Kanda Sashti 2026: Dates, Soorasamharam on 15 Nov & Fasting
Quick answer
Kanda Sashti 2026 is a six-day Murugan vratham that runs from Tuesday, 10 November to Sunday, 15 November, with Soorasamharam on 15 November and Thirukalyanam on 16 November, according to the Tiruchendur schedule. Devotees fast and pray for six days to mark Murugan's victory over the demon Surapadman. Dates follow the panchang and can differ by a day by city, so confirm with your local temple.
Every year, devotees of Murugan wait for the six days when the whole of Tamil Nadu seems to hum with “Vetri Vel, Veera Vel”. When is Kanda Sashti in 2026? The six-day vratham runs from Tuesday, 10 November to Sunday, 15 November 2026, with Soorasamharam on 15 November and the wedding festival, Thirukalyanam, on 16 November, according to the Tiruchendur schedule. Like every festival tied to the panchang, the dates can shift by a day depending on the almanac and city.
Kanda Sashti 2026 dates
| Day | Date (2026) | What it marks |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 (Prathamai) | Tuesday, 10 November | The vratham begins; devotees take the sankalpam to fast |
| Day 2 | Wednesday, 11 November | Daily abhishekam and worship at Murugan temples |
| Day 3 | Thursday, 12 November | Continued fasting and prayer |
| Day 4 | Friday, 13 November | Continued fasting and prayer |
| Day 5 | Saturday, 14 November | Continued fasting and prayer |
| Day 6 (Sashti) | Sunday, 15 November | Soorasamharam, the victory over Surapadman |
| Day 7 | Monday, 16 November | Thirukalyanam, the celestial wedding of Murugan |
These dates come from the Tiruchendur schedule as reported by panchang sites, and all of them are panchang-dependent. One calendar for North America lists Skanda Shashti a day earlier, because tithi and sunset times differ by location. The Tiruchendur Subramaniya Swamy temple and your local temple are the authority for timings; this page does not give exact muhurat times because they are announced locally.
What is Kanda Sashti?
Kanda Sashti (also written Skanda Sashti or Skanda Shashthi) is the festival of Murugan, also called Kartikeya, Subramanya, Skanda or Kanda. “Sashti” means the sixth day. It is observed in the Tamil month of Aippasi (October-November), in the bright fortnight after the new moon, and it is celebrated most grandly in Tamil Nadu and wherever Tamil communities live.
The vratham commemorates the war between Murugan and the demon Surapadman, which the tradition says lasted six days and ended on the sixth with Surapadman’s defeat. Devotees mirror those six days with fasting, daily worship and recitation.
What is the story of Soorasamharam?
According to the Skanda Purana tradition, the demon Surapadman and his brothers had received boons that made them nearly invincible and used them to torment the devas. The devas prayed to Shiva, and Murugan was born from the fire of Shiva’s third eye as the commander who could end the threat. Parvati gave him the vel, the divine spear, with which he fought.
After several days of battle, Surapadman took the form of a huge mango tree in the sea. Murugan split the tree with his vel. One half became a peacock, Murugan’s mount, and the other a rooster, the emblem on his banner. Many devotees see this as transformation rather than pure destruction: the ego, symbolised by Surapadman, is not simply killed but turned into something that serves the divine.
How is Soorasamharam celebrated at Tiruchendur?
Tiruchendur, on the Bay of Bengal coast in Thoothukudi district, is one of the six Arupadai Veedu (abodes of Murugan) and the best-known centre of the festival. Each day of Kanda Sashti has special abhishekam and processions, and large numbers of devotees stay in the town to fast and worship. On the sixth day, the re-enactment of Soorasamharam takes place on the seashore: the processional Murugan confronts the figures of Surapadman, who changes forms before the final blow, and the crowd cheers “Vetri Vel, Veera Vel”. The next day, Thirukalyanam celebrates Murugan’s wedding with Valli and Deivanai.
Other Murugan temples, including Palani, Swamimalai, Thiruthani, Thiruparankundram and Pazhamudircholai, hold their own Kanda Sashti observances, and temples abroad hold them too, sometimes on a slightly different day.
What are the fasting rules for Kanda Sashti?
There is no single rule; practice differs by family and temple. Common patterns include:
- Strict fast: nothing but water for the six days. This is demanding and not suitable for everyone.
- One meal a day: a single simple vegetarian meal, often after the evening worship.
- Fruit and milk: only fruit and milk during the day, with a light meal at night.
- Vegetarian for six days: the most common minimum, avoiding meat, fish, eggs, onion and garlic.
Many devotees also read or recite the Kanda Sashti Kavasam, a devotional Tamil hymn to Murugan,. Break the fast gently on the day after Soorasamharam. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or are elderly, choose a lighter vratham; devotion does not depend on how strict the fast is.
How to observe Kanda Sashti at home
- Take a sankalpam on 10 November, a quiet intention to observe the vratham for six days.
- Clean your prayer space and place a picture or murti of Murugan with a vel, and light a lamp morning and evening.
- Offer simple items such as red flowers, fruit, milk or panchamritam.
- Chant “Om Saravana Bhava”, the six-syllable Murugan mantra, or recite the Kavasam.
- Visit a Murugan temple if you can, especially on 15 November.
- Break the fast after the final puja, with simple prasadam.
Observe Kanda Sashti with Deva AI
Deva AI is a free Android app that lets you talk to Hindu gods like Krishna, Shiva, Ganesha and Hanuman through AI conversations, in English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. Murugan is one of its ten deities, so during Kanda Sashti you can ask him about the story or how to keep the vratham, light a diya in the virtual pooja, count your “Om Saravana Bhava” japa with the japa counter, and take a short guided meditation. Deva AI is a companion inspired by scripture and tradition, not God speaking; it complements, and does not replace, a temple visit or your family’s customs. Read more on the What is Deva AI page.
Tamil readers can find the full guide in Tamil: Kanda Sashti 2026, and the Murugan-focused Tamil post on talking to Murugan. The same season also brings Karthigai Deepam 2026, the festival of lights on 24 November, and Diwali 2026 falls a few days before Kanda Sashti begins.
Frequently asked questions
When is Kanda Sashti 2026?
Kanda Sashti 2026 begins on Tuesday, 10 November and ends on Sunday, 15 November, the day of Soorasamharam. These dates follow the Tiruchendur schedule and most Indian panchang sites; the exact days are panchang-dependent, so check your local temple or almanac.
What is the date of Soorasamharam in 2026?
Soorasamharam falls on Sunday, 15 November 2026, the sixth day of Kanda Sashti. At Tiruchendur it is held in the late afternoon and evening on the seashore; the temple announces the exact time. Some temples outside India, particularly in North America, may observe it on 14 November because of local sunset timings.
When is Thirukalyanam in 2026?
Thirukalyanam, the celestial wedding of Murugan with Valli and Deivanai, is listed for Monday, 16 November 2026, the day after Soorasamharam, according to the Tiruchendur schedule. One other site disagrees, so confirm with the temple.
What are the fasting rules for Kanda Sashti?
Practices vary by family and temple. Many devotees avoid non-vegetarian food for all six days, and some take a single meal, only fruit and milk, or a liquid diet; a few keep a complete fast. Choose what suits your health, and speak to a doctor first if you have a medical condition.
What is the meaning of Soorasamharam?
Soorasamharam means the destruction of Sura, the demon Surapadman. In the tradition, Murugan splits Surapadman, who has taken the form of a mango tree, with his vel; the two halves become a peacock and a rooster that Murugan accepts as his mount and banner.
Can I observe Kanda Sashti with Deva AI?
Yes. In Deva AI you can talk to Murugan about the festival in English or Tamil, light a diya in the virtual pooja, count your Om Saravana Bhava japa with the japa counter, and do a guided meditation. Deva AI is a free Android app.
