Marathi Calendar 1996
The Marathi festival calendar (Gudi Padwa new year). Maharashtrian festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
January 1996
Shaka Samvat 1917 (Yuva)
Pausha – Magha
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 1996 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Marathi Calendar lists 40 dates in 1996, opening with Makar Sankranti on 15 January and closing with Datta Jayanti on 24 December. Of these, 5 are vrats (fasting observances). September is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1917 – 1918. 1996 carries an Adhik Maas (Ashadha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.
January 1996 Pausha – Magha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan | Mon |
Makar Sankranti The Sun's entry into Makara, kept with tilgul sweets. |
Krishna Navami |
| 23 Jan | Tue |
Ganesh Jayanti (Maghi) The birth of Ganesha on Magha Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 24 Jan | Wed |
Vasant Panchami
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 26 Jan | Fri |
Ratha Saptami The turning of Surya's chariot, on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
February 1996 Magha – Phalguna
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb | Sat |
Maha Shivratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
March 1996 Phalguna – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar | Mon |
Holika Dahan The bonfire of Holika on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 6 Mar | Wed |
Dhulivandan (Holi) The festival of colours, the day after Holika Dahan. |
Krishna Pratipada |
| 10 Mar | Sun |
Rang Panchami Dry gulal is thrown on Phalguna Krishna Panchami, the colourful finale of the Holi festivities five days after Holika Dahan. |
Krishna Panchami |
| 20 Mar | Wed |
Gudi Padwa (Marathi New Year) The Maharashtrian new year on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, when the gudi is raised. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 28 Mar | Thu |
Shriram Navami The birth of Lord Rama on Chaitra Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
April 1996 Chaitra – Vaishakha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Apr | Wed |
Hanuman Jayanti
The birth of Lord Hanuman on the full moon of Chaitra. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 20 Apr | Sat |
Akshaya Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, among the most auspicious days of the year. |
Shukla Tritiya |
May 1996 Vaishakha – Jyeshtha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 May | Thu |
Narasimha Jayanti The advent of Lord Narasimha on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
June 1996 Jyeshtha – Ashadha – Ashadha (Adhik)
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun | Sat | Vat Purnima (Vat Pournima) Vrat | Shukla Purnima |
July 1996 Ashadha (Adhik) – Ashadha – Shravana
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul | Fri | Ashadhi Ekadashi (Devshayani) Vrat | Shukla Dashami |
| 30 Jul | Tue |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
August 1996 Shravana – Bhadrapada
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Aug | Wed |
Gatari Amavasya The Ashadha new moon of feasting before the austerities of Shravan. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 19 Aug | Mon |
Nag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 28 Aug | Wed |
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 |
September 1996 Bhadrapada – Ashwina
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep | Thu |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 6 Sep | Fri |
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 |
| 12 Sep | Thu | Pithori Amavasya Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 16 Sep | Mon | Hartalika Teej (Kevda Trij) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 20 Sep | Fri |
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 Ashtami |
| 26 Sep | Thu |
Anant Chaturdashi (Ganpati Visarjan) The immersion of Ganpati on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 27 Sep | Fri |
Pitru Paksha Begins The fortnight of offerings to the ancestors begins. |
Shukla Purnima |
October 1996 Ashwina – Kartika
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct | Sat |
Sarvapitri Amavasya The Mahalaya new moon closing Pitru Paksha. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 13 Oct | Sun |
Ghatasthapana (Navratri Begins)
The autumn nine nights of Devi worship begin. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 21 Oct | Mon |
Dasara (Vijayadashami) The triumph of good over evil and the crossing of the seemollanghan. |
Shukla Navami |
| 25 Oct | Fri |
Kojagiri Purnima The bright Ashwina full moon, kept awake for Goddess Lakshmi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 29 Oct | Tue | Karwa Chauth Vrat | Krishna Tritiya |
November 1996 Kartika – Margashirsha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov | Thu |
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 Ekadashi |
| 8 Nov | Fri |
Dhantrayodashi (Dhanteras) The worship of Dhanvantari and wealth on Kartika Krishna Trayodashi. |
Krishna Dwadashi |
| 10 Nov | Sun |
Laxmi Pujan (Diwali) The worship of Goddess Lakshmi on Kartika Amavasya. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 10 Nov | Sun |
Narak Chaturdashi The abhyanga snan marking Krishna's slaying of Narakasura. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 11 Nov | Mon |
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 |
| 22 Nov | Fri |
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 |
| 25 Nov | Mon |
Tripurari Purnima The Kartika full moon, when Shiva slew Tripurasura, lit with deepdan. |
Shukla Purnima |
December 1996 Margashirsha – Pausha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Dec | Sun |
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 Panchami |
| 24 Dec | Tue |
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 1996
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 1996, covering Shaka Samvat 1917 – 1918. 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 1996 | 14 Jan 1996 | 14 |
| Magha | 15 Jan 1996 | 13 Feb 1996 | 30 |
| Phalguna | 14 Feb 1996 | 14 Mar 1996 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 1996 | 13 Apr 1996 | 30 |
| Vaishakha | 14 Apr 1996 | 14 May 1996 | 31 |
| Jyeshtha | 15 May 1996 | 14 Jun 1996 | 31 |
| Ashadha | 15 Jun 1996 | 16 Jun 1996 | 2 |
| Ashadha (Adhik) | 17 Jun 1996 | 15 Jul 1996 | 29 |
| Ashadha | 16 Jul 1996 | 16 Jul 1996 | 1 |
| Shravana | 17 Jul 1996 | 16 Aug 1996 | 31 |
| Bhadrapada | 17 Aug 1996 | 16 Sep 1996 | 31 |
| Ashwina | 17 Sep 1996 | 16 Oct 1996 | 30 |
| Kartika | 17 Oct 1996 | 15 Nov 1996 | 30 |
| Margashirsha | 16 Nov 1996 | 15 Dec 1996 | 30 |
| Pausha part | 16 Dec 1996 | 31 Dec 1996 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1996
Beyond the dates the Marathi Calendar lists, 1996 brought 4 eclipses - 2 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 Ashadha, running from 17 June 1996 to 15 July 1996. Gudi Padwa (Marathi New Year) fell on 20 March, 11 days earlier in the year than in 1995 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1996
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Marathi date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr 5:39 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Hanuman Jayanti | Chaitra Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 18 Apr 4:07 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 2 days before Akshaya Tritiya | Vaishakha Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 27 Sep 8:24 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Pitru Paksha Begins | Ashwina Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 12 Oct 7:31 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Sarvapitri Amavasya | Ashwina Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1996
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Feb 6:30 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Kumbha → Meena |
| 26 Dec 8:00 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Makara |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Marathi Calendar 1996
How many festivals and vrats does the Marathi Calendar list in 1996?
The Marathi Calendar lists 40 dates in 1996, of which 5 are vrats. The first is Makar Sankranti on Monday, 15 January 1996, and the last is Datta Jayanti on Tuesday, 24 December 1996.
What are the main festival dates in the Marathi Calendar for 1996?
The first major observances of 1996 are:
- Makar Sankranti - Monday, 15 January 1996
- Ganesh Jayanti (Maghi) - Tuesday, 23 January 1996
- Vasant Panchami - Wednesday, 24 January 1996
- Ratha Saptami - Friday, 26 January 1996
- Maha Shivratri - Saturday, 17 February 1996
- Holika Dahan - Monday, 4 March 1996
Which month of 1996 has the most observances in the Marathi Calendar?
September 1996 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Krishna Janmashtami, Gopalkala (Dahi Handi), Pithori Amavasya, Hartalika Teej (Kevda Trij), Jyeshtha Gauri Pujan, Anant Chaturdashi (Ganpati Visarjan), Pitru Paksha Begins.
Which traditional year does 1996 correspond to in the Marathi Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1996 spans Shaka Samvat 1917 – 1918. 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 1996 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 1996 carried an Adhik Maas (Ashadha (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 1996 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 1996?
1996 had 4 eclipses:
- 4 April 1996 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 18 April 1996 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 27 September 1996 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 12 October 1996 - 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 1996?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1996:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Meena on 16 February 1996
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 26 December 1996
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 1996?
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.
