Festival · 2026
Akshaya Navami (Amla Navami) 2026 — Wednesday, 18 November 2026
Akshaya Navami, the ninth day of the bright half of Kartika, is when families worship the amla tree and share a meal in its shade.
In 2026
Wednesday, 18 November 2026
- Tithi
- Shukla Navami: 18 Nov, 6:05 AM – 19 Nov, 7:06 AM
- Lunar month
- Kartika
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:45 AM / 5:26 PM
| Puja muhurat | 6:45 AM – 12:06 PM |
|---|---|
| Purvahna (sunrise to midday) | 6:45 AM – 12:06 PM |
Rule: Kartika Shukla Navami prevailing in the purvahna (morning); if on both days, the day it covers more of it.
In 2027
Sunday, 7 November 2027
- Tithi
- Shukla Navami: 7 Nov, 2:50 AM – 8 Nov, 5:24 AM
- Lunar month
- Kartika
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:37 AM / 5:32 PM
| Puja muhurat | 6:37 AM – 12:04 PM |
|---|---|
| Purvahna (sunrise to midday) | 6:37 AM – 12:04 PM |
Rule: Kartika Shukla Navami prevailing in the purvahna (morning); if on both days, the day it covers more of it.
Times follow New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset. In other cities the muhurat shifts by some minutes, and occasionally the day by one. Full festival calendar
What is Akshaya Navami (Amla Navami)?
Akshaya Navami falls on the Navami, the ninth day, of the bright fortnight of Kartika, a week after Diwali and two days before Dev Uthani Ekadashi. Akshaya means that which does not decay, and the day carries the belief that good deeds, worship and charity done on it bring merit that does not run out, much as Akshaya Tritiya does in Vaishakha. Some traditions also count it among the yugadi days, the days on which one of the great ages of the world is said to have begun.
Its more familiar name in north and central India is Amla Navami or Anwla Navami, because the day is given to the amla tree, the Indian gooseberry, called dhatri in Sanskrit. The amla is held dear to Vishnu, and Kartika is a month of Vishnu worship. A popular story tells that Lakshmi once wished to worship Vishnu and Shiva together. Since the amla was thought to hold the virtues of the tulsi, loved by Vishnu, and of the bel, loved by Shiva, she worshipped an amla tree as the form of both and then served them a meal beneath it. Families repeat that act today.
The worship is simple. Women, and often whole families, go to an amla tree in a garden, temple or field, wash its base with water and milk, apply turmeric and vermilion, light a lamp, and wind raw cotton thread around the trunk while walking around it. A meal cooked at home is then eaten under the tree, and the fruit of the season, amla itself, is offered and shared. The practical side is plain too: amla ripens in these weeks, and the day invites people outdoors in the gentle weather after the rains.
Giving is at the heart of the day. Food, warm clothes, grain and amla are given to those in need, and in some homes a small gift is placed inside a hollowed pumpkin or ash gourd and given away, a custom behind the name Kushmanda Navami. In Braj many pilgrims walk the circuit of Mathura or Vrindavan on this day.
How it is observed
- Families visit an amla tree and wash its base with water and milk, applying turmeric, vermilion and flowers.
- A lamp is lit and raw cotton thread is wound around the trunk while walking around the tree, often seven or more times.
- The story of Lakshmi’s worship of the amla is read or told by the elders.
- A meal cooked at home is eaten under the tree, and amla is offered and shared as prasad.
- Food, grain, warm clothes and amla are given in charity; some families give a gourd with a small gift inside it.
- In Mathura and Vrindavan many pilgrims walk the parikrama of the sacred town on foot.
How the date is fixed
Akshaya Navami is the Navami of the bright half of Kartika; since it falls in the bright fortnight, the month name is the same in amanta and purnimanta calendars. The worship is a morning one, so the day is the one on which Navami is present during the purvahna, the part of the day from sunrise to midday. If Navami is present in the purvahna on two days, the day on which it covers more of the purvahna is taken.
Where practice differs
In Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh the day is known mostly as Amla Navami and centres on the tree and the outdoor meal. In Braj the parikrama of Mathura and Vrindavan draws large crowds. In Odisha it is Anla Navami, and at the Sakshigopal temple near Puri devotees come for a darshan of the feet of Radha, which are shown only on this day. In Bengal the day is Kushmanda Navami, and it is also the day of Jagaddhatri Puja, the worship of the goddess as upholder of the world, celebrated grandly in Chandannagar and Krishnanagar. In the south the tithi is less widely marked, though amla is offered in Vishnu temples through Kartika.
Dates and times are computed by our own engine (sunrise, tithi and kalas for New Delhi, Lahiri ayanamsa). In another city, or in an almanac of another tradition, the day can differ by one — follow your family’s tradition.
Questions people ask
Why is the amla tree worshipped on Akshaya Navami?
The amla is held dear to Vishnu, and a popular story says Lakshmi worshipped it as the form of both Vishnu and Shiva. The tree also fruits in these weeks, so the worship joins devotion with the season.
Is Akshaya Navami the same as Amla Navami?
Yes. Akshaya Navami is the name that speaks of lasting merit, and Amla Navami the name that speaks of the tree. Bengal calls the same day Kushmanda Navami.
What if there is no amla tree nearby?
Many families worship a potted amla sapling, a branch, or simply the fruit at home, and give amla and food in charity. The intention and the giving matter more than the setting.
Is a fast kept on Akshaya Navami?
Some women keep a fast until the worship is done and then eat the meal under the tree. It is a custom, not a strict rule, and many families only worship and share the meal.