Marathi Calendar 1976
The Marathi festival calendar (Gudi Padwa new year). Maharashtrian festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
February 1976
Shaka Samvat 1897 (Rakshasa)
Magha – Phalguna
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.
Marathi Calendar 1976 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Marathi Calendar lists 40 dates in 1976, opening with Makar Sankranti on 15 January and closing with Datta Jayanti on 6 December. Of these, 5 are vrats (fasting observances). October is the fullest month with 8 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1897 – 1898.
January 1976 Pausha – Magha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan | Thu |
Makar Sankranti The Sun's entry into Makara, kept with tilgul sweets. |
Shukla Trayodashi |
February 1976 Magha – Phalguna
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Feb | Wed |
Ganesh Jayanti (Maghi) The birth of Ganesha on Magha Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 5 Feb | Thu |
Vasant Panchami
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 7 Feb | Sat |
Ratha Saptami The turning of Surya's chariot, on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 28 Feb | Sat |
Maha Shivratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
March 1976 Phalguna – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Mar | Mon |
Holika Dahan The bonfire of Holika on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 16 Mar | Tue |
Dhulivandan (Holi) The festival of colours, the day after Holika Dahan. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 20 Mar | Sat |
Rang Panchami Dry gulal is thrown on Phalguna Krishna Panchami, the colourful finale of the Holi festivities five days after Holika Dahan. |
Krishna Panchami |
| 31 Mar | Wed |
Gudi Padwa (Marathi New Year) The Maharashtrian new year on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, when the gudi is raised. |
Shukla Pratipada |
April 1976 Chaitra – Vaishakha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Apr | Fri |
Shriram Navami The birth of Lord Rama on Chaitra Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 14 Apr | Wed |
Hanuman Jayanti
The birth of Lord Hanuman on the full moon of Chaitra. |
Shukla Purnima |
May 1976 Vaishakha – Jyeshtha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 May | Sun |
Akshaya Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, among the most auspicious days of the year. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 12 May | Wed |
Narasimha Jayanti The advent of Lord Narasimha on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Trayodashi |
June 1976 Jyeshtha – Ashadha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jun | Fri | Vat Purnima (Vat Pournima) Vrat | Shukla Chaturdashi |
July 1976 Ashadha – Shravana
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jul | Wed | Ashadhi Ekadashi (Devshayani) Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
| 11 Jul | Sun |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 27 Jul | Tue |
Gatari Amavasya The Ashadha new moon of feasting before the austerities of Shravan. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 31 Jul | Sat |
Nag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
August 1976 Shravana – Bhadrapada
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Aug | Mon |
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 |
| 18 Aug | Wed |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 19 Aug | Thu |
Gopalkala (Dahi Handi) The day after Janmashtami, when human pyramids break the curd-filled dahi-handi hung high, re-enacting young Krishna's butter-stealing pranks. |
Krishna Navami |
| 25 Aug | Wed | Pithori Amavasya Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 28 Aug | Sat | Hartalika Teej (Kevda Trij) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
September 1976 Bhadrapada – Ashwina
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Sep | Thu |
Jyeshtha Gauri Pujan During Ganeshotsav, Goddess Gauri (Mahalakshmi) is welcomed as a daughter and worshipped with haldi-kumkum and a feast for prosperity and family well-being. |
Shukla Navami |
| 7 Sep | Tue |
Anant Chaturdashi (Ganpati Visarjan) The immersion of Ganpati on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 9 Sep | Thu |
Pitru Paksha Begins The fortnight of offerings to the ancestors begins. |
Krishna Pratipada |
| 23 Sep | Thu |
Sarvapitri Amavasya The Mahalaya new moon closing Pitru Paksha. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 24 Sep | Fri |
Ghatasthapana (Navratri Begins)
The autumn nine nights of Devi worship begin. |
Shukla Pratipada |
October 1976 Ashwina – Kartika
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Sat |
Dasara (Vijayadashami) The triumph of good over evil and the crossing of the seemollanghan. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 7 Oct | Thu |
Kojagiri Purnima The bright Ashwina full moon, kept awake for Goddess Lakshmi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 11 Oct | Mon | Karwa Chauth Vrat | Krishna Tritiya |
| 20 Oct | Wed |
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 |
| 21 Oct | Thu |
Dhantrayodashi (Dhanteras) The worship of Dhanvantari and wealth on Kartika Krishna Trayodashi. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 22 Oct | Fri |
Laxmi Pujan (Diwali) The worship of Goddess Lakshmi on Kartika Amavasya. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 22 Oct | Fri |
Narak Chaturdashi The abhyanga snan marking Krishna's slaying of Narakasura. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 23 Oct | 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. |
Krishna Amavasya |
November 1976 Kartika – Margashirsha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Nov | Wed |
Tulsi Vivah The ceremonial marriage of the holy Tulsi plant to Lord Vishnu (Shaligram) on Kartik Dwadashi, the day after Prabodhini Ekadashi, which opens the Hindu wedding season. |
Shukla Dwadashi |
| 6 Nov | Sat |
Tripurari Purnima The Kartika full moon, when Shiva slew Tripurasura, lit with deepdan. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 26 Nov | Fri |
Champa Shashti A six-day festival to Lord Khandoba (Martand Bhairav, a form of Shiva) concludes on Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi, worshipped by farmers and warriors. |
Shukla Shashthi |
December 1976 Margashirsha – Pausha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Dec | Mon |
Datta Jayanti The birth of Lord Dattatreya — the combined form of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh — on Margashirsha Purnima, revered as the adi-guru. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Marathi Calendar in 1976
The Marathi 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 1976, covering Shaka Samvat 1897 – 1898. 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 1976 | 14 Jan 1976 | 14 |
| Magha | 15 Jan 1976 | 13 Feb 1976 | 30 |
| Phalguna | 14 Feb 1976 | 13 Mar 1976 | 29 |
| Chaitra | 14 Mar 1976 | 13 Apr 1976 | 31 |
| Vaishakha | 14 Apr 1976 | 14 May 1976 | 31 |
| Jyeshtha | 15 May 1976 | 14 Jun 1976 | 31 |
| Ashadha | 15 Jun 1976 | 15 Jul 1976 | 31 |
| Shravana | 16 Jul 1976 | 16 Aug 1976 | 32 |
| Bhadrapada | 17 Aug 1976 | 16 Sep 1976 | 31 |
| Ashwina | 17 Sep 1976 | 16 Oct 1976 | 30 |
| Kartika | 17 Oct 1976 | 15 Nov 1976 | 30 |
| Margashirsha | 16 Nov 1976 | 15 Dec 1976 | 30 |
| Pausha part | 16 Dec 1976 | 31 Dec 1976 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1976
Beyond the dates the Marathi Calendar lists, 1976 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 4 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Gudi Padwa (Marathi New Year) fell on 31 March, 11 days earlier in the year than in 1975 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1976
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Marathi date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr 3:53 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 3 days before Akshaya Tritiya | Vaishakha Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 14 May 1:24 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 2 days after Narasimha Jayanti | Vaishakha Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 23 Oct 10:42 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas) | Kartika Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 7 Nov 4:31 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Tripurari Purnima | Kartika Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1976
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Feb 6:10 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Meena → Mesha |
| 8 Jul 6:10 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mesha → Vrishabha |
| 8 Dec 2:40 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishabha → Mesha re-entry while retrograde |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Marathi Calendar 1976
How many festivals and vrats does the Marathi Calendar list in 1976?
The Marathi Calendar lists 40 dates in 1976, of which 5 are vrats. The first is Makar Sankranti on Thursday, 15 January 1976, and the last is Datta Jayanti on Monday, 6 December 1976.
What are the main festival dates in the Marathi Calendar for 1976?
The first major observances of 1976 are:
- Makar Sankranti - Thursday, 15 January 1976
- Ganesh Jayanti (Maghi) - Wednesday, 4 February 1976
- Vasant Panchami - Thursday, 5 February 1976
- Ratha Saptami - Saturday, 7 February 1976
- Maha Shivratri - Saturday, 28 February 1976
- Holika Dahan - Monday, 15 March 1976
Which month of 1976 has the most observances in the Marathi Calendar?
October 1976 is the fullest month with 8 dates, including Dasara (Vijayadashami), Kojagiri Purnima, Karwa Chauth, Vasubaras / Vagh Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi), Dhantrayodashi (Dhanteras), Laxmi Pujan (Diwali), Narak Chaturdashi, Bali Pratipada (Diwali Padwa / Bestu Varas).
Which traditional year does 1976 correspond to in the Marathi Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1976 spans Shaka Samvat 1897 – 1898. 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 1976 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1976 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 1976?
1976 had 4 eclipses:
- 29 April 1976 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 14 May 1976 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 23 October 1976 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 7 November 1976 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 3 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1976?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1976:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mesha on 25 February 1976
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishabha on 8 July 1976
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mesha on 8 December 1976, moving retrograde
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 1976?
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 Marathi Calendar opens on the current month.
About the Marathi Calendar
The Marathi festival calendar (Gudi Padwa new year). Maharashtrian festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
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.
