Gujarati Samvat Calendar 1956
The Gujarati festival calendar (Vikram Samvat, Kartika new year). Gujarati festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each.
August 1956
Gujarati Samvat 2012 (Plavanga)
Shravana – Bhadrapada
Timings shown for New Delhi (IST) at sunrise - use the city box at the top to change it. Solar months begin by each tradition's own Sankranti rule (same-day, next-day, sunset or aparahna). Era years and lunar month names follow standard Vedic calculations and may differ slightly from regional almanacs around an Adhik Maas.
Gujarati Samvat Calendar 1956 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Gujarati Samvat Calendar lists 42 dates in 1956, opening with Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) on 14 January and closing with Dattatreya Jayanti on 17 December. Of these, 9 are vrats (fasting observances). October is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Gujarati Samvat 2011 – 2012.
January 1956 Pausha – Magha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Sat |
Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) The kite festival on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Shukla Pratipada |
February 1956 Magha – Phalguna
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Feb | Thu |
Vasant Panchami
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
March 1956 Phalguna – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mar | Sat |
Maha Shivratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 26 Mar | Mon |
Holika Dahan The bonfire of Holika on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 27 Mar | Tue |
Dhuleti (Holi) The festival of colours, the day after Holika Dahan. |
Krishna Pratipada |
April 1956 Chaitra – Vaishakha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Apr | Thu |
Chaitra Navratri Begins
The spring nine nights of Devi worship begin on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 13 Apr | Fri |
Gangaur The climax of an eighteen-day Rajasthani festival to Gauri (Parvati) on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya; married women pray for their husbands and unmarried girls for a good groom, with grand processions of Gauri and Isar (Shiva) idols in Jaipur and Udaipur. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 19 Apr | Thu |
Ram Navami The birth of Lord Rama on Chaitra Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 25 Apr | Wed |
Hanuman Jayanti
The birth of Lord Hanuman on the full moon of Chaitra. |
Shukla Purnima |
May 1956 Vaishakha – Jyeshtha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 May | Sun |
Akshaya Tritiya (Akhatrij) Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya — among the most auspicious days for new ventures. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 23 May | Wed |
Narsimha Jayanti The advent of Lord Narasimha on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
June 1956 Jyeshtha – Ashadha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jun | Sun |
Ganga Dussehra The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 22 Jun | Fri | Vat Purnima (Vat Pournima) Vrat | Shukla Chaturdashi |
July 1956 Ashadha – Shravana
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jul | Mon |
Ashadhi Beej (Kutchi New Year) The Kutchi new year on Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya, welcoming the monsoon. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 9 Jul | Mon |
Ratha Yatra Lord Jagannath's chariot festival, observed grandly in Ahmedabad. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 18 Jul | Wed | Gauri Vrat (Morakat) Begins Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
| 20 Jul | Fri | Jaya Parvati Vrat Begins Vrat | Shukla Trayodashi |
| 22 Jul | Sun |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
August 1956 Shravana – Bhadrapada
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Aug | Fri |
Jhulan Yatra (Hindola) Begins The swing festival of Radha and Krishna — beautifully decorated swings are rocked through to Jhulan Purnima; in Gujarat temples the same hindola (swing) darshan is held. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 21 Aug | Tue |
Narali Purnima (Nariyal Purnima) On Shravana Purnima, coastal communities offer coconuts (naral / nariyal) to the sea god Varuna, marking the end of the monsoon and the return to fishing. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 25 Aug | Sat | Bol Choth (Bahula Chauth) Vrat | Krishna Chaturthi |
| 27 Aug | Mon | Randhan Chhath Vrat | Krishna Shashthi |
| 28 Aug | Tue | Shitala Satam Vrat | Krishna Saptami |
| 29 Aug | Wed |
Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
September 1956 Bhadrapada – Ashwina
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep | Fri | Hartalika Teej (Kevda Trij) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 8 Sep | Sat |
Ganesh Chaturthi
The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 9 Sep | Sun | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 21 Sep | Fri |
Pitru Paksha Begins The fortnight of offerings to the ancestors begins. |
Krishna Pratipada |
October 1956 Ashwina – Kartika
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct | Fri |
Sharad Navratri Begins The autumn nine nights of Devi worship begin. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 11 Oct | Thu |
Durga Ashtami
The eighth night of Navratri, sacred to Goddess Durga. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 14 Oct | Sun |
Dussehra (Vijayadashami) The triumph of good over evil on Ashwina Shukla Dashami. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 18 Oct | Thu |
Sharad Purnima
The bright autumn full moon of Ashwina, kept with Kojagari Lakshmi worship. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 26 Oct | Fri | Ahoi Ashtami Vrat | Krishna Saptami |
| 30 Oct | Tue |
Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi) The first day of Diwali, when cows and their calves are worshipped in gratitude for their nourishment — kept as Vasubaras in Maharashtra and Vagh Baras in Gujarat, where traders close the old account books. |
Krishna Dwadashi |
| 31 Oct | Wed |
Dhanteras The worship of Dhanvantari and the buying of metal. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
November 1956 Kartika – Margashirsha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov | Thu |
Kali Chaudas
The night before Diwali's Amavasya, Goddess Kali is worshipped to destroy negativity; sleep and laziness (alasya) are symbolically driven from the home. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 2 Nov | Fri |
Diwali The worship of Goddess Lakshmi and Sharda Puja on Kartika Amavasya. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 3 Nov | Sat |
Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas) The Diwali Padwa honouring King Bali's return; wives perform aukshan (aarti) for their husbands and new account books and ventures are begun. In Gujarat this is Bestu Varas, the Gujarati New Year. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 4 Nov | Sun |
Bhai Beej Sisters honour their brothers two days after Diwali. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 7 Nov | Wed |
Labh Pancham The fifth day after Diwali (Kartik Shukla Panchami) — the auspicious day Gujarati traders reopen their shops and account books, praying to Lakshmi and Ganesha for profit (labh) in the new year. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 18 Nov | Sun |
Dev Diwali (Kartik Purnima) The Diwali of the gods on Kartika Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
December 1956 Margashirsha – Pausha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Dec | Mon |
Dattatreya Jayanti The advent of Lord Dattatreya on Margashirsha Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Gujarati Samvat Calendar in 1956
The Gujarati Samvat Calendar does not begin its year on 1 January, so each of its months straddles two Gregorian ones. These are the months that ran through 1956, covering Gujarati Samvat 2011 – 2012. A month marked part is one the Gregorian year cuts short at its own start or end.
| Month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pausha part | 1 Jan 1956 | 14 Jan 1956 | 14 |
| Magha | 15 Jan 1956 | 12 Feb 1956 | 29 |
| Phalguna | 13 Feb 1956 | 13 Mar 1956 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 14 Mar 1956 | 13 Apr 1956 | 31 |
| Vaishakha | 14 Apr 1956 | 14 May 1956 | 31 |
| Jyeshtha | 15 May 1956 | 14 Jun 1956 | 31 |
| Ashadha | 15 Jun 1956 | 15 Jul 1956 | 31 |
| Shravana | 16 Jul 1956 | 16 Aug 1956 | 32 |
| Bhadrapada | 17 Aug 1956 | 16 Sep 1956 | 31 |
| Ashwina | 17 Sep 1956 | 16 Oct 1956 | 30 |
| Kartika | 17 Oct 1956 | 15 Nov 1956 | 30 |
| Margashirsha | 16 Nov 1956 | 15 Dec 1956 | 30 |
| Pausha part | 16 Dec 1956 | 31 Dec 1956 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1956
Beyond the dates the Gujarati Samvat Calendar lists, 1956 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Vasant Panchami fell on 16 February, 19 days later in the year than in 1955 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1956
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Gujarati Samvat date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 May 9:01 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Narsimha Jayanti | Jyeshtha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 9 Jun 2:50 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Jyeshtha Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 18 Nov 12:17 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Dev Diwali (Kartik Purnima) | Margashirsha Purnima | Not visible |
| 2 Dec 1:30 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Margashirsha Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1956
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Mar 4:00 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Simha → Karka re-entry while retrograde |
| 22 May 9:40 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Karka → Simha |
| 28 Oct 10:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Simha → Kanya |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Frequently asked questions about the Gujarati Samvat Calendar 1956
How many festivals and vrats does the Gujarati Samvat Calendar list in 1956?
The Gujarati Samvat Calendar lists 42 dates in 1956, of which 9 are vrats. The first is Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) on Saturday, 14 January 1956, and the last is Dattatreya Jayanti on Monday, 17 December 1956.
What are the main festival dates in the Gujarati Samvat Calendar for 1956?
The first major observances of 1956 are:
- Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) - Saturday, 14 January 1956
- Vasant Panchami - Thursday, 16 February 1956
- Maha Shivratri - Saturday, 10 March 1956
- Holika Dahan - Monday, 26 March 1956
- Dhuleti (Holi) - Tuesday, 27 March 1956
- Chaitra Navratri Begins - Thursday, 12 April 1956
Which month of 1956 has the most observances in the Gujarati Samvat Calendar?
October 1956 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Sharad Navratri Begins, Durga Ashtami, Dussehra (Vijayadashami), Sharad Purnima, Ahoi Ashtami, Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi), Dhanteras.
Which traditional year does 1956 correspond to in the Gujarati Samvat Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1956 spans Gujarati Samvat 2011 – 2012. The traditional year does not begin on 1 January, so one Gregorian year usually covers the end of one era year and the start of the next.
Did 1956 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1956 had twelve lunar months with no Adhik Maas, so its festival dates fall in their usual Gregorian window rather than being pushed later by an intercalary month.
Were there any eclipses in 1956?
1956 had 4 eclipses:
- 24 May 1956 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 9 June 1956 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 18 November 1956 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 2 December 1956 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 2 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1956?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1956:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Karka on 14 March 1956, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Simha on 22 May 1956
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kanya on 28 October 1956
Jupiter takes about a year to cross one sign and Saturn about two and a half, so these transits colour the whole year rather than a single week.
How do I see the tithi and nakshatra for a specific date in 1956?
Use the month grid above: pick a month from the selector, then tap any day to open its full panchang - tithi with start and end times, nakshatra, yoga, karana, sunrise and sunset, and the inauspicious periods (Rahu Kalam, Yamaganda, Gulika Kalam). Set your city in the box at the top first, because these timings are sunrise-based and shift with location. The Gujarati Samvat Calendar opens on the current month.
About the Gujarati Samvat Calendar
The Gujarati festival calendar (Vikram Samvat, Kartika new year). Gujarati festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each.
Each day lists its tithi and paksha, the nakshatra, the weekday (vaar) and any festivals or vrats. Tap any day to see the full panchang for that date - tithi start and end times, nakshatra, yoga, karana, sunrise and sunset, and the inauspicious periods (Rahu Kalam, Yamaganda, Gulika Kalam). Use the month and year selectors to browse any year in the archive or plan ahead into the coming years.
This calendar names the tithi and festivals for each day. For sunrise, Rahu Kalam and muhurat windows on a chosen date, open the Panchang. Other regional calendars are on the Calendars index. Fast stories live under Vrat Katha.


