Karthigai Deepam 2027 (popular practice)
Karthigai Deepam in 2027: the day of Krittika in the Tamil month of Karthigai, as kept at Tiruvannamalai, and the nakshatra’s times.
Karthigai Deepam at Tiruvannamalai
Saturday, 11 December
Karthigai Deepam is in 419 days. The same date holds for every city.
Popular practice. Kala Sankalita p. 401
How the day is fixed
Karthigai Deepam is a popular observance: the day of Krittika in the Tamil month of Karthigai, as kept at Tiruvannamalai. Warren’s Kala Sankalita (1825, p. 401) describes it. The texts this site follows give no rule for it. Kala Sankalita p. 401
Our rule, for every city: the day in the solar month of Karthigai whose sunset at Tiruvannamalai falls in the Krittika nakshatra. When Krittika is current at both sunsets, the day that also has it at sunrise is kept (our reading); when it is current at neither, the evening on which it begins is kept.
The month is the Sun’s stay in sidereal Vṛścika, begun by the Tamil rule (The Indian Calendar, Art. 28).
In 2027, Krittika runs from Sat 17:38 to Sun 16:42, so it is current at Saturday’s sunset at Tiruvannamalai, 17:48. The solar month of Karthigai runs from Wednesday, 17 November to Wednesday, 15 December.
Also shown: Sunday, 12 December. Krittika begins only 10 minutes before Saturday’s sunset. Had it begun a ghaṭikā (24 minutes) later, neither sunset would fall in it, and in such years the festival has been kept on either evening (our reading).
Popular practice: the great lamp lit on the Aruṇācala hill at Tiruvannamalai, the Bharaṇī Dīpam lit in the temple before dawn, and the lamps set out at home. No lighting time is given here.
Kartika Purnima falls on Sunday, 14 November. Other years: Karthigai Deepam 2026, Karthigai Deepam 2028. All Karthigai Deepam dates.
Questions
Popular practice, from Warren’s Kala Sankalita (1825), with the Tamil month rule of The Indian Calendar (1896).
When is Karthigai Deepam 2027?
On Saturday, 11 December 2027, the day kept at Tiruvannamalai, for every city. Also shown: Sunday, 12 December. Krittika begins only 10 minutes before Saturday’s sunset. Had it begun a ghaṭikā (24 minutes) later, neither sunset would fall in it, and in such years the festival has been kept on either evening (our reading). Our rule takes the day in the solar month of Karthigai whose sunset there falls in Krittika. Popular practice, which Warren’s Kala Sankalita (1825, p. 401) describes. Kala Sankalita p. 401
How is the day fixed?
By the Krittika nakshatra in the Tamil solar month of Karthigai, as kept at Tiruvannamalai. It is popular practice, which Warren’s Kala Sankalita (1825, p. 401) describes; the texts this site follows give no rule for it. Our rule takes the day whose sunset at Tiruvannamalai falls in Krittika. Kala Sankalita p. 401
Is it the same day as Kartik Purnima and Dev Diwali?
Not in 2027: Karthigai Deepam is on Saturday, 11 December, and the Kārtika Pūrṇimā fast on Sunday, 14 November. Each follows its own rule: Karthigai Deepam follows the nakshatra in the solar month, the Pūrṇimā fast the tithi.
Is the date the same outside India?
Yes. Every city takes the day kept at Tiruvannamalai, so the date is the same abroad. The Krittika times are given in Indian time.
How the day is found
Read the methodology- The day
- Our rule: the day in the solar month of Karthigai whose sunset at Tiruvannamalai falls in Krittika, for every city. Warren’s Kala Sankalita (p. 401) describes the observance as the day of Krittika in Karthigai.
- The month
- Karthigai is the Sun’s stay in sidereal Vṛścika, begun by the Tamil rule: on the day of the ingress when it comes before sunset, and on the next day when it does not (The Indian Calendar, Art. 28).
- Two sunsets or none
- Krittika at both sunsets gives the day that also has it at sunrise (our reading); Krittika at neither gives the evening on which it begins.
- Lamps
- The hill lamp, the Bharaṇī Dīpam and the home lamps are popular practice, and no lighting time is shown.
Sunset at the centre of the Sun’s disc, with refraction · Lahiri ayanamsa · Indian time (IST), reckoned at Tiruvannamalai for every city · Swiss Ephemeris · Method