Marathi Calendar 2018
The Marathi festival calendar (Gudi Padwa new year). Maharashtrian festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
November 2018
Shaka Samvat 1940 (Vilambi)
Kartika – Margashirsha
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 2018 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Marathi Calendar lists 41 dates in 2018, opening with Makar Sankranti on 14 January and closing with Datta Jayanti on 22 December. Of these, 5 are vrats (fasting observances). September is the fullest month with 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Sun |
Makar Sankranti The Sun's entry into Makara, kept with tilgul sweets. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 21 Jan | Sun |
Ganesh Jayanti (Maghi) The birth of Ganesha on Magha Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 22 Jan | Mon |
Vasant Panchami
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 24 Jan | Wed |
Ratha Saptami The turning of Surya's chariot, on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
February 2018 Magha – Phalguna
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb | Tue |
Maha Shivratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
March 2018 Phalguna – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mar | Thu |
Holika Dahan The bonfire of Holika on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 2 Mar | Fri |
Dhulivandan (Holi) The festival of colours, the day after Holika Dahan. |
Krishna Pratipada |
| 6 Mar | Tue |
Rang Panchami Dry gulal is thrown on Phalguna Krishna Panchami, the colourful finale of the Holi festivities five days after Holika Dahan. |
Krishna Panchami |
| 18 Mar | Sun |
Gudi Padwa (Marathi New Year) The Maharashtrian new year on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, when the gudi is raised. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 25 Mar | Sun |
Shriram Navami The birth of Lord Rama on Chaitra Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 31 Mar | Sat |
Hanuman Jayanti
The birth of Lord Hanuman on the full moon of Chaitra. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 2018 Chaitra – Vaishakha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Apr | Wed |
Akshaya Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, among the most auspicious days of the year. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 29 Apr | Sun |
Narasimha Jayanti The advent of Lord Narasimha on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
June 2018 Jyeshtha (Adhik) – Jyeshtha – Ashadha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jun | Wed | Vat Purnima (Vat Pournima) Vrat | Shukla Chaturdashi |
July 2018 Ashadha – Shravana
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jul | Mon | Ashadhi Ekadashi (Devshayani) Vrat | Shukla Ekadashi |
| 27 Jul | Fri |
Guru Purnima The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa. |
Shukla Purnima |
August 2018 Shravana – Bhadrapada
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Aug | Sat |
Gatari Amavasya The Ashadha new moon of feasting before the austerities of Shravan. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 15 Aug | Wed |
Nag Panchami Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 26 Aug | Sun |
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 2018 Bhadrapada – Ashwina
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Sep | Mon |
Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 4 Sep | Tue |
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 |
| 9 Sep | Sun | Pithori Amavasya Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 12 Sep | Wed | Hartalika Teej (Kevda Trij) Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 13 Sep | Thu |
Ganesh Chaturthi (Ganeshotsav)
Maharashtra's grandest festival begins with the installation of Ganpati on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 16 Sep | Sun |
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 Saptami |
| 23 Sep | Sun |
Anant Chaturdashi (Ganpati Visarjan) The immersion of Ganpati on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 26 Sep | Wed |
Pitru Paksha Begins The fortnight of offerings to the ancestors begins. |
Krishna Pratipada |
October 2018 Ashwina – Kartika
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct | Mon |
Sarvapitri Amavasya The Mahalaya new moon closing Pitru Paksha. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 10 Oct | Wed |
Ghatasthapana (Navratri Begins)
The autumn nine nights of Devi worship begin. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 19 Oct | Fri |
Dasara (Vijayadashami) The triumph of good over evil and the crossing of the seemollanghan. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 23 Oct | Tue |
Kojagiri Purnima The bright Ashwina full moon, kept awake for Goddess Lakshmi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 27 Oct | Sat | Karwa Chauth Vrat | Krishna Tritiya |
November 2018 Kartika – Margashirsha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Nov | Sun |
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 |
| 5 Nov | Mon |
Dhantrayodashi (Dhanteras) The worship of Dhanvantari and wealth on Kartika Krishna Trayodashi. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 6 Nov | Tue |
Narak Chaturdashi The abhyanga snan marking Krishna's slaying of Narakasura. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 7 Nov | Wed |
Laxmi Pujan (Diwali) The worship of Goddess Lakshmi on Kartika Amavasya. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 8 Nov | Thu |
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 |
| 20 Nov | Tue |
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 |
| 23 Nov | Fri |
Tripurari Purnima The Kartika full moon, when Shiva slew Tripurasura, lit with deepdan. |
Shukla Purnima |
December 2018 Margashirsha – Pausha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Dec | Thu |
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 |
| 22 Dec | Sat |
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 2018
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 2018, covering Shaka Samvat 1939 – 1940. 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 2018 | 14 Jan 2018 | 14 |
| Magha | 15 Jan 2018 | 12 Feb 2018 | 29 |
| Phalguna | 13 Feb 2018 | 14 Mar 2018 | 30 |
| Chaitra | 15 Mar 2018 | 14 Apr 2018 | 31 |
| Vaishakha | 15 Apr 2018 | 14 May 2018 | 30 |
| Jyeshtha | 15 May 2018 | 15 May 2018 | 1 |
| Jyeshtha (Adhik) | 16 May 2018 | 13 Jun 2018 | 29 |
| Jyeshtha | 14 Jun 2018 | 15 Jun 2018 | 2 |
| Ashadha | 16 Jun 2018 | 16 Jul 2018 | 31 |
| Shravana | 17 Jul 2018 | 17 Aug 2018 | 32 |
| Bhadrapada | 18 Aug 2018 | 17 Sep 2018 | 31 |
| Ashwina | 18 Sep 2018 | 17 Oct 2018 | 30 |
| Kartika | 18 Oct 2018 | 16 Nov 2018 | 30 |
| Margashirsha | 17 Nov 2018 | 16 Dec 2018 | 30 |
| Pausha part | 17 Dec 2018 | 31 Dec 2018 | 15 |
What happened in the sky in 2018
Beyond the dates the Marathi 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. Gudi Padwa (Marathi New Year) fell on 18 March, 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 | Marathi date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jan 6:59 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Magha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 16 Feb 2:21 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 3 days after Maha Shivratri | Phalguna Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 13 Jul 8:31 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | 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) on Gatari Amavasya | 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.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Marathi Calendar 2018
How many festivals and vrats does the Marathi Calendar list in 2018?
The Marathi Calendar lists 41 dates in 2018, of which 5 are vrats. The first is Makar Sankranti on Sunday, 14 January 2018, and the last is Datta Jayanti on Saturday, 22 December 2018.
What are the main festival dates in the Marathi Calendar for 2018?
The first major observances of 2018 are:
- Makar Sankranti - Sunday, 14 January 2018
- Ganesh Jayanti (Maghi) - Sunday, 21 January 2018
- Vasant Panchami - Monday, 22 January 2018
- Ratha Saptami - Wednesday, 24 January 2018
- Maha Shivratri - Tuesday, 13 February 2018
- Holika Dahan - Thursday, 1 March 2018
Which month of 2018 has the most observances in the Marathi Calendar?
September 2018 is the fullest month with 8 dates, including Krishna Janmashtami, Gopalkala (Dahi Handi), Pithori Amavasya, Hartalika Teej (Kevda Trij), Ganesh Chaturthi (Ganeshotsav), Jyeshtha Gauri Pujan, Anant Chaturdashi (Ganpati Visarjan), Pitru Paksha Begins.
Which traditional year does 2018 correspond to in the Marathi 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 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.
