Mithila Panchang

Mithila Panchang 2020

The Mithila Panchang festival list of the Maithil region. Festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.

August 2020

La. Sam. 901

Shravana – Bhadrapada – Ashwina

Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

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.

Mithila Panchang 2020 - festivals and vrats through the year

The Mithila Panchang lists 29 dates in 2020, opening with Makar Sankranti (Tila Sankranti) on 15 January and closing with Vivah Panchami on 19 December. Of these, 2 are vrats (fasting observances). November is the fullest month with 6 dates. The year runs through La. Sam. 900 – 901. 2020 carries an Adhik Maas (Ashwina (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.

January 2020 Pausha – Magha – Phalguna

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
15 Jan Wed Makar Sankranti (Tila Sankranti)

The Sun's entry into Makara, kept with til and chuda-dahi.

Krishna Panchami
29 Jan Wed Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)

The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Chaturthi

February 2020 Magha – Phalguna – Chaitra

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
21 Feb Fri Maha Shivaratri

The great night of Lord Shiva.

Krishna Trayodashi

March 2020 Phalguna – Chaitra – Vaishakha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
10 Mar Tue Holi (Phagua)

The festival of colours, the day after the Phalguna full moon.

Krishna Pratipada
25 Mar Wed Chaitra Navratri / Basanti Puja

The spring nine nights of Devi worship in Mithila.

Shukla Pratipada

April 2020 Chaitra – Vaishakha – Jyeshtha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
2 Apr Thu Ram Navami

The birth of Lord Rama on Chaitra Shukla Navami.

Shukla Navami
14 Apr Tue Jur Sital (Maithili New Year)

The Maithili new year (Mesha Sankranti / Satuani), when elders sprinkle cooling water as blessings.

Krishna Saptami
26 Apr Sun Akshaya Tritiya

An auspicious day for new beginnings on Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya.

Shukla Tritiya

May 2020 Vaishakha – Jyeshtha – Ashadha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
2 May Sat Janaki Navami (Sita Navami)

The appearance of Goddess Sita on Vaishakha Shukla Navami.

Shukla Navami

June 2020 Jyeshtha – Ashadha – Shravana

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
1 Jun Mon Ganga Dussehra

The descent of the Ganga, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami.

Shukla Dashami
15 Jun Mon Mithun Sankranti

The Sun's entry into Mithuna.

Krishna Dashami

July 2020 Ashadha – Shravana – Bhadrapada

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
5 Jul Sun Guru Purnima

The full moon of Ashadha honouring teachers and sage Veda Vyasa.

Shukla Purnima
25 Jul Sat Nag Panchami

Serpent deities are worshipped on Shravana Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Panchami

August 2020 Shravana – Bhadrapada – Ashwina

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
3 Aug Mon Raksha Bandhan

Shravana Purnima — sisters tie the rakhi on their brothers' wrists.

Shukla Purnima
12 Aug Wed Krishna Janmashtami

The midnight birth of Lord Krishna.

Krishna Ashtami
21 Aug Fri Haritalika Teej Vrat Shukla Tritiya
22 Aug Sat Chaurchan (Chaturchandra)

Mithila worships the moon and Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi, taking the moon's sight as a blessing.

Shukla Chaturthi

September 2020 Bhadrapada – Ashwina – Kartika – Ashwina (Adhik)

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
1 Sep Tue Anant Chaturdashi Vrat Shukla Chaturdashi
3 Sep Thu Pitru Paksha (Shradh)

The fortnight of offerings to the ancestors.

Krishna Pratipada
17 Sep Thu Mahalaya

The new moon closing Pitru Paksha and ushering in Durga Puja.

Krishna Amavasya

October 2020 Ashwina (Adhik) – Ashwina – Kartika

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
23 Oct Fri Durga Puja (Dashain)

The great autumn worship of Goddess Durga.

Shukla Saptami
30 Oct Fri Kojagara (Lakshmi Puja)

The Kojagari full moon worship of Goddess Lakshmi, special to newlyweds in Mithila.

Shukla Chaturdashi

November 2020 Margashirsha – Kartika

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
13 Nov Fri Dhanteras

The worship of Dhanvantari and the buying of metal on Kartika Krishna Trayodashi.

Krishna Trayodashi
14 Nov Sat Diwali (Sukhraatri)

The festival of lights and worship of Goddess Lakshmi, kept in Mithila as Sukhraatri.

Krishna Chaturdashi
16 Nov Mon Bhardutiya (Bhai Dooj)

Sisters honour their brothers two days after Diwali.

Shukla Pratipada
20 Nov Fri Chhath Puja

A four-day vrat thanking the Sun God (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya, with offerings at the river.

Shukla Shashthi
22 Nov Sun Gopashtami

The worship of cows and Krishna the cowherd on Kartika Shukla Ashtami.

Shukla Ashtami
30 Nov Mon Sama Chakeva

A Maithili folk festival of the bond between brother and sister, culminating on the Kartik full moon.

Shukla Purnima

December 2020 Pausha – Margashirsha – Magha

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
19 Dec Sat Vivah Panchami

The wedding anniversary of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami, celebrated grandly in Janakpur and Ayodhya.

Shukla Panchami

Months of the Mithila Panchang in 2020

The Mithila Panchang does not begin its year on 1 January, so each of its months straddles two Gregorian ones. These are the months that ran through 2020, covering La. Sam. 900 – 901. 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 2020 10 Jan 2020 10
Magha 11 Jan 2020 14 Jan 2020 4
Phalguna 15 Jan 2020 24 Jan 2020 10
Magha 25 Jan 2020 9 Feb 2020 16
Phalguna 10 Feb 2020 13 Feb 2020 4
Chaitra 14 Feb 2020 23 Feb 2020 10
Phalguna 24 Feb 2020 9 Mar 2020 15
Chaitra 10 Mar 2020 14 Mar 2020 5
Vaishakha 15 Mar 2020 24 Mar 2020 10
Chaitra 25 Mar 2020 8 Apr 2020 15
Vaishakha 9 Apr 2020 13 Apr 2020 5
Jyeshtha 14 Apr 2020 23 Apr 2020 10
Vaishakha 24 Apr 2020 7 May 2020 14
Jyeshtha 8 May 2020 14 May 2020 7
Ashadha 15 May 2020 22 May 2020 8
Jyeshtha 23 May 2020 5 Jun 2020 14
Ashadha 6 Jun 2020 14 Jun 2020 9
Shravana 15 Jun 2020 21 Jun 2020 7
Ashadha 22 Jun 2020 5 Jul 2020 14
Shravana 6 Jul 2020 16 Jul 2020 11
Bhadrapada 17 Jul 2020 20 Jul 2020 4
Shravana 21 Jul 2020 3 Aug 2020 14
Bhadrapada 4 Aug 2020 16 Aug 2020 13
Ashwina 17 Aug 2020 19 Aug 2020 3
Bhadrapada 20 Aug 2020 2 Sep 2020 14
Ashwina 3 Sep 2020 16 Sep 2020 14
Kartika 17 Sep 2020 17 Sep 2020 1
Ashwina (Adhik) 18 Sep 2020 16 Oct 2020 29
Ashwina 17 Oct 2020 17 Oct 2020 1
Kartika 18 Oct 2020 31 Oct 2020 14
Margashirsha 1 Nov 2020 15 Nov 2020 15
Kartika 16 Nov 2020 16 Nov 2020 1
Margashirsha 17 Nov 2020 30 Nov 2020 14
Pausha 1 Dec 2020 14 Dec 2020 14
Margashirsha 15 Dec 2020 15 Dec 2020 1
Pausha 16 Dec 2020 30 Dec 2020 15
Magha part 31 Dec 2020 31 Dec 2020 1

What happened in the sky in 2020

Beyond the dates the Mithila Panchang lists, 2020 brought 6 eclipses - 2 solar and 4 lunar - of which 4 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Ashwina, running from 18 September 2020 to 16 October 2020. Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) fell on 29 January, 11 days earlier in the year than in 2019 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 2020

Date (IST) Eclipse Mithila date Seen from India
11 Jan 12:40 AM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Magha Krishna Pratipada Penumbral only
6 Jun 12:54 AM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Ashadha Krishna Pratipada Penumbral only
21 Jun 12:10 PM Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Shravana Amavasya Yes - Sutak observed
5 Jul 9:59 AM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Guru Purnima Ashadha Purnima Not visible
30 Nov 3:12 PM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Sama Chakeva Margashirsha Purnima Penumbral only
14 Dec 9:43 PM Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Pausha Amavasya Not visible

Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.

Guru and Shani in 2020

Date Graha Sign change
24 Jan 10:00 AM Shani (Saturn) Dhanu → Makara
30 Mar 4:00 AM Guru (Jupiter) Dhanu → Makara
30 Jun 5:30 AM Guru (Jupiter) Makara → Dhanu re-entry while retrograde
20 Nov 1:30 PM Guru (Jupiter) Dhanu → Makara

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Vrishabha on 23 September 2020, carrying the eclipse axis with it.

Frequently asked questions about the Mithila Panchang 2020

How many festivals and vrats does the Mithila Panchang list in 2020?

The Mithila Panchang lists 29 dates in 2020, of which 2 are vrats. The first is Makar Sankranti (Tila Sankranti) on Wednesday, 15 January 2020, and the last is Vivah Panchami on Saturday, 19 December 2020.

What are the main festival dates in the Mithila Panchang for 2020?

The first major observances of 2020 are:

  • Makar Sankranti (Tila Sankranti) - Wednesday, 15 January 2020
  • Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Wednesday, 29 January 2020
  • Maha Shivaratri - Friday, 21 February 2020
  • Holi (Phagua) - Tuesday, 10 March 2020
  • Chaitra Navratri / Basanti Puja - Wednesday, 25 March 2020
  • Ram Navami - Thursday, 2 April 2020
Which month of 2020 has the most observances in the Mithila Panchang?

November 2020 is the fullest month with 6 dates, including Dhanteras, Diwali (Sukhraatri), Bhardutiya (Bhai Dooj), Chhath Puja, Gopashtami, Sama Chakeva.

Which traditional year does 2020 correspond to in the Mithila Panchang?

The Gregorian year 2020 spans La. Sam. 900 – 901. 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 2020 have an Adhik Maas?

Yes. 2020 carried an Adhik Maas (Ashwina (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 2020 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Were there any eclipses in 2020?

2020 had 6 eclipses:

  • 11 January 2020 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
  • 6 June 2020 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
  • 21 June 2020 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 5 July 2020 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
  • 30 November 2020 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
  • 14 December 2020 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India

Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 1 of these was kept in India.

Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2020?

Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2020:

  • Shani (Saturn) entered Makara on 24 January 2020
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 30 March 2020
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Dhanu on 30 June 2020, moving retrograde
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 20 November 2020

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 2020?

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 Mithila Panchang opens on the current month.

About the Mithila Panchang

The Mithila Panchang festival list of the Maithil region. 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.

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