Kalabhairav Jayanti 2026
कालभैरव जयंतीTuesday 1 December 2026 · in 31 days
Kalabhairav Jayanti celebrates Kala Bhairava, the form of Shiva who guards Kashi. Devotees honour him as a protector and as the lord of time, with prayers in the evening and through the night.
Pujas for Kalabhairav Jayanti, in order
Kalabhairav Jayanti 2026: date and timings
- Date
- Tuesday 1 December 2026
- Tithi
- Margashirsha Krishna Ashtami
- Ashtami begins
- 12:12 AM, 1 December
- Ashtami ends
- 11:15 PM, 1 December
- Sunrise
- 6:56 AM
- Sunset
- 5:23 PM
Times for New Delhi (IST). Use the city button above for your own city.
Other years
Kalabhairav Jayanti 2027: date and timings
- Date
- Saturday 20 November 2027
- Tithi
- Margashirsha Krishna Ashtami
- Ashtami begins
- 7:18 PM, 20 November
- Ashtami ends
- 5:20 PM, 21 November
- Sunrise
- 6:47 AM
- Sunset
- 5:25 PM
How to observe
- Light a lamp of mustard oil in the evening before an image of Bhairava or Shiva.
- Offer flowers, black sesame and sweets, and recite Bhairava's names or sing his bhajans.
- Keep a fast through the day if that is your family's custom.
- Visit a Bhairava or Shiva temple in the evening or at night.
- Feed dogs with roti or milk as a gentle offering of care.
For your chart
Add your birth details to see whether Kalabhairav Jayanti lines up with your birth nakshatra or tithi.
Coming up after Kalabhairav Jayanti
About Kalabhairav Jayanti
Kalabhairav Jayanti, also called Bhairava Ashtami or the Kalashtami of Margashirsha, marks the appearance of Kala Bhairava, a fierce yet caring form of Shiva. It falls on the Ashtami of the waning moon. In the north Indian calendar this month is named Margashirsha, while in the calendar followed in the south and west the same day falls at the end of Kartik.
In the story told about the day, Bhairava arose from Shiva to humble Brahma when Brahma grew proud and claimed to be the highest of all. Shiva then made Bhairava the kotwal, the guardian, of Kashi. Devotees see him as a protector who keeps watch over the city and over those who turn to him, and as the lord of time, which is what Kala means. His vehicle is a dog, which is why dogs are treated with special affection on this day.
The day is kept with great devotion at the Kal Bhairav temple in Varanasi, where pilgrims customarily offer prayers to the guardian of the city, and many also visit Kashi Vishwanath. The Kal Bhairav temple in Ujjain draws large crowds as well, and Bhairava temples across India and Nepal hold special worship.
Worship is held in the evening and at night. Devotees light a lamp of mustard oil, offer flowers, black sesame and sweets, and sing hymns and recite the names of Bhairava. Some keep a fast through the day and stay awake for a night of bhajans. Feeding dogs, with roti or milk, is a gentle and much-loved custom of the day.
Because Bhairava's worship belongs to the night, the day is chosen by the Ashtami present in the evening and at night rather than only at sunrise. The date shown above is worked out this way for your place.