Odia calendar is Chaturmas, the four-month period when Lord Vishnu is believed to rest in Yoga Nidra. It begins on Devshayani Ekadashi and ends on Devutthana Ekadashi.
| Chaturmas 2026 | Date |
|---|---|
| Begins | 25 July 2026 |
| Ends | 20 November 2026 |
| Months with no weddings | July (from 25th), August, September, October |
During this period, traditionally observant Odia households avoid Shubh Karya such as weddings, Griha Pravesh, and Upanayana ceremonies. If a wedding is being planned anywhere near this window, the only real options are to schedule it before 25 July or after 20 November.
Odia Calendar 2026: Ekadashi Vrat Dates
| Date | Ekadashi Name |
|---|---|
| 13 January | Shattila Ekadashi |
| 28 January | Jaya Ekadashi |
| 12 February | Vijaya Ekadashi |
| 27 February | Amalaki Ekadashi |
| 14 March | Papamochani Ekadashi |
| 28 March | Kamada Ekadashi |
| 13 April | Varuthini Ekadashi |
| 27 April | Mohini Ekadashi |
| 13 May | Apara Ekadashi |
| 27 May | Padmini Ekadashi |
| 11 June | Parama Ekadashi |
| 25 June | Nirjala Ekadashi (observed without water) |
| 10 July | Yogini Ekadashi |
| 25 July | Devshayani Ekadashi (Chaturmas begins) |
| 9 August | Kamika Ekadashi |
| 23 August | Shravana Putrada Ekadashi |
| 7 September | Aja Ekadashi |
| 22 September | Parsva Ekadashi |
| 7 October | Indira Ekadashi |
| 21 October | Pasankusa Ekadashi |
| 5 November | Rama Ekadashi |
| 20 November | Devutthana Ekadashi (Chaturmas ends) |
| 5 December | Utpanna Ekadashi |
| 20 December | Mokshada Ekadashi |
Odisha-Specific Observances Worth Knowing
Beyond the festivals shared across India, a few dates on the Odia calendar carry meaning specific to the state and are easy to miss on a generic Hindu calendar:
- Maha Bishuba Sankranti (Pana Sankranti), 14 April — marks the Odia New Year, celebrated with Pana (a sweet drink) offered to deities and shared among family and neighbours.
- Raja Parba, mid-June — a three-day festival celebrating womanhood and the onset of the monsoon, unique to Odisha, with swings put up in villages and towns.
- Nuakhai, 15 September — the most important agricultural festival of Western Odisha, where the season’s first rice harvest is offered to the deity before the family eats it.
- Kumar Purnima, late October — celebrated mainly by unmarried girls, who observe a vrat under the full moon for a good life partner.
- Bali Yatra, late November — commemorates Odisha’s ancient maritime trade links with Bali and Southeast Asia, marked with a large fair in Cuttack on the banks of the Mahanadi.
Marriage Muhurat (Bibaha Lagna) 2026 – Month by Month
Selecting a wedding date on the Odia calendar follows the same core principle used across Panchang-based calendars: the Moon’s Nakshatra, the Tithi, and the positions of Guru and Shukra all need to align favourably. The table below gives the general auspicious months and the Chaturmas gap; exact day-level muhurat should always be confirmed against both partners’ Kundli with a family priest.
| Month | Marriage Season Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January | Auspicious dates available | Good for early-year ceremonies |
| February | Auspicious dates available | Before Maha Shivaratri; considered a strong month |
| March | Limited dates | Avoid dates close to Holi |
| April | Auspicious dates available | Includes Akshaya Tritiya window |
| May | Auspicious dates available | One of the most flexible months of the year |
| June | Auspicious dates available | Pre-Ashadha, suitable period |
| July (from 25th) | No dates | Chaturmas begins with Devshayani Ekadashi |
| August | No dates | Chaturmas period |
| September | No dates | Chaturmas period |
| October (from 21st) | Auspicious dates available | Wedding season resumes after Dussehra |
| November (from 21st) | Auspicious dates available | Peak wedding season; avoid the Diwali cluster (6–11 November) |
| December | Auspicious dates available | Favourable period leading up to Pausha month |
Disclaimer on marriage dates: This is a general seasonal guide. Exact day-level Vivah Muhurat depends on specific Nakshatra and Tithi combinations that vary by source and by the bride and groom’s individual Kundli. Always consult a qualified pandit or astrologer with the exact birth details of both partners before finalising a wedding date.
How These Dates Were Checked
The festival dates in this Odia Calendar 2026 guide were checked against the Hindu Panchang and, for several major festivals, cross-verified against independent event records rather than copied from a single calendar page. Where commonly circulated Odia calendars disagreed with checked sources, as with Ram Navami, Holi, Maha Shivaratri, and Akshaya Tritiya, both versions are noted above so you can match whichever your family or local temple follows. Chaturmas start and end dates, and the Ekadashi list, were checked against the broader Hindu Panchang used across other regional calendars, which gives added confidence in their accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions on Odia Calendar 2026
Q1. What is the Kohinoor Odia Calendar? The Kohinoor Odia Calendar is one of the most trusted traditional Panjikas of Odisha, used to determine auspicious timings, festivals, marriage dates, and daily Tithi based on the Odia lunisolar system.
Q2. When is Rath Yatra in 2026? The Jagannath Rath Yatra (Sri Gundicha Yatra) falls on 16 July 2026. The return journey, Bahuda Yatra, takes place on 24 July 2026.
Q3. When is Makar Sankranti and Nuakhai in 2026? Makar Sankranti falls on 14 January 2026, and Nuakhai, the major agricultural festival of Western Odisha, falls on 15 September 2026.
Q4. When does Chaturmas begin and end in 2026? Chaturmas begins on Devshayani Ekadashi, 25 July 2026, and ends on Devutthana Ekadashi, 20 November 2026. No weddings or housewarming ceremonies are traditionally performed during this period.
Q5. When is Diwali in the Odia Calendar 2026? Diwali, observed as Kali Puja, falls on 8 November 2026, a Sunday. Dhanteras falls on 6 November, Govardhan Puja on 10 November, and Bhai Dooj on 11 November.
Q6. Is the Odia Calendar the same as other regional Hindu calendars? The core festival dates, based on the lunisolar Panchang, are largely the same across regional Indian calendars. What differs is the naming and local emphasis — for example, Odisha observes Dola Purnima and Nuakhai, which are specific to the state, alongside pan-Indian festivals like Diwali and Holi.
Conclusion
The Odia Calendar 2026, as followed through the Kohinoor Panji, carries the full rhythm of the year in Odisha, from the Rath Yatra’s grand chariot procession in July to the harvest gratitude of Nuakhai in September and the lights of Diwali in November. Keep this guide as your reference through the year, and always confirm exact muhurat timings with a local Panchang or family priest before finalising any major ceremony.