Indian Festival Countdown

How festival dates are set

Most Hindu festivals follow the lunisolar Vikram Samvat (or Shaka) calendar, where months are reset to the new moon (Amavasya) or full moon (Purnima) of the Gregorian calendar. Because 12 lunar months are about 11 days shorter than a solar year, festivals like Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi shift earlier each year, with an extra month (Adhik Maas) inserted every 32–33 months to realign. Islamic festivals (Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha) follow the purely lunar Hijri calendar, drifting ~11 days earlier each Gregorian year. Christian and Sikh observances mostly use fixed Gregorian or Nanakshahi dates.

Worked example

Diwali 2024 fell on 1 Nov; Diwali 2025 was 21 Oct (~11 days earlier); Diwali 2026 lands 9 Nov because Adhik Maas reset the cycle. Holi 2025 was 14 Mar; Holi 2026 is 4 Mar. Eid-ul-Fitr 2024 was 11 Apr; 2025 was 31 Mar; 2026 is around 20 Mar — pure lunar drift. Knowing these patterns helps with leave-planning at least 6–9 months out.

When to use this

• Booking long-distance trains and flights — Diwali and Chhath Puja IRCTC tickets open 60 days prior
• Scheduling wedding dates around regional festivals (Onam, Pongal, Bihu)
• Pay-day budgeting — bonus typically lands the week before Diwali; festival shopping spikes
• Marketing and content teams planning seasonal campaigns

Looking up a specific year? Use the festival date lookup for a yearly table, and bank holidays calendar for the official RBI list.