Kaal Bhairav Jayanti 2026: Date, Ashtami Timings and Kalashtami List

Kal Bhairav temple, Ujjain. Photo: Utcursch / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Kaal Bhairav Jayanti 2026 falls on Tuesday, 1 December 2026. The day marks the appearance of Kaal Bhairav (Kalabhairav), the fierce form of Lord Shiva, and it is kept on the Krishna Paksha Ashtami, the eighth day of the waning moon that follows Kartik Purnima.

According to Drik Panchang, for New Delhi, the Ashtami tithi begins at 12:11 AM on 1 December and ends at 11:13 PM on 1 December. The night of the 1st is when the main worship takes place.

When is Kaal Bhairav Jayanti 2026?

Kaal Bhairav Jayanti 2026 is on Tuesday, 1 December. It is also called Kalabhairav Jayanti or Bhairava Ashtami, and it is the most important of the monthly Kalashtami days.

Timings vary by city, so check a panchang set for your own town, or ask your temple priest, before fixing a puja time.

Why is the festival kept at night?

Because it is a night fast. Drik Panchang notes that the Shiva Rahasya places Bhairava’s appearance at midday (Madhyahna), but since the observance is a Ratri vrat, the day on which Ashtami runs through the night is chosen.

Is it Margashirsha or Kartik? Purnimanta vs Amanta

Both names are correct; the two calendars only end their months differently and keep Kaal Bhairav Jayanti on the same day.

• Purnimanta (North India): each lunar month ends on the full moon. The waning fortnight after Kartik Purnima therefore belongs to the next month, Margashirsha, and the festival is called Margashirsha Krishna Ashtami.
• Amanta (South and West India, including Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka): each month ends on the new moon. The same waning fortnight is still part of Kartika, so the festival is called Kartika Krishna Ashtami.

So a calendar that says Kartik and one that says Agahan (Margashirsha) describe the same night. This is why Kaal Bhairav Jayanti comes exactly one week after the Kartik full moon, which in 2026 falls on 24 November, the night of Dev Deepawali on the Varanasi ghats.

Who is Kaal Bhairav?

Kaal Bhairav is a fierce manifestation of Shiva, often called the lord of time. The word “Bhairava” is linked to fear: it is read both as “the terrifying one” and as “the one who destroys fear”. “Kaal” means both time and death.

The best-known story comes from the Shiva Purana. Brahma and Vishnu argued over which of them was supreme, and Shiva appeared as an endless pillar of light. When Brahma falsely claimed he had found its top, Shiva produced Bhairava, who cut off Brahma’s fifth head. Carrying the skull and the sin of Brahmahatya, Bhairava wandered until he reached Kashi, where the skull fell away. That is why Bhairava is seen as the guardian of Varanasi.

He is shown with a dog as his vahana (vehicle), often holding a trident or staff (danda). Tradition speaks of eight forms, the Ashta Bhairava, with Kaal Bhairav as their chief.

How is Kaal Bhairav Jayanti observed?

It is observed with a fast, night-long worship and vigil, and offerings to dogs. Customs vary by family and region.

• Fast: many devotees keep a day-long fast. The elderly, pregnant women and anyone on medication should keep it light and check with a doctor.
• Night puja: Drik Panchang, citing the Vrat Parichay and Shiva Rahasya, describes worship in every prahara (watch) of the night, with three arghya offered with set mantras.
• Jagarana: devotees stay awake through the night, reading or listening to stories of Shiva. Many temples hold a midnight aarti with conches, bells and drums.
• Recitation: the Kalabhairava Ashtakam and Bhairava Kavacham are widely chanted.
• Feeding dogs: since the dog is Bhairava’s vehicle, offering milk, curd or food to dogs is a popular custom on the day.

Any spiritual results attached to the fast are matters of faith and tradition.

Kaal Bhairav temples to visit: Varanasi and Ujjain

The two most visited Kaal Bhairav shrines in India are in Varanasi and Ujjain, and both see heavy crowds on the night. In Varanasi, the Kaal Bhairav Mandir stands in Bharonath, Vishweshwarganj, and Bhairava is revered as the Kotwal (guardian) of Kashi; the present building is thought to date from the mid-17th century.

In Varanasi the silver-faced idol, seated on a dog, is usually covered in cloth with only the face showing. Accounts of the festival say the full image is revealed on Bhairava Ashtami.

The Ujjain temple, on the banks of the Shipra, honours Bhairava as the city’s guardian. Liquor is offered to the deity there as part of an old tantric tradition, and the deity wears a Maratha-style turban linked to Mahadaji Shinde. Expect long queues on 1 December at both temples, and check the temple’s own notices for darshan hours, which can change on festival days.

Kalashtami 2026 dates: full list

Kalashtami, the monthly day of Bhairava worship, falls on every Krishna Paksha Ashtami. Drik Panchang picks the fasting day so that Ashtami runs for at least one ghati after Pradosh (dusk); otherwise the fast moves to the previous day. These are the 2026 dates for New Delhi from the Drik Panchang Kalashtami list (Purnimanta month names).

With 1 November already past, the remaining Kalashtami dates in 2026 are 1 December and 30 December.

Other festivals around Kaal Bhairav Jayanti

December is busy in the Hindu calendar. After Kaal Bhairav Jayanti comes Vivah Panchami on 14 December, which marks the wedding of Ram and Sita, and the month closes with Datta Jayanti 2026 on Margashirsha Purnima, 23 December. For a wider list of trips worth planning this season, see our India festival calendar for 2026-27.

Frequently asked questions

When is Kaal Bhairav Jayanti in 2026?

On Tuesday, 1 December 2026. In New Delhi the Ashtami tithi runs from 12:11 AM to 11:13 PM that day, per Drik Panchang.

Is Kaal Bhairav Jayanti a public holiday?

It is not a gazetted national holiday. Check your state government’s 2026 holiday list for any local closure.

Sources: Drik Panchang, 2026 Kalabhairav Jayanti date and time for New Delhi; Drik Panchang, 2026 Masik Kalashtami dates; Wikipedia on Bhairava Ashtami, Bhairava, Kaal Bhairav Mandir, Varanasi and Kal Bhairav temple, Ujjain. Confirm temple timings before you travel.

Featured image: Utcursch / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Kal Bhairav temple, Ujjain.