Krishna Janmashtami 2026 and 2027: Date and Nishita Puja Time in 49 Cities

Krishna Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Krishna on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark half of the month. It falls in Shravana by the lunar months that end at the new Moon, and in Bhadrapada by the months that end at the full Moon, so you will see both names. Devotees fast, sing and keep a vigil until midnight, when the birth is celebrated with a puja and the parana, the breaking of the fast.

There are two common ways to fix the day, and the table shows both. The Smarta rule, which most published calendars follow, takes the day on which Ashtami is in force at Nishita, the middle of the night, and prefers the day on which the Rohini nakshatra is also present when it can. ISKCON and other Vaishnava traditions take the day on which Ashtami is in force at sunrise and fast through that day. In many years the two dates are the same; in others they are one day apart, and the table gives the ISKCON date beside the Smarta one.

Why do cities differ? The test is made at local midnight or local sunrise, and these fall at different instants in different cities. Ashtami may cover the midnight of one night in one city and have ended, or not yet begun, in another. The Nishita puja window moves with the season, the city and daylight saving, and often falls after midnight, which is why the table says next day after the end of the window.

A calm note: if you have to choose between the two dates, choose the one your family, temple or community follows. Fasting is optional and a matter of health and habit, so speak to a doctor first if you have a condition or are pregnant.

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