Janmashtami 2026: Check Krishna Janmashtami Date, Puja Muhurat, Timings and City-Wise Details

Krishna Janmashtami, one of the most important festivals dedicated to Lord Krishna, will be celebrated on Friday, September 4, 2026. The festival marks the birth of Lord Krishna, regarded as the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. According to the traditional calculation cited by Drik Panchang, 2026 marks the 5,253rd birth anniversary of Lord Krishna.

There is no confusion over the date of Janmashtami this year. Devotees will observe the festival with fasting, prayers and midnight celebrations commemorating Krishna’s birth.

Janmashtami 2026: When is Krishna Janmashtami?

According to Drik Panchang, Krishna Janmashtami is observed on the Ashtami Tithi of the Bhadrapada month. This year, Ashtami Tithi begins at 2:25 AM on September 4 and ends at 12:13 AM on September 5.

Devotees observing the Janmashtami fast generally have a single meal on the day before the fast. On Janmashtami, they take a sankalpa to observe a day-long fast and traditionally break it the following day after the relevant Ashtami Tithi and Rohini Nakshatra periods have ended. Some devotees follow the practice of breaking the fast after either one of the two periods ends.

Janmashtami 2026: Shubh muhurat and important timings

According to Drik Panchang, the key timings for Janmashtami are:

• Nishita Puja Time: 11:59 PM to 12:45 AM, September 5
• Midnight Moment: 12:22 AM, September 5
• Parana Time: After 12:45 AM, September 5
• Vrat Parana: After 6:01 AM, September 5
• Dahi Handi: Saturday, September 5
• Ashtami Tithi Begins: 2:25 AM, September 4
• Ashtami Tithi Ends: 12:13 AM, September 5
• Rohini Nakshatra Begins: 12:29 AM, September 4
• Rohini Nakshatra Ends: 11:04 PM, September 4

Janmashtami 2026: City-wise puja timings

The Nishita Puja timings vary slightly from city to city because of differences in local sunrise and sunset calculations. According to Drik Panchang, the timings are:

• Pune: 12:10 AM to 12:57 AM, September 5
• New Delhi: 11:57 PM to 12:43 AM, September 5
• Chennai: 11:45 PM to 12:31 AM, September 5
• Jaipur: 12:03 AM to 12:49 AM, September 5
• Hyderabad: 11:52 PM to 12:38 AM, September 5
• Gurgaon: 11:58 PM to 12:44 AM, September 5
• Chandigarh: 11:59 PM to 12:45 AM, September 5
• Kolkata: 11:13 PM to 11:59 PM, September 4
• Mumbai: 12:14 AM to 1:01 AM, September 5
• Bengaluru: 11:55 PM to 12:42 AM, September 5
• Ahmedabad: 12:16 AM to 1:02 AM, September 5
• Noida: 11:57 PM to 12:42 AM, September 5

Devotees traditionally perform the main Janmashtami worship around midnight, the time associated with Lord Krishna’s birth. The festival will be followed by Dahi Handi celebrations on September 5, when devotees across several parts of India will mark the occasion with traditional festivities.