Telugu Calendar 1996
The Telugu festival calendar (Ugadi new year). Telugu festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
September 1996
Shaka Samvat 1918 (Dhata)
Bhadrapada – Ashwina
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.
Telugu Calendar 1996 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Telugu Calendar lists 45 dates in 1996, opening with Vaikunta Ekadashi on 1 January and closing with Datta Jayanthi on 24 December. Of these, 14 are vrats (fasting observances). January is the fullest month with 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Mon |
Vaikunta Ekadashi
The Margazhi Ekadashi when the gates of Vaikuntha are said to open; Vishnu devotees fast and keep vigil. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 14 Jan | Sun |
Bhogi The bonfire of old things on the eve of Makara Sankranti. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 15 Jan | Mon |
Makara Sankranti (Pedda Panduga) The great Telugu harvest festival on the Sun's entry into Makara. |
Krishna Navami |
| 16 Jan | Tue |
Kanuma The cattle-honouring day after Makara Sankranti. |
Krishna Dashami |
| 24 Jan | Wed |
Vasant Panchami (Sri Panchami)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 25 Jan | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 26 Jan | Fri |
Ratha Saptami Surya's chariot turns north — devotees bathe at dawn and worship the Sun god on Magha Shukla Saptami. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 27 Jan | Sat |
Bhishma Ashtami Tarpan is offered to Bhishma on Magha Shukla Ashtami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
February 1996 Magha – Phalguna
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Feb | Sun |
Thaipusam Devotees of Lord Murugan carry kavadi in penance and thanksgiving on the Pusam star of Thai. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 17 Feb | Sat |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 24 Feb | Sat | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
March 1996 Phalguna – Chaitra
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar | Mon |
Holi (Kamadahanam) The burning of Kama (Holika Dahan) on the full moon of Phalguna. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 20 Mar | Wed |
Ugadi (Telugu New Year) The Telugu new year on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, when Ugadi pachadi is shared. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 24 Mar | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 28 Mar | Thu |
Sri Rama Navami The wedding of Sita and Rama (Sitarama Kalyanam) on Chaitra Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
April 1996 Chaitra – Vaishakha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Apr | Wed |
Hanuman Jayanthi
The full moon of Chaitra (Telugu Hanuman Jayanthi precedes the 41-day deeksha). |
Shukla Purnima |
| 20 Apr | Sat |
Akshaya Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, among the most auspicious days of the year. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 23 Apr | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
May 1996 Vaishakha – Jyeshtha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 May | Thu |
Narasimha Jayanthi The advent of Lord Narasimha on Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 23 May | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
June 1996 Jyeshtha – Ashadha – Ashadha (Adhik)
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun | Sat |
Eruvaka Purnima Farmers begin the sowing season, worshipping the cattle and the plough on the full moon of Jyeshtha. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 21 Jun | Fri | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
July 1996 Ashadha (Adhik) – Ashadha – Shravana
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jul | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Aug | Tue | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
| 23 Aug | Fri | Varalakshmi Vratham Vrat | Shukla Navami |
| 28 Aug | Wed |
Avani Avittam (Upakarma) Brahmins renew the sacred thread (Yajur Upakarma) on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
September 1996 Bhadrapada – Ashwina
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep | Thu |
Sri Krishna Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 16 Sep | Mon |
Vinayaka Chavithi The birth of Lord Ganesha on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 17 Sep | Tue | Rishi Panchami Vrat | Shukla Chaturthi |
| 18 Sep | Wed | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
October 1996 Ashwina – Kartika
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct | Sat |
Bathukamma Begins Telangana's flower festival of Goddess Gauri begins on Mahalaya Amavasya. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 12 Oct | Sat |
Mahalaya Amavasya The new moon closing Pitru Paksha. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 13 Oct | Sun |
Sharad Navratri
The autumn nine nights of Devi worship begin. |
Shukla Pratipada |
| 17 Oct | Thu | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 20 Oct | Sun |
Durgashtami / Mahanavami The eighth night of Navratri, sacred to Goddess Durga. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 21 Oct | Mon |
Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 29 Oct | Tue | Atla Taddi Vrat | Krishna Tritiya |
November 1996 Kartika – Margashirsha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Nov | Sun |
Deepavali The festival of lights and worship of Goddess Lakshmi. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 14 Nov | Thu |
Nagula Chavithi Serpent gods are worshipped at anthills on Kartika Shukla Chaturthi in Andhra and Telangana. |
Shukla Chaturthi |
| 25 Nov | Mon |
Karthika Purnima The Kartika full moon, lit with deepam and Jwala Toranam. |
Shukla Purnima |
December 1996 Margashirsha – Pausha
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Dec | Sun | Skanda Shashthi Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 16 Dec | Mon |
Dhanurmasam Begins The month of dawn Vishnu worship (Tiruppavai / Dhanurmasa) begins as the Sun enters Dhanu. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 20 Dec | Fri |
Vaikunta Ekadashi
The Margazhi Ekadashi when the gates of Vaikuntha are said to open; Vishnu devotees fast and keep vigil. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 24 Dec | Tue |
Datta Jayanthi The advent of Lord Dattatreya on Margashirsha Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
Months of the Telugu Calendar in 1996
The Telugu 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 Telugu 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. Ugadi (Telugu 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 | Telugu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr 5:39 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Hanuman Jayanthi | 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) | Ashwina Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 12 Oct 7:31 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Bathukamma Begins | 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 Telugu Calendar 1996
How many festivals and vrats does the Telugu Calendar list in 1996?
The Telugu Calendar lists 45 dates in 1996, of which 14 are vrats. The first is Vaikunta Ekadashi on Monday, 1 January 1996, and the last is Datta Jayanthi on Tuesday, 24 December 1996.
What are the main festival dates in the Telugu Calendar for 1996?
The first major observances of 1996 are:
- Vaikunta Ekadashi - Monday, 1 January 1996
- Bhogi - Sunday, 14 January 1996
- Makara Sankranti (Pedda Panduga) - Monday, 15 January 1996
- Kanuma - Tuesday, 16 January 1996
- Vasant Panchami (Sri Panchami) - Wednesday, 24 January 1996
- Ratha Saptami - Friday, 26 January 1996
Which month of 1996 has the most observances in the Telugu Calendar?
January 1996 is the fullest month with 8 dates, including Vaikunta Ekadashi, Bhogi, Makara Sankranti (Pedda Panduga), Kanuma, Vasant Panchami (Sri Panchami), Skanda Shashthi, Ratha Saptami, Bhishma Ashtami.
Which traditional year does 1996 correspond to in the Telugu 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 Telugu Calendar opens on the current month.
About the Telugu Calendar
The Telugu festival calendar (Ugadi new year). Telugu 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.
