Kartik Maas · Lord Vishnu (Damodar)

Kartik (Kartik Maas) 2010

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

See Kartik 2026 — this year

Kartik (Kartik Maas) 2010 Dates

North India · Purnimanta
Sunday, 24 October 2010
to Sunday, 21 November 2010 · 29 days
Month ending on the Purnima
Amanta regions
Sunday, 7 November 2010
to Sunday, 5 December 2010 · 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 2010

Festivals in Kartik 2010

Monthly vrats 2010

Kartik 2010 — Frequently Asked Questions

When does Kartik Maas 2010 start?

In North India (Purnimanta calendar) Kartik runs from Sunday, 24 October 2010 to Sunday, 21 November 2010. In Amanta-calendar regions it runs Sunday, 7 November 2010 to Sunday, 5 December 2010.

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 2010 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 2010 an Adhik Maas?

No. Kartik 2010 is a normal 29-day month.