Vivah Panchami 2026: Date, Puja Muhurat, Puja Vidhi and Significance
Vivah Panchami, also called Ram Vivah Utsav, marks the wedding anniversary of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita. In 2026, Vivah Panchami falls on Monday, 14 December, on the fifth day (Panchami) of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the month of Margashirsha. Temples in Janakpur in Nepal and Ayodhya in India stage the divine wedding with processions, lamps and Ramleela, and devotees across North India worship Rama and Sita together and pray for a happy married life.
When Is Vivah Panchami in 2026?
Vivah Panchami 2026 is on Monday, 14 December 2026. It is observed on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami, the fifth day of the waxing moon in the month of Margashirsha (also called Agrahayana or Agahan). The Panchami tithi begins at 4:47 PM on Sunday, 13 December, and ends at 7:15 PM on Monday, 14 December, so the Panchami covers the daylight hours of 14 December and the main celebrations take place that day. Vivah Panchami falls in the desi month of Maghar, on 29 Maghar 2083 BS.
Vivah Panchami 2026 Date and Puja Timings
The timings below follow the India (IST) reference published by Drik Panchang-based sources for New Delhi. Timings shift from city to city because sunrise changes with location, so check a local panchang for your exact timings. The main temple ceremony, the Ram Vivah Utsav, is staged in the evening, after sunset.
| Event | Date and Time (IST) |
|---|---|
| Vivah Panchami | Monday, 14 December 2026 |
| Hindu date | Margashirsha Shukla Panchami (purnimanta) |
| Also known as | Ram Vivah Utsav, Vivaha Panchami, Ram Sita Vivah |
| Panchami tithi begins | 4:47 PM, Sunday, 13 December 2026 |
| Panchami tithi ends | 7:15 PM, Monday, 14 December 2026 |
| Sunrise (New Delhi) | 7:05 AM, Monday, 14 December 2026 |
| Sunset (New Delhi) | About 5:25 PM, Monday, 14 December 2026 |
| Main ceremony | Ram Vivah Utsav, staged in the evening after sunset |
| Desi date | 29 Maghar, 2083 BS (Maghar runs 16 November to 15 December 2026) |
| Vikram Samvat | 2083 (Siddharthi) |
Sunrise on 14 December 2026 by City
The festival is observed on the same day across India, but sunrise, and therefore the local puja timing, changes with the city. The times below are for Monday, 14 December 2026 (IST).
| City | Sunrise (IST) |
|---|---|
| New Delhi | 7:05 AM |
| Mumbai | 7:03 AM |
| Kolkata | 6:08 AM |
| Chennai | 6:22 AM |
| Bengaluru | 6:32 AM |
| Hyderabad | 6:37 AM |
| Jaipur | 7:07 AM |
| Patna | 6:27 AM |
The Story of Rama and Sita’s Wedding
This is a summary of the story told in the Ramayana (Bala Kanda) and the Ramcharitmanas; details differ between tellings. Sage Vishwamitra took the young princes Rama and Lakshmana to Mithila, the kingdom of King Janaka. Janaka had announced a swayamvar for his daughter Sita: whoever could lift and string the great bow of Lord Shiva, named Pinaka, would marry her. Powerful kings and princes from many kingdoms tried and could not even move the bow.
At the bidding of his guru Vishwamitra, Rama lifted the bow, strung it, and broke it into two pieces. King Janaka was overjoyed, and Sita placed the varmala (wedding garland) around Rama’s neck. The wedding was then celebrated with great joy on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami. Rama’s brothers were married on the same occasion: Bharata to Mandavi, Lakshmana to Urmila, and Shatrughna to Shrutakirti. Vivah Panchami is therefore kept as the wedding anniversary of Rama and Sita, and as a reminder of the ideal of a marriage built on dharma, patience and devotion.
How Vivah Panchami Is Celebrated
Vivah Panchami is celebrated most grandly where the wedding is believed to have taken place. At Janakpur in Nepal, the Janaki Mandir, the temple at Sita’s birthplace, draws thousands of pilgrims, many from India and other parts of Nepal. A grand procession carries the idols of Ram and Janaki through the town, and the wedding ceremony is staged in the evening. Devotees take a holy bath in the sacred ponds of Mithila, including Dhanushsagar and Gangasagar, and the celebrations continue for several days.
In Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram, temples are lit with lamps and the wedding of Rama and Sita is staged in the evening, with Ramleela performances, bhajans and recitation of the Ramayana. Rama temples across the Mithilanchal region and North India also hold the Ram Vivah Utsav, with the idols of Rama and Sita dressed as bride and groom, adorned with clothes and jewellery, and a procession that ends with the wedding ceremony.
Vivah Panchami Puja Vidhi at Home
The puja vidhi varies by family and region, so follow your family tradition. The general procedure below is the one most families follow.
Morning bath and preparation: Wake up early, bathe, and clean the puja area. Decorate it with flower garlands, rangoli and lamps.
Place the idols: Place an image or idols of Ram and Sita in the puja area. Offer yellow cloth to Ram and a red chunari with adornments to Sita, as the bride and groom.
Offerings: Offer flowers, fruit, sweets and coconut. Some families symbolically tie the wedding knot of the idols, as in a wedding ceremony.
Katha and bhajans: Read or listen to the Sita-Ram wedding episode from the Bal Kand of the Ramcharitmanas or the Ramayana, and sing the Ram stuti, bhajans and aarti. Many devotees fast through the day and break the fast after the evening ceremony with prasad.
Prasad: Share the prasad with family and neighbours. Couples often worship together on this day and pray for a happy married life.
Is Vivah Panchami a Good Day for a Wedding?
Vivah Panchami is a deeply auspicious day for worship, but it is not automatically a good day for a human wedding. In parts of Mithila and North India, families avoid fixing weddings on this day, because Rama and Sita’s married life, though ideal in devotion, was full of separation and hardship, including the years of exile and Sita’s time in Lanka. Others see no problem and celebrate weddings on the day. There is no single rule, so consult your family priest or astrologer before fixing a wedding on Vivah Panchami, and check the muhurat against both kundlis rather than relying on the festival date alone.
Vivah Panchami Dates in Coming Years
| Year | Day | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday | 14 December 2026 |
| 2027 | Friday | 3 December 2027 |
Note: the dates above follow the purnimanta (North Indian) reckoning from Drik Panchang. A few calendars list Monday, 23 November 2026 for Vivah Panchami, under a different regional reckoning. This site follows the purnimanta reckoning used by Drik Panchang, which places Margashirsha Shukla Panchami on 14 December 2026. Confirm the date with a local panchang closer to the time. See our Gita Jayanti 2026 guide for the next big December festival, our Kala Bhairav Jayanti 2026 guide for the festival two weeks earlier, and our Maghar page for the desi month in which Vivah Panchami falls.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Vivah Panchami in 2026?
Vivah Panchami 2026 is on Monday, 14 December 2026 in India, per Drik Panchang. It falls on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami, the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Margashirsha.
What are the tithi timings for Vivah Panchami 2026?
The Panchami tithi begins at 4:47 PM IST on Sunday, 13 December 2026 and ends at 7:15 PM IST on Monday, 14 December 2026. These are New Delhi timings; the clock times shift slightly for other cities. Sunrise in New Delhi on 14 December is 7:05 AM, and the main temple ceremony, the Ram Vivah Utsav, is staged in the evening after sunset.
Why do some calendars say Vivah Panchami 2026 is on 23 November?
A few calendars list Monday, 23 November 2026 under a different regional reckoning. This site follows the purnimanta (North Indian) reckoning from Drik Panchang, which places Margashirsha Shukla Panchami on Monday, 14 December 2026. That is the date followed by the major temples at Janakpur and Ayodhya.
Is Vivah Panchami a good day to get married?
Not automatically. Vivah Panchami is a deeply auspicious day for worship, but in parts of Mithila and North India families avoid fixing weddings on this day, because Rama and Sita’s married life, though ideal in devotion, was full of separation and hardship. Consult your family priest or astrologer before fixing a wedding on this day.
Where is Vivah Panchami celebrated the most?
Janakpur in Nepal, at the Janaki Mandir, and Ayodhya in India draw the largest gatherings. Thousands of pilgrims visit Janakpur for the week-long celebrations, the grand procession and the evening wedding ceremony. Rama temples across the Mithilanchal region and North India also stage the Ram Vivah Utsav.
When is Vivah Panchami in 2027?
Vivah Panchami in 2027 falls on Friday, 3 December 2027, in the India reckoning from Drik Panchang. Confirm the date with a local panchang closer to the time.
