October 2026 is one of the fullest months on the entire Hindu calendar, carrying the Malayalam Calendar from the closing days of Kanni into Thulam, and packing in Navratri, Dussehra, two Ekadashi fasts, Karwa Chauth, and Sharad Purnima within four weeks. This guide lays out the complete Malayalam Calendar 2026 October with verified dates for every major festival and Vrat, so you can plan pujas, fasts, and family celebrations for the month with confidence.
Festival listings for October published online this year vary quite a bit between sources — in some cases by more than a week for the same festival — so every date below has been cross-checked against multiple current Panchang references rather than pulled from a single listing. Where a commonly repeated date turned out to be inaccurate, that’s flagged separately further down.
How to Download the Malayalam Calendar 2026 October PDF (Free)
If you’d like to keep this month’s calendar on hand without checking a webpage each time, you can save the Malayalam Calendar 2026 October as a PDF in a few simple steps. The PDF carries the same festival dates and Vrat details covered in this article, arranged in a clean, printable layout.
- Look for the download link on this page — usually placed just below the festival table or at the end of the article.
- Tap or click “Download PDF.” The file opens in a new browser tab.
- Save it to your device. On mobile, use the share or download icon in your PDF viewer; on desktop, press Ctrl+S (or Cmd+S on Mac) to save it to your downloads folder.
- Print a copy if you’d like it on your puja room wall or kitchen noticeboard for quick reference through the busy festive weeks ahead.
- Check back at the start of each month, since a fresh PDF is typically published for every new month’s calendar.
Major Festivals and Observances in October 2026
| Date | Day | Festival / Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2026 | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National holiday marking Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary |
| Oct 6, 2026 | Tuesday | Indira Ekadashi | Ashwin Krishna Paksha Ekadashi, observed for the liberation and peace of one’s ancestors |
| Oct 8, 2026 | Thursday | Krishna Paksha Pradosh Vrat | An evening fast dedicated to Lord Shiva |
| Oct 11, 2026 | Sunday | Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) | The nine-night worship of Goddess Durga opens with the ritual installation of the kalash |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Saturday | Thulam Sankranti | The Sun’s entry into Libra, marking the start of the Malayalam month of Thulam |
| Oct 18, 2026 | Sunday | Durga Ashtami | The eighth day of Navratri, marked with special Devi puja |
| Oct 19, 2026 | Monday | Maha Navami | The ninth and final night of Navratri |
| Oct 20, 2026 | Tuesday | Vijayadashami (Dussehra) | Marks the victory of good over evil and the end of Navratri |
| Oct 22, 2026 | Thursday | Papankusha Ekadashi | Ashwin Shukla Paksha Ekadashi, believed to destroy accumulated sins |
| Oct 23, 2026 | Friday | Shukla Paksha Pradosh Vrat | Evening Shiva worship, falling shortly before the full moon |
| Oct 25–26, 2026 | Sun–Mon | Sharad Purnima (Kojagari Purnima) | The Ashwin full moon, marked with Lakshmi Puja and the tradition of keeping kheer under the moonlight |
| Oct 29, 2026 | Thursday | Karwa Chauth | Married women’s fast for their husband’s long life, observed mainly in North India |
Navratri and Dussehra 2026: The Month’s Centrepiece
Shardiya Navratri 2026 begins on Sunday, October 11, with Ghatasthapana — the ritual installation of the sacred kalash that invites the Goddess to reside in the home for the nine nights ahead. Over the following days, devotees worship the nine forms of Durga (the Navadurga), observe a grain-free fast, and in many regions perform Garba and Dandiya Raas each evening. This year’s Navratri runs slightly longer than the standard nine days in some Panchang calculations, since the Saptami Tithi extends across two calendar days (October 17 and 18), before Durga Ashtami on October 18 and Maha Navami on October 19 bring the observance to a close.
Vijayadashami, or Dussehra, falls on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, marking the triumph of good over evil — commemorating both Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon Mahishasura and Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana. Effigies of Ravana are burnt in many parts of India on this day, and it is traditionally considered an auspicious date for starting new ventures, given its association with victory and new beginnings.
Thulam Sankranti: The Malayalam Month Begins
Thulam Sankranti falls on Saturday, October 17, 2026, marking the Sun’s transition from Kanni (Virgo) into Thulam (Libra) and the start of a new Malayalam solar month. In Kerala, this Sankranti is observed with holy river baths, Surya worship, and charity, while in Karnataka and Odisha it is marked as Tula Sankranti or Tula Sankraman, with farmers celebrating the rice harvest and performing Theerthodbhava rituals along the Kaveri. Interestingly, this year the Sankranti falls right in the middle of Navratri, giving the week both a solar and a lunar-calendar significance at once.
Ekadashi Fasting Dates in October 2026
| Date | Day | Ekadashi | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 6, 2026 | Tuesday | Indira Ekadashi | Falls in Ashwin Krishna Paksha; observed for Pitru Moksha, the liberation of one’s ancestors |
| Oct 22, 2026 | Thursday | Papankusha Ekadashi | Falls in Ashwin Shukla Paksha, shortly after Dussehra; dedicated to Lord Padmanabha, a form of Vishnu |
Two Ekadashi fasts fall within October 2026 — not three, and not on the dates sometimes circulated online. If you’ve seen a date around October 6 labelled simply “Papankusha Ekadashi,” that’s a common mix-up: the correct name for the Ekadashi on that date is Indira Ekadashi, while Papankusha Ekadashi itself falls two and a half weeks later, on October 22.
Karwa Chauth 2026
Karwa Chauth falls on Thursday, October 29, 2026, ten days before Diwali. Married women observe a strict Nirjala (waterless) fast from sunrise, praying for their husbands’ long life and wellbeing, and break the fast only after sighting the moon in the evening. The festival is most widely celebrated across North Indian states — Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh — though its popularity has spread well beyond the region in recent years.
Sharad Purnima: The Night of Sixteen Kalas
Sharad Purnima, also called Kojagari Purnima, falls around October 25–26, 2026, depending on which Panchang convention your temple follows, since the Purnima Tithi spans both civil dates this year. Considered the one night when the moon is believed to shine with all sixteen of its Kalas (phases of completeness), the festival is marked by Lakshmi Puja, night-long Jagran, and the well-known tradition of leaving a bowl of kheer under the open moonlight overnight, to be shared as prasad the next morning. In the Krishna Bhakti tradition, the same night is remembered as the occasion of the Maha Raas, Lord Krishna’s divine dance with the Gopis of Vrindavan.
A Few Dates Worth Double-Checking
Because festival calendars circulating online for October 2026 vary so widely, it’s worth flagging three points explicitly for anyone cross-referencing other sources:
- Diwali is not in October 2026. This year, the main Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) falls on Sunday, November 8, 2026, with the full five-day cycle running from Dhanteras on November 6 through Bhai Dooj on November 10. Any October calendar listing Dhanteras or Diwali itself is off by roughly a month.
- Rama Ekadashi is not in October. It falls on Thursday, November 5, 2026, ahead of Diwali — not in October, where it’s sometimes mistakenly listed.
- There is no solar eclipse in October 2026. The confirmed solar eclipses for the year are an annular eclipse on February 17 and a total solar eclipse on August 12; no solar eclipse falls in October.
Tips for Observing October’s Fasts
- Indira and Papankusha Ekadashi: Grains, rice, and pulses are typically avoided; the fast is broken the following morning after sunrise, within the Dwadashi Tithi.
- Navratri: Many households keep a nine-day fast built around fruits, milk, sabudana, and kuttu flour, avoiding onion, garlic, and regular grains.
- Karwa Chauth: A pre-dawn Sargi meal is eaten before the fast begins; pregnant women or those with health conditions are traditionally advised to modify the fast to a partial or water-permitted version rather than attempting a strict Nirjala vrat.
- Sharad Purnima: If leaving kheer outdoors overnight, cover it with a light cloth or mesh rather than leaving it fully exposed, purely for hygiene, before offering it as prasad the next day.
As always, health comes first. Anyone with a medical condition, who is pregnant, or elderly should adapt a fast sensibly and consult a doctor if a full Vrat isn’t advisable — most Hindu fasting traditions already allow for partial or fruit-based alternatives for exactly this reason.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Navratri start in October 2026? Shardiya Navratri 2026 begins on Sunday, October 11, with Ghatasthapana, and concludes with Vijayadashami (Dussehra) on Tuesday, October 20.
When is Dussehra in 2026? Dussehra (Vijayadashami) falls on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
When does the Malayalam month of Thulam begin in 2026? Thulam begins on Saturday, October 17, 2026, when the Sun enters Libra at Thulam Sankranti.
Is Diwali celebrated in October 2026? No. Diwali 2026 falls on November 8, with the full five-day celebration running from November 6 to November 10. It does not fall in October this year.
How many Ekadashi fasts are there in October 2026? Two — Indira Ekadashi on October 6 and Papankusha Ekadashi on October 22.
When is Karwa Chauth in 2026? Karwa Chauth falls on Thursday, October 29, 2026, ten days before Diwali.
When is Sharad Purnima (Kojagari Purnima) in 2026? Sharad Purnima falls around October 25–26, 2026; the exact civil date depends on the Panchang convention your family or temple follows, since the Purnima Tithi spans both days this year.
Is there a solar eclipse in October 2026? No. The confirmed solar eclipses of 2026 are on February 17 (annular) and August 12 (total); no solar eclipse occurs in October.
Can I download the Malayalam Calendar 2026 October PDF for free? Yes. The PDF version, with the same festival and Vrat dates covered in this article, is available to download free of charge from the link on this page, with no login required.
Conclusion
October 2026 carries the Malayalam Calendar from Kanni into Thulam through one of the busiest devotional stretches of the year — nine nights of Navratri building to Dussehra, two Ekadashi fasts bookending the month, the moonlit rituals of Sharad Purnima, and Karwa Chauth closing out the month just ten days ahead of Diwali in November. With festival listings for this month varying widely across the web, this guide gives Malayalam Calendar readers a complete, cross-checked reference to plan October’s pujas and observances around.