Chaitra Maas · Goddess Durga & Lord Rama

Chaitra (Chaitra Maas) 1986

The first month of the Hindu new year — Chaitra Navratri, Gudi Padwa/Ugadi and Ram Navami.

See Chaitra 2026 — this year

Chaitra (Chaitra Maas) 1986 Dates

North India · Purnimanta
Thursday, 27 March 1986
to Thursday, 24 April 1986 · 29 days
Month ending on the Purnima
Amanta regions
Thursday, 10 April 1986
to Thursday, 8 May 1986 · 29 days
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
Why the dates differ. In the Purnimanta calendar a month ends on the full moon; in Amanta it ends on the new moon. So Chaitra begins about 15 days earlier in North India than in Amanta regions — even though the festivals fall on the same day in both, because they are fixed by tithi.

The significance of Chaitra — Goddess Durga & Lord Rama

Chaitra opens the Hindu lunar year. Its bright first day is the new year across much of India — Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Cheti Chand — and its first nine days are Chaitra (Vasanta) Navratri, ending in Rama's birth at Ram Navami. It is a spring month of beginnings: the neem-and-jaggery of Ugadi tasting the year's bitter and sweet together.

Rituals of Chaitra

  • Chaitra Navratri — nine days of Durga worship and fasting
  • Ghatasthapana and the sowing of barley
  • Gudi Padwa / Ugadi / Cheti Chand new-year rites
  • Ram Navami — the midday birth of Rama
  • Hanuman Jayanti on the Purnima
  • Neem-and-jaggery on the new-year morning

Key days in Chaitra 1986

Festivals in Chaitra 1986

Monthly vrats 1986

Chaitra 1986 — Frequently Asked Questions

When does Chaitra Maas 1986 start?

In North India (Purnimanta calendar) Chaitra runs from Thursday, 27 March 1986 to Thursday, 24 April 1986. In Amanta-calendar regions it runs Thursday, 10 April 1986 to Thursday, 8 May 1986.

Why do Chaitra dates differ in North and South India?

Because the two regions follow different lunar calendars. In the Purnimanta calendar (North India) a month ends on the Purnima, so it starts about 15 days earlier than in Amanta. In the Amanta calendar (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) the month runs new-moon to new-moon.

Which deity is Chaitra 1986 dedicated to?

Chaitra opens the Hindu lunar year. Its bright first day is the new year across much of India — Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Cheti Chand — and its first nine days are Chaitra (Vasanta) Navratri, ending in Rama's birth at Ram Navami. It is a spring month of beginnings: the neem-and-jaggery of Ugadi tasting the year's bitter and sweet together.

Is Chaitra 1986 an Adhik Maas?

No. Chaitra 1986 is a normal 29-day month.