- Reference city
- Delhi (other cities in the table)
- Moon's nakshatra then
- Pushya (at about 5:35 pm on 1 November)
What Ahoi Ashtami is
Ahoi Ashtami is kept on Ashtami, the eighth tithi, of the dark fortnight in Kartika (purnimanta count), about four days after Karwa Chauth and about a week before Diwali. It is observed in north India, mainly by mothers who fast for their children and worship Ahoi Mata.
The fast is traditionally opened in the evening after the stars are seen, and in some families after the moon. Stars cannot be fixed by a calendar, so this page uses the evening after sunset as the moment that decides the day.
How Ahoi Ashtami is commonly observed
- The fast begins at dawn and is kept through the day.
- A picture or wall drawing of Ahoi Mata is made, often with eight corners for Ashtami.
- In the evening the story of Ahoi Mata is read or heard.
- Water is offered after the first stars are seen, in some families after the moon.
- The fast is then opened.
These are common practices. Families and regions differ, and none of them is needed to read the date on this page.
The date for 2026, worked out
A tithi is the time in which the Moon gains 12 degrees on the Sun. Ashtami is tithi number 8 of the dark fortnight, when the Moon is 264 to 276 degrees ahead of the Sun. By the chart engine it begins 1 November at about 2:50 pm and ends 2 November at about 1:10 pm, Indian time.
The main rite is held in the evening, in the pradosh, the 2 hours 24 minutes after sunset, so the day is the one on which the tithi covers more of that window. Delhi's sunrise, sunset and the rule's moment are below.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Evening window, Delhi | Ashtami covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 1 November 2026 | 6:32 am | 5:36 pm | 5:36 pm to 8:00 pm | all of it |
| Monday, 2 November 2026 | 6:33 am | 5:35 pm | 5:35 pm to 7:59 pm | none of it |
On only one day does Ashtami reach the evening after sunset (pradosh) in Delhi: Sunday, 1 November 2026. There is no tie to break. Mumbai gives the same day.
Why calendars can differ on Ahoi Ashtami
This tithi is in the dark fortnight before the new moon that closes Ashwin. North Indian calendars (purnimanta) call that fortnight Kartika; those used in Maharashtra, Gujarat and the south (amanta) call it Ashwin. The day is the same, only the month name differs.
The same rule at other cities, for the day or days the tithi touches:
| City | Date | Evening begins (sunset) | Ashtami covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 1 November | 5:36 pm | all of it |
| Delhi | 2 November | 5:35 pm | none of it |
| Mumbai | 1 November | 6:05 pm | all of it |
| Mumbai | 2 November | 6:04 pm | none of it |
Some families open the fast at the sight of the stars and others at moonrise, which on this tithi comes late at night. The evening rule used here only decides the civil day, not the minute at which anyone opens the fast.
Method and limits
Positions come from the same engine that draws the free kundli, with the Lahiri ayanamsa. The tithi comes from the angle between the Sun and the Moon, so it does not depend on the ayanamsa.
Sunrise, sunset and moonrise are for the upper edge of the body with standard refraction, in Indian Standard Time. Tithi times are shown to the nearest five minutes because other panchangs can differ by a minute or so, and a different city moves sunrise and moonrise by minutes to an hour or more.
Regional traditions differ, and for the day and hour you keep the observance, follow your local panchang or temple. The full list of settings is on the method page.
Your own chart on this day
Dates on this page describe the sky only. The nakshatra finder and the current dasha tool show the facts of your own chart for any birth, and the festival calendar for 2026 lists the other festivals of the season with their dates.
Calculated with the Lahiri ayanamsa and whole sign houses; every setting is on the method page. Last checked 15 October 2026.