Skanda Sashti 2026: 15 November — Soorasamharam, 6-Day Vrat, and the Chhath Coincidence

2026-09-22

Skanda Sashti 2026 falls on Sunday, 15 November: Kartik Shukla Shashthi runs 23:24 on 14 Nov to 02:01 on 16 Nov. The six-day Kanda Sashti vrat starts 10 November, Soorasamharam is that evening, Thirukalyanam the next day — the same day as Chhath.

Skanda Sashti 2026 falls on Sunday, 15 November. Our panchang engine places Kartik Shukla Shashthi from 23:24 on 14 November to 02:01 on 16 November, and Shashthi is running at sunrise on the 15th — so that is the day of the vrat. Soorasamharam is enacted that evening; Thirukalyanam follows the next day, 16 November. The six-day Kanda Sashti vrat runs from 10 to 15 November. The same 15 November is also Chhath in eastern India.

Skanda Sashti 2026: the key dates

Shashthi begins on the night of 14 November — so why is the vrat on the 15th?

This question comes up every year, so it is worth getting the logic straight. A tithi is the panchang's "date": one of the thirty lunar days in a month, measured by the angle between the Sun and the Moon. It does not change at midnight; it can begin or end at any hour of the clock.

The rule for a vrat is simple. Whichever tithi is running at sunrise gives the day its name. This is called the udaya tithi, the sunrise tithi.

• 14 November: Panchami, the fifth tithi, is running at sunrise; Shashthi only arrives at 23:24. Not the day.
• 15 November: Shashthi is running at sunrise (06:44 in Delhi). This is Skanda Sashti.
• 16 November: Shashthi ended at 02:01; sunrise (06:45) is already in Saptami, the seventh tithi.

One more detail matters here. On 15 November, Shashthi continues well past sunset (17:26 in Delhi) into the night. That is why Soorasamharam, an evening ritual, falls on the same day as the vrat and not on a different one.

Engine data for 10, 15 and 16 November (Delhi)

These are Delhi timings; sunrise and sunset in your city may differ by a few minutes. On all three days the Sun is in Tula (Libra). The Moon is in Vrishchik (Scorpio) on 10 November and in Makar (Capricorn) on 15 and 16 November.

Who is Skanda, or Murugan?

By tradition, Skanda is the son of Shiva and Parvati. Northern India knows him as Kartikeya; Tamil Nadu worships him as Murugan, Subrahmanya, Kandan and Arumugam, "the six-faced one". His weapon is the vel, a spear; his mount is the peacock; and in the katha — the traditional narrative — he is the commander of the army of the devas.

The Skandamata worshipped on the fifth day of Navratri is his mother: Parvati in her form as the mother of Skanda. The Skandamata puja vidhi has its own page in our Navratri series.

What is the six-day Kanda Sashti vrat?

In the Tamil tradition, Skanda Sashti is not a single day but a six-day observance. It begins on Pratipada, the first tithi after Kartik Amavasya, and ends on Shashthi. In 2026 that is Tuesday 10 November to Sunday 15 November. In our engine, 10 November is also the day of Govardhan Puja in northern India.

How strictly to fast is left to the devotee. Some take only fruit or one meal a day for all six days; others fast only on Shashthi itself. Daily temple visits and the recitation of the Kanda Sashti Kavasam are the heart of the vrat.

The Kanda Sashti Kavasam is a Tamil devotional poem. "Kavasam" means armour — it is a hymn asking Murugan for protection. Tamil households read or listen to it especially during these six days. Devotees who do not know Tamil simply chant the name of Murugan or Kartikeya instead.

What does Soorasamharam mean?

Break the word down: Soora is Soorapadman, an asura; samharam means destruction. In the katha, Soorapadman had imprisoned the devas. Skanda led the army of the gods, and after six days of battle he ended Soorapadman on the day of Shashthi.

The ending of the story shows Murugan's compassion. In his last moment Soorapadman takes the form of a mango tree; the vel splits it in two. One half becomes the peacock, Murugan's mount; the other becomes the rooster on his flag. The enemy is not wiped out but transformed.

In the Murugan temples of Tamil Nadu, and most famously at the seaside temple of Tiruchendur, this story is enacted on the evening of Shashthi. The festival image of Murugan is brought out and the battle is staged against the forms of the asuras, while devotees watch from the shore. That enactment is Soorasamharam.

What is Thirukalyanam?

Thiru means sacred; kalyanam means wedding. On the day after Soorasamharam — 16 November in 2026 — temples celebrate the divine marriage of Murugan and Devasena, called Deivanai in Tamil. Coming right after the battle, the wedding is read as a sign of peace and a new beginning. The panchang gives no fixed hour for it; each temple follows its own custom.

Which are the main Murugan temples?

Tamil tradition speaks of six principal abodes of Murugan, the Arupadai Veedu: aru is six, padai is army, veedu is house — "the six battle-camps". They are Tiruchendur, Palani, Swamimalai, Thiruthani, Thiruparankundram and Pazhamudircholai.

Tiruchendur stands on the sea, and in the katha the battle with Soorapadman was fought at sea. That is why the best-known Soorasamharam is held there. The other temples, and Murugan shrines wherever Tamil communities live, stage the same story on the evening of Shashthi.

How does Chhath fall on the same day?

Both festivals share one tithi: Kartik Shukla Shashthi. In eastern India — Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh — this Shashthi is Chhath, the worship of the Sun and Chhathi Maiya. In Tamil Nadu the same Shashthi is Skanda Sashti. One tithi, two deities, two very different traditions.

So the evening of 15 November 2026 will look two ways at once. On the ghats of the Ganga and the Gandak, vratis will offer sandhya arghya — the evening water offering — to the setting sun. On the shore at Tiruchendur, the battle between Murugan and Soorapadman will be staged. The full Chhath sequence, from Nahay Khay to Usha Arghya on 13 to 16 November, is on our Chhath Puja 2026 page.

One more date belongs here. On 17 November the Sun moves from Tula into Vrishchik. That is Vrischika Sankranti, and in the Tamil solar calendar it is the first day of the month of Karthigai. So the Tamil month of Karthigai begins two days after Skanda Sashti.

What to do on Skanda Sashti

• After the morning bath, light a lamp before an image of Murugan or Kartikeya. If you have none, remembering him alongside Shiva and Parvati is enough.
• Fast according to your health — fruit, one meal, or simply sattvic (plain vegetarian) food. Those who are unwell, pregnant or elderly can keep the vrat through sankalp, the spoken resolve, and puja alone.
• Recite or listen to the Kanda Sashti Kavasam. If Tamil is not your language, chant Murugan's name.
• In the evening, light a lamp and recall the story of Soorasamharam. Visit a Murugan temple if there is one nearby.
• Break the fast after Soorasamharam as your family tradition directs, and mark Thirukalyanam on 16 November with something sweet at home.

The complete panchang for 15 November — tithi, nakshatra, and sunrise and sunset for your own city — is on our daily panchang page.

Frequently asked questions

When is Skanda Sashti in 2026?

Sunday, 15 November 2026. Kartik Shukla Shashthi runs from 23:24 on 14 November to 02:01 on 16 November, and Shashthi is running at sunrise on 15 November.

When does the six-day vrat begin?

On Tuesday, 10 November 2026, Kartik Shukla Pratipada. It ends on Shashthi, 15 November.

What time is Soorasamharam?

On the evening of 15 November. The exact hour is set by each temple's own custom; the panchang only tells us that Shashthi continues through that evening.

When is Thirukalyanam?

The next day, Monday 16 November 2026.

Do Chhath and Skanda Sashti really share a tithi?

Yes. Both fall on Kartik Shukla Shashthi, which is why both are on 15 November in 2026.

Can someone in northern India keep this vrat?

Yes. Skanda, that is Kartikeya, is worshipped across India. A lamp at home, chanting his name and a simple fast are enough; knowing the Tamil ritual or the Kavasam is not required.