Odia Calendar - Panji 1996
The Odia festival calendar (Panji). Odisha festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
March 1996
Vilayati Sal 1403
Phalguna – Chaitra
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.
Odia Calendar 1996 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Odia Calendar lists 32 dates in 1996, opening with Makara Sankranti on 15 January and closing with Prathamastami on 3 December. Of these, 2 are vrats (fasting observances). September is the fullest month with 5 dates. The year runs through Vilayati Sal 1403 – 1404. 1996 carries an Adhik Maas (Ashadha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.
January 1996 Pausa – Magha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan | Mon |
Makara Sankranti The Sun's entry into Makara, kept with makara chaula. |
Krishna Navami |
| 24 Jan | Wed |
Saraswati Puja (Basanta Panchami)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
February 1996 Magha – Phalguna
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb | Sat |
Maha Shivaratri (Jagara)
The great night of Lord Shiva, kept with a night-long vigil and the Mahadipa at Lingaraj. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
March 1996 Phalguna – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar | Mon |
Dola Purnima (Dola Yatra) The swing festival of Krishna on Phalguna Purnima, Odisha's Holi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 28 Mar | Thu |
Basanti Durga Puja
The spring worship of Goddess Durga in Chaitra Navratri. |
Shukla Navami |
| 28 Mar | Thu |
Sri Rama Navami The birth of Lord Rama on Chaitra Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
April 1996 Chaitra – Baisakha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Apr | Wed |
Chaitra Purnima The full moon of Chaitra, kept as Hanuman Jayanti and with Jhamu Yatra. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 13 Apr | Sat |
Pana Sankranti (Maha Vishuba) The Odia new year (Maha Vishuba Sankranti), with the sweet pana drink, Jhamu Yatra and Danda Nata. |
Krishna Dashami |
| 20 Apr | Sat |
Akshaya Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya — the start of Chandan Yatra and chariot construction at Puri. |
Shukla Tritiya |
May 1996 Baisakha – Jyestha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 May | Thu |
Nrusingha Chaturdashi The advent of Lord Narasimha on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 17 May | Fri | Savitri Brata Vrat | Krishna Amavasya |
| 23 May | Thu |
Sital Sasthi The grand marriage of Shiva and Parvati, famed in Sambalpur, on Jyeshtha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
June 1996 Jyestha – Ashadha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun | Sat |
Snana Yatra (Devasnan Purnima) Lord Jagannath's grand ceremonial bath on Jyeshtha Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
July 1996 Ashadha – Shrabana
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jul | Wed |
Jagannath Rath Yatra Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are pulled through Puri on giant chariots. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 21 Jul | Sun |
Hera Panchami Five days into Rath Yatra, Goddess Lakshmi visits the Gundicha temple in search of Lord Jagannath. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 26 Jul | Fri |
Bahuda Yatra The return car festival, when the deities journey back to the temple. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 28 Jul | Sun |
Niladri Bije Lord Jagannath returns to the sanctum (Ratna Singhasana) after Rath Yatra, marking its close. |
Shukla Trayodashi |
August 1996 Shrabana – Bhadraba
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Aug | Wed |
Chitalagi Amavasya The Shravana new moon when a chita adorns Lord Jagannath's forehead. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 28 Aug | Wed |
Gamha Purnima The birth of Balabhadra and the worship of cattle on Shravana Purnima, also kept as Jhulan and Rakhi. |
Shukla Purnima |
September 1996 Bhadraba – Aswina
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep | Thu |
Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 16 Sep | Mon |
Ganesha Chaturthi
The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 18 Sep | Wed |
Nuakhai Western Odisha's harvest festival of the first new rice (nua anna), the day after Ganesh Chaturthi. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 20 Sep | Fri |
Radhashtami The appearance of Radharani on Bhadrapada Shukla Ashtami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 26 Sep | Thu | Ananta Chaturdashi Vrat | Shukla Chaturdashi |
October 1996 Aswina – Kartika
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct | Sat |
Mahalaya The new moon closing Pitru Paksha and opening Durga Puja. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 20 Oct | Sun |
Durga Puja (Maha Ashtami) The eighth day of the autumn Durga Puja. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 21 Oct | Mon |
Vijayadashami The triumph of Durga, the tenth day of the festival. |
Shukla Navami |
| 26 Oct | Sat |
Kumar Purnima Maidens worship Kartikeya and the harvest moon on Ashwin (Sharad) Purnima for a good husband. |
Shukla Purnima |
November 1996 Kartika – Margasira
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Nov | Sun |
Diwali (Paya Shraddha) The festival of lights with Bada Badua Daka to the ancestors. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 19 Nov | Tue |
Anla Navami The amla tree is worshipped on Kartika Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 25 Nov | Mon |
Boita Bandana (Kartika Purnima) Miniature boats are floated at dawn on Kartika Purnima, recalling Odisha's maritime past (Bali Yatra). |
Shukla Purnima |
December 1996 Margasira – Pausa
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Dec | Tue |
Prathamastami The eldest child is honoured and blessed on Margashirsha Krishna Ashtami. |
Krishna Ashtami |
Months of the Odia Calendar in 1996
The Odia 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 Vilayati Sal 1403 – 1404. A month marked part is one the Gregorian year cuts short at its own start or end.
| Month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pausa 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 |
| Baisakha | 14 Apr 1996 | 14 May 1996 | 31 |
| Jyestha | 15 May 1996 | 14 Jun 1996 | 31 |
| Ashadha | 15 Jun 1996 | 16 Jul 1996 | 32 |
| Shrabana | 17 Jul 1996 | 16 Aug 1996 | 31 |
| Bhadraba | 17 Aug 1996 | 16 Sep 1996 | 31 |
| Aswina | 17 Sep 1996 | 16 Oct 1996 | 30 |
| Kartika | 17 Oct 1996 | 15 Nov 1996 | 30 |
| Margasira | 16 Nov 1996 | 15 Dec 1996 | 30 |
| Pausa part | 16 Dec 1996 | 31 Dec 1996 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1996
Beyond the dates the Odia 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. Makara Sankranti fell on 15 January, 1 day later in the year than in 1995 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1996
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Odia date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr 5:39 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Chaitra Purnima | Chaitra Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 18 Apr 4:07 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 2 days before Akshaya Tritiya | Baisakha Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 27 Sep 8:24 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Aswina Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 12 Oct 7:31 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Mahalaya | Aswina 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 Odia Calendar 1996
How many festivals and vrats does the Odia Calendar list in 1996?
The Odia Calendar lists 32 dates in 1996, of which 2 are vrats. The first is Makara Sankranti on Monday, 15 January 1996, and the last is Prathamastami on Tuesday, 3 December 1996.
What are the main festival dates in the Odia Calendar for 1996?
The first major observances of 1996 are:
- Makara Sankranti - Monday, 15 January 1996
- Saraswati Puja (Basanta Panchami) - Wednesday, 24 January 1996
- Maha Shivaratri (Jagara) - Saturday, 17 February 1996
- Dola Purnima (Dola Yatra) - Monday, 4 March 1996
- Basanti Durga Puja - Thursday, 28 March 1996
- Sri Rama Navami - Thursday, 28 March 1996
Which month of 1996 has the most observances in the Odia Calendar?
September 1996 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Janmashtami, Ganesha Chaturthi, Nuakhai, Radhashtami, Ananta Chaturdashi.
Which traditional year does 1996 correspond to in the Odia Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1996 spans Vilayati Sal 1403 – 1404. 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 Odia Calendar - Panji opens on the current month.
About the Odia Calendar - Panji
The Odia festival calendar (Panji). Odisha 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.
