Indian Calendar

Indian Calendar 2018

The Indian national calendar - public holidays, national days and the main festivals of every community, listed month by month with the date for each.

November 2018

Shaka Samvat 1940 (Vilambi)

Kartika – Margashirsha

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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.

Indian Calendar 2018 - festivals and vrats through the year

The Indian Calendar lists 69 dates in 2018, opening with New Year on 1 January and closing with Christmas on 25 December. March is the fullest month with 12 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1939 – 1940. 2018 carries an Adhik Maas (Jyeshtha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.

January 2018 Pausha – Magha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
1 Jan Mon New Year Shukla Chaturdashi
12 Jan Fri National Youth Day Krishna Ekadashi
13 Jan Sat Bhogi / Lohri Krishna Dwadashi
14 Jan Sun Makar Sankranti / Uttarayan / Pongal Krishna Trayodashi
15 Jan Mon Mattu Pongal Krishna Chaturdashi
22 Jan Mon Vasant Panchami Shukla Panchami
23 Jan Tue Parakram Diwas (Netaji Jayanti) Shukla Shashthi
26 Jan Fri Republic Day Shukla Navami
30 Jan Tue Martyrs' Day Shukla Chaturdashi

February 2018 Magha – Phalguna

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
13 Feb Tue Maha Shivaratri Krishna Trayodashi
14 Feb Wed Valentine's Day Krishna Chaturdashi

March 2018 Phalguna – Chaitra

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
1 Mar Thu Holika Dahan Shukla Chaturdashi
2 Mar Fri Holi / Dhuleti / Shimga Krishna Pratipada
6 Mar Tue Rang Panchami Krishna Panchami
8 Mar Thu International Women's Day Krishna Saptami
18 Mar Sun Navreh Shukla Pratipada
18 Mar Sun Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Chaitra Navratri Shukla Pratipada
19 Mar Mon Cheti Chand (Sindhi New Year) Shukla Dwitiya
23 Mar Fri Shaheed Diwas Shukla Shashthi
23 Mar Fri Yamuna Chhath (Yamuna Jayanti) Shukla Shashthi
25 Mar Sun Rama Navami Shukla Ashtami
30 Mar Fri Good Friday Shukla Chaturdashi
31 Mar Sat Hanuman Jayanti Shukla Purnima

April 2018 Chaitra – Vaishakha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
1 Apr Sun Easter Krishna Pratipada
14 Apr Sat Ambedkar Jayanti Krishna Trayodashi
14 Apr Sat Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu) Krishna Trayodashi
14 Apr Sat Pana Sankranti (Maha Vishuba) Krishna Trayodashi
14 Apr Sat Puthandu (Tamil New Year) Krishna Trayodashi
14 Apr Sat Vaisakhi Krishna Trayodashi
14 Apr Sat Vishu Krishna Trayodashi
15 Apr Sun Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) Krishna Chaturdashi
18 Apr Wed Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) Shukla Tritiya
22 Apr Sun Earth Day Shukla Saptami
30 Apr Mon Buddha Purnima Shukla Purnima

May 2018 Vaishakha – Jyeshtha – Jyeshtha (Adhik)

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
1 May Tue Labour Day Krishna Pratipada
24 May Thu Ganga Dussehra Shukla Dashami

June 2018 Jyeshtha (Adhik) – Jyeshtha – Ashadha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
5 Jun Tue World Environment Day Krishna Shashthi
21 Jun Thu International Yoga Day Shukla Navami

July 2018 Ashadha – Shravana

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Jul Sat Jagannath Rath Yatra Shukla Dwitiya
22 Jul Sun Ulto Rath Yatra Shukla Dashami
27 Jul Fri Guru Purnima Shukla Purnima

August 2018 Shravana – Bhadrapada

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
15 Aug Wed Independence Day Shukla Panchami
15 Aug Wed Nag Panchami Shukla Panchami
25 Aug Sat Onam (Thiruvonam) Shukla Chaturdashi
26 Aug Sun Raksha Bandhan Shukla Purnima

September 2018 Bhadrapada – Ashwina

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
3 Sep Mon Krishna Janmashtami Krishna Ashtami
5 Sep Wed Teachers' Day Krishna Dashami
13 Sep Thu Ganesh Chaturthi Shukla Chaturthi
14 Sep Fri Hindi Diwas Shukla Panchami
15 Sep Sat Engineer's Day Shukla Shashthi

October 2018 Ashwina – Kartika

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
2 Oct Tue Gandhi Jayanti Krishna Ashtami
8 Oct Mon Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya Krishna Chaturdashi
10 Oct Wed Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) Shukla Pratipada
18 Oct Thu Durga Puja — Maha Navami Shukla Navami
19 Oct Fri Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami) Shukla Dashami
23 Oct Tue Kojagari Lakshmi Puja Shukla Chaturdashi
31 Oct Wed National Unity Day Krishna Saptami

November 2018 Kartika – Margashirsha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
5 Nov Mon Dhanteras Krishna Trayodashi
6 Nov Tue Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan) Krishna Chaturdashi
7 Nov Wed Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) Krishna Amavasya
8 Nov Thu Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas) Shukla Pratipada
8 Nov Thu Govardhan Puja / Annakut Shukla Pratipada
9 Nov Fri Bhai Dooj / Bhau Beej Shukla Dwitiya
13 Nov Tue Chhath Puja Shukla Shashthi
14 Nov Wed Children's Day Shukla Saptami
23 Nov Fri Guru Nanak Jayanti Shukla Purnima
23 Nov Fri Kartik Purnima / Dev Deepavali Shukla Purnima

December 2018 Margashirsha – Pausha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
1 Dec Sat World AIDS Day Krishna Navami
25 Dec Tue Christmas Krishna Tritiya

What happened in the sky in 2018

Beyond the dates the Indian Calendar lists, 2018 brought 5 eclipses - 3 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Jyeshtha, running from 16 May 2018 to 13 June 2018. Vasant Panchami fell on 22 January, 10 days earlier in the year than in 2017 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 2018

Date (IST) Eclipse Hindu date Seen from India
31 Jan 6:59 PM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Martyrs' Day Magha Purnima Yes - Sutak observed
16 Feb 2:21 AM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 2 days after Valentine's Day Phalguna Shukla Pratipada Not visible
13 Jul 8:31 AM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day before Jagannath Rath Yatra Ashadha Amavasya Not visible
28 Jul 1:51 AM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Guru Purnima Shravana Krishna Pratipada Yes - Sutak observed
11 Aug 3:16 PM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Shravana Amavasya Not visible

Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.

Guru and Shani in 2018

Date Graha Sign change
11 Oct 7:30 PM Guru (Jupiter) Tula → Vrishchika

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.

Frequently asked questions about the Indian Calendar 2018

How many festivals and vrats does the Indian Calendar list in 2018?

The Indian Calendar lists 69 dates in 2018. The first is New Year on Monday, 1 January 2018, and the last is Christmas on Tuesday, 25 December 2018.

What are the main festival dates in the Indian Calendar for 2018?

The first major observances of 2018 are:

  • New Year - Monday, 1 January 2018
  • National Youth Day - Friday, 12 January 2018
  • Bhogi / Lohri - Saturday, 13 January 2018
  • Makar Sankranti / Uttarayan / Pongal - Sunday, 14 January 2018
  • Mattu Pongal - Monday, 15 January 2018
  • Vasant Panchami - Monday, 22 January 2018
Which month of 2018 has the most observances in the Indian Calendar?

March 2018 is the fullest month with 12 dates, including Holika Dahan, Holi / Dhuleti / Shimga, Rang Panchami, International Women's Day, Navreh, Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Chaitra Navratri, Cheti Chand (Sindhi New Year), Shaheed Diwas.

Which traditional year does 2018 correspond to in the Indian Calendar?

The Gregorian year 2018 spans Shaka Samvat 1939 – 1940. 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 2018 have an Adhik Maas?

Yes. 2018 carried an Adhik Maas (Jyeshtha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month inserted roughly every third year to keep the lunar calendar in step with the solar one. Festivals falling after it shift later in the Gregorian year, which is why 2018 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Were there any eclipses in 2018?

2018 had 5 eclipses:

  • 31 January 2018 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 16 February 2018 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 13 July 2018 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 28 July 2018 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 11 August 2018 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India

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 2018?

Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 2018:

  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishchika on 11 October 2018

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 2018?

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 Indian Calendar opens on the current month.

About the Indian Calendar

The Indian national calendar - public holidays, national days and the main festivals of every community, listed month by month with the date for 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.

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