Kartik Maas · Lord Vishnu (Damodar)

Kartik (Kartik Maas) 1996

The most sacred month for Vishnu — Kartik snan, Damodar deep-daan, Diwali, Chhath and Tulsi Vivah.

See Kartik 2026 — this year

Kartik (Kartik Maas) 1996 Dates

North India · Purnimanta
Sunday, 27 October 1996
to Monday, 25 November 1996 · 30 days
Month ending on the Purnima
Amanta regions
Tuesday, 12 November 1996
to Tuesday, 10 December 1996 · 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 Kartik 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 Kartik — Lord Vishnu (Damodar)

Kartik is the month of Vishnu, worshipped here as Damodar, and it holds more festivals than any other — Dhanteras, Diwali, Govardhan, Bhai Dooj, Chhath, Tulsi Vivah and Kartik Purnima. It is a month of light: a lamp floated or lit daily (deep-daan) is held to be of the highest merit, and the pre-dawn Kartik snan in a river is the month's defining discipline.

Rituals of Kartik

  • Kartik snan — a pre-dawn holy dip through the month
  • Daily deep-daan (lighting or floating lamps)
  • Tulsi puja every evening and Tulsi Vivah on Ekadashi
  • Damodar-ashtakam recitation
  • Fasting on the two Ekadashis (Devutthana and Kartik)
  • Dev Deepawali on Kartik Purnima at the ghats

Key days in Kartik 1996

Festivals in Kartik 1996

Monthly vrats 1996

Kartik 1996 — Frequently Asked Questions

When does Kartik Maas 1996 start?

In North India (Purnimanta calendar) Kartik runs from Sunday, 27 October 1996 to Monday, 25 November 1996. In Amanta-calendar regions it runs Tuesday, 12 November 1996 to Tuesday, 10 December 1996.

Why do Kartik 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 Kartik 1996 dedicated to?

Kartik is the month of Vishnu, worshipped here as Damodar, and it holds more festivals than any other — Dhanteras, Diwali, Govardhan, Bhai Dooj, Chhath, Tulsi Vivah and Kartik Purnima. It is a month of light: a lamp floated or lit daily (deep-daan) is held to be of the highest merit, and the pre-dawn Kartik snan in a river is the month's defining discipline.

Is Kartik 1996 an Adhik Maas?

No. Kartik 1996 is a normal 30-day month.