Chaitra (Chaitra Maas) 2026
The first month of the Hindu new year — Chaitra Navratri, Gudi Padwa/Ugadi and Ram Navami.
Chaitra (Chaitra Maas) 2026 Dates
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 2026
Festivals in Chaitra 2026
Monthly vrats 2026
Chaitra 2026 — Frequently Asked Questions
When does Chaitra Maas 2026 start?
In North India (Purnimanta calendar) Chaitra runs from Wednesday, 4 March 2026 to Thursday, 2 April 2026. In Amanta-calendar regions it runs Friday, 20 March 2026 to Friday, 17 April 2026.
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 2026 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 2026 an Adhik Maas?
No. Chaitra 2026 is a normal 30-day month.