Amavasya 2026: Full Date List, Puja Vidhi and Fasting Rules

Amavasya is the no-moon night, and in Indian homes it carries more weight than almost any other tithi. Some families fast, some do tarpan for ancestors, some simply avoid starting new work. I get asked the same two questions every month: kab hai, and kya karna chahiye. This page answers both for the whole of 2026, with the honest version of what the day is actually for.

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Amavasya 2026 dates, month by month

The timings below are the exact new moon moments in IST, computed astronomically. Panchang listings sometimes place Amavasya on the previous or next calendar day because the tithi window depends on sunrise at your city. When the new moon falls late at night, most North Indian panchangs count the earlier day for daytime rituals.

If a date matters for a ritual you are paying for, confirm the local sunrise-based tithi with your Vedic astrologer. Astronomy gives the moment, panchang gives the observance day, and those two are not always the same calendar date.

The Amavasya dates that matter most

Mauni Amavasya, 17 February 2026

The silence Amavasya of Magha month. Traditionally a day of maun vrat and a holy dip. Even if you skip the river, a half day without arguing, without phone scrolling, and without complaining is the actual practice. It is harder than it sounds.

Somvati Amavasya, 19 January and 15 June 2026

Amavasya falling on a Monday. Married women observe it for the long life of their husband, and the day is considered strong for Peepal tree parikrama. Two Somvati Amavasyas in a year is normal, some years get one, some get three.

Sarva Pitru Amavasya, 10 October 2026

The last day of Pitru Paksha and the single most important Amavasya for ancestral rites. If you missed the death anniversary tithi of any ancestor during the fortnight, this day covers all of them. In practice this is the day I recommend most often to people with a heavy 9th house or Sun-Rahu pattern. The Pitra Dosh guide explains how to tell if your chart carries it, and the Gaya Shraddh page covers the full ritual.

Kartik Amavasya, 8 to 9 November 2026

Diwali night. The new moon instant is on 9 November at 12:31, but Lakshmi Puja is done in Pradosh Kaal on the evening of 8 November because the Amavasya tithi is already running then. Details are in the Diwali 2026 guide.

What to actually do on Amavasya

• Tarpan or jal daan: south-facing water offering with black sesame for ancestors. Ten minutes, no Vedic astrologer required for the simple version.
• Anna daan: feed someone. Food to a crow, a cow, a dog, or a person. This is the oldest and least commercial Amavasya practice there is.
• Deepak in the south: a mustard oil lamp facing south after sunset.
• Peepal parikrama: especially on Somvati Amavasya, and especially if Shani sits badly in your chart.
• Rest the mind: the Moon is at zero strength. Emotional flatness, low motivation and poor sleep around Amavasya are extremely common and completely normal.

What to avoid, and what is just fear

The genuine avoidances are simple. Do not start a major new venture, do not do griha pravesh, do not fix a wedding, and do not sign a long-term contract on Amavasya, because the Moon rules the mind and a zero-strength Moon is a poor day for judgement calls. Muhurat rules for new beginnings are in the muhurat guide.

What is not real: the idea that ghosts hunt you, that travelling on Amavasya is dangerous, or that you must pay thousands for a "protection" ritual. Amavasya is a dark night in a lunar calendar. It has been used for introspection for three thousand years. It is not a horror story.

Amavasya and your own chart

People born on Amavasya get told they have a weak Moon. Partly true, partly overstated. A born-on-Amavasya Moon is a Moon within a few degrees of the Sun, which is combust, and combustion does reduce emotional resilience early in life. But the same conjunction can create a very strong Amavasya Yoga for self-reliance, and much depends on which houses are involved and whether Jupiter aspects the pair.

The only way to know is to look at the degrees. Generate your chart in the free Kundli tool and check the Sun to Moon distance. Under 12 degrees is combust territory. If you also want to see whether the Moon is isolated, read the Kemdrum Yoga guide.

Amavasya fasting and vrat rules

Many families keep a simple Amavasya vrat, one meal a day, no grains after sunset, and a focus on tarpan rather than celebration. It is not as strict as an Ekadashi fast, and there is no single mandatory rule, most Panchangs simply mark it as a good day for pitru karya and quiet living rather than a hard fasting day. If you already keep a Somvati or Ekadashi vrat routine, treat Amavasya the same way: light food, no new purchases, and time set aside for ancestors rather than for celebration. For couples trying to time a wedding or engagement, this is also the day to specifically avoid, and the marriage muhurat 2026 guide lists the dates that actually work.

Amavasya kab hai, next date at a glance

If you just want the next Amavasya kab hai answer without scrolling the whole table above, check the current month's row first, the dates are exact new moon moments in IST. People usually search this right before Pitru Paksha or before a Peepal parikrama, so bookmark this page rather than a random panchang site that will not update for 2026.

A real example

Say you want to do Pitru Tarpan for a parent who passed away in Bhadrapada month. Look at the Bhadrapada Amavasya row in the table above, note the exact tithi start and end time in IST, and complete the tarpan before the tithi ends rather than at any convenient time that day. Generating your own chart in the free Kundli tool also shows whether an Amavasya birth in your family carries any Pitra Dosh indication worth addressing on these dates.

What this can't tell you

A Panchang date cannot tell you whether your specific family tradition needs tarpan on every Amavasya or only once a year, that varies by region and gotra, so confirm the local rule with your family priest.

Related reading

• Diwali 2026 date and Lakshmi Puja muhurat
• Pitra Dosh symptoms and remedies
• How to read the daily Panchang
• Griha Pravesh muhurat 2026
• Free Kundli tool