Vrat · Kaal Bhairav

Kalashtami

The monthly night of Kaal Bhairav, on the eighth day of the waning moon. Devotees fast and worship him after dark; it is held holier still on a Sunday or a Tuesday.

Next Kalashtami
Sunday 1 November 2026
New Delhi

For New Delhi, Sunday 1 November 2026

Krishna Ashtami tithi

Begins
2:52 pm
Ends
1:11 pm, 2 Nov
Sunrise
6:33 am
Sunset
5:36 pm
Moonrise
11:40 pm
Moonset
12:42 pm

Worked out for your city. Panchangs can differ by a minute or so.

Full panchang for this day →

Puja times

For New Delhi, Sunday 1 November 2026

Nishita Kaal puja

11:39 pm to 12:31 am, 2 Nov

Pradosh Kaal
5:36 pm to 8:12 pm
Ashtami begins
2:52 pm
Ashtami ends
1:11 pm, 2 Nov

Worked out for your city. Panchangs can differ by a minute or so.

How it is kept

Customs vary by region and family

  • Fast during the day
  • Worship Kaal Bhairav at night with a lamp of mustard oil
  • Recite the Bhairav Chalisa and feed a dog
Read the Bhairav Chalisa →

What it remembers

Kalashtami falls on the eighth night of the waning moon in every month and is kept for Kaal Bhairav, the fierce form of Lord Shiva who guards Kashi. Devotees fast through the day and worship him after dark, with a lamp of mustard oil and his chalisa. The Kalashtami of Margashirsha is his birthday, Kalabhairav Jayanti, and is shown under that name.

His night each month

Lord Bhairava appeared on the eighth night of a waning moon, the story says, to humble Lord Brahma’s pride. Every month that night returns, and devotees who cannot wait a year for his Jayanti keep it as Kalashtami, his monthly vow.

Kala, Time itself

Kala is time, and Kaal Bhairav is Time, before which every being is equal. He is prayed to for protection, for courage and to be freed from fear, and his devotees hold that those who come to him with a clean heart have nothing to dread.

The guardian of the temple

In many Shiva temples Lord Bhairava stands as the kshetrapala, the guardian of the sacred ground. In parts of the South the temple keys are laid before him when the doors close at night, and taken from him again at dawn.

The night puja

Kalashtami is kept at night. Families keep it in many ways; follow your own tradition where it differs.

  1. Fast through the day, on fruit and milk or without food.
  2. In the evening, bathe and set up an image or picture of Kaal Bhairav, or go to his temple.
  3. Light a lamp of mustard oil, and offer black sesame, flowers and incense.
  4. Recite the Bhairav Chalisa and chant Om Kalabhairavaya Namah.
  5. Worship again near midnight if you can, and feed a dog, his mount.
  6. Break the fast the next morning.

What you need

  • An image or picture of Kaal Bhairav
  • Mustard oil and a lamp
  • Black sesame, flowers and incense
  • The Bhairav Chalisa to read from

Across India

Varanasi

Devotees fill the Kaal Bhairav temple on each Kalashtami, and many tie his black raksha thread on their wrists.

North India

Kept as a night vrat at Bhairav temples and at home, often with a fast and a lamp of mustard oil.

Tamil Nadu

Known as Theipirai Ashtami, the waning eighth, when Bhairavar is worshipped at his shrine in Shiva temples in the evening.

Nepal

Kal Bhairav is worshipped in Kathmandu and across the valley, where he is among the most loved guardians of the city.

When it falls

Once a month, on Krishna Ashtami. Kept on the day the tithi holds at night, a ghati after Pradosh Kaal. In the month of Kalabhairav Jayanti, Kalabhairav Jayanti takes its place.

These are the usual rules. A few days can differ by a day in your tradition, so check with your temple.

Coming Kalashtami dates

New Delhi, India time

  • Sun 1 Nov 2026
  • Wed 30 Dec 2026
  • Fri 29 Jan 2027
  • Sun 28 Feb 2027
  • Mon 29 Mar 2027
  • Wed 28 Apr 2027
  • Fri 28 May 2027
  • Sun 27 June 2027
  • Mon 26 July 2027
  • Tue 24 Aug 2027
  • Thu 23 Sept 2027
  • Fri 22 Oct 2027

Questions

When is Kalashtami in 2026?

Sunday 1 November 2026, in New Delhi. In a few places it can fall a day apart, so the date above is worked out for your city.

When does Kalashtami fall?

Once a month, on Krishna Ashtami. Kept on the day the tithi holds at night, a ghati after Pradosh Kaal. In the month of Kalabhairav Jayanti, Kalabhairav Jayanti takes its place.

How is Kalashtami kept?

Families fast during the day, worship Kaal Bhairav at night with a lamp of mustard oil and recite the Bhairav Chalisa and feed a dog. Customs vary by region and family.

Who is honoured on Kalashtami?

Kaal Bhairav. The monthly night of Kaal Bhairav, on the eighth day of the waning moon. Devotees fast and worship him after dark; it is held holier still on a Sunday or a Tuesday.

Which day is Kalashtami when Ashtami spans two days?

The day on which Ashtami lasts into the night, past Pradosh Kaal, as it is a night fast. When it holds into the night on two days, the later day, the one on whose sunrise Ashtami holds, is kept.

Why is there no Kalashtami in Margashirsha on this page?

The Kalashtami of Margashirsha (Kartika in the southern calendar) is Kalabhairav Jayanti, the night Kaal Bhairav appeared. It is kept the same way, and the calendar shows it under that greater name.

What if Kalashtami falls on Krishna Janmashtami?

Both are kept. They share a tithi, the eighth of the waning moon, and in Bhadrapada they can fall on the same day; Janmashtami honours Lord Krishna and Kalashtami Kaal Bhairav, and the calendar lists both, Janmashtami first.

Is a Kalashtami on a Sunday or Tuesday special?

Yes. Sunday and Tuesday are Kaal Bhairav’s days, and a Kalashtami on one of them is held to be holier still.

Related

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