In short
- Datta Jayanti 2026
- Wednesday, 23 December 2026
- Countdown
- 47 days to goCounted from Fri, 6 Nov
- Tithi
- Margashirsha PurnimaMargasira Purnima (amanta)
- Datta Jayanti 2027
- Monday, 13 December 2027
- Fast
- Optional
- Observed for
- The guru’s grace and protection
When is Datta Jayanti 2026? Datta Jayanti 2026 is on Wednesday, 23 December 2026. It falls on Margasira Purnima (Margashirsha Purnima in the North Indian count); in Bengaluru the tithi runs from Wed, 23 Dec, 10:48 AM to Thu, 24 Dec, 06:58 AM IST. Pradosh Kaal: 06:00 PM – 08:31 PM. It is also called Dattatreya Jayanti, Datta Purnima and Margashirsha Purnima (दत्त जयंती, ದತ್ತ ಜಯಂತಿ).
What is it? The birthday of Dattatreya, the Adi Guru, on Margashira Purnima.
Why do families keep it? The three gods were born as one child to the sage Atri and Anasuya, whose purity they had come to test.
What happens on the day? The Guru Charitra read in the days before, a cradle ceremony at dusk, bhajans of “Digambara Digambara” and annadana.
When to observe Datta Jayanti in 2026
| Purnima tithi begins | Wed, 23 Dec, 10:48 AM |
|---|---|
| Purnima tithi ends | Thu, 24 Dec, 06:58 AM |
| Sunrise | 06:38 AM |
| Sunset | 06:00 PM |
| Pradosh Kaal | 06:00 PM – 08:31 PM |
Datta Jayanti dates by year
| Year | Date | Tithi |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday, 23 December 2026 | Margasira Purnima |
| 2027 | Monday, 13 December 2027 | Margasira Purnima |
| 2028 | Friday, 1 December 2028 | Margasira Purnima |
Worked out from the tithi for Bengaluru. Official holiday lists for coming years can differ by a day, so check yours once it is published.
What Datta Jayanti means
The Adi Guru
Dattatreya is the first guru of many lineages; he learned from twenty-four teachers in nature, from the earth to the honeybee.
Ganagapura and Audumbar
Sri Narasimha Saraswati, revered as Datta’s incarnation, lived at Ganagapura in Kalaburagi district; it draws huge crowds on this day.
Born at dusk
Datta was born in Pradosh kaal, so the cradle ceremony is held at sunset.
Anasuya and the three gods
Who is in it: Anasuya, Atri, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati
Anasuya, wife of the sage Atri, was famed for her devotion. To test her, the three gods came to her hermitage as mendicants and asked for alms — on condition that she serve them unclothed.
Anasuya sprinkled water from Atri’s kamandalu on them, and they became three infants. Then she fed and cradled them as a mother.
Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati came searching for their husbands and asked Anasuya to forgive them.
She returned the gods to their forms. Pleased, they granted her a son born of all three — Datta (“given”), son of Atri: Dattatreya.
What it teaches: Purity of heart turns a test into a blessing.
Datta Jayanti puja at home, step by step
Getting ready
- 1Read the Guru Charitra over the seven days before, if you can (saptaha).
The puja
- 1Worship Dattatreya in the evening with flowers, tulasi, bilva and a lamp.
- 2At sunset, rock a small cradle with Datta’s picture or paduka, singing the birth songs.
- 3Chant “Digambara Digambara Shripada Vallabha Digambara”.
- 4Offer sunthawada (dry ginger and jaggery) or other naivedya.
Closing the puja
- 1Annadana — feed guests and the needy.
What to keep ready for Datta Jayanti
Must have
| What | How much | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Datta picture or paduka | 1 | Worship |
| Small cradle | 1 | Birth ceremony |
| Flowers, tulasi, bilva | As needed | Puja |
| Sunthawada, fruit, sweets | As needed | Naivedya |
Good practice, and what to avoid
Please do
- Feed a guest or someone in need.
- Read or hear the Guru Charitra.
Best avoided
Chants for Datta Jayanti
Datta mantra
ॐ द्रां दत्तात्रेयाय नमः
ಕನ್ನಡ ಲಿಪಿಯಲ್ಲಿ
ಓಂ ದ್ರಾಂ ದತ್ತಾತ್ರೇಯಾಯ ನಮಃ
oṃ drāṃ dattātreyāya namaḥ
What it means: A bow to Dattatreya.
Namasmarana
दिगंबरा दिगंबरा श्रीपाद वल्लभ दिगंबरा
ಕನ್ನಡ ಲಿಪಿಯಲ್ಲಿ
ದಿಗಂಬರಾ ದಿಗಂಬರಾ ಶ್ರೀಪಾದ ವಲ್ಲಭ ದಿಗಂಬರಾ
digaṃbarā digaṃbarā śrīpāda vallabha digaṃbarā
What it means: Sky-clad one, Shripada Vallabha.
Datta Jayanti from region to region
Karnataka
Ganagapura (Kalaburagi) and Datta peethas across North Karnataka.
Maharashtra
Audumbar, Narsobawadi and Datta temples hold the cradle ceremony at dusk.
Andhra Pradesh
Pithapuram, birthplace of Sripada Sri Vallabha.
Have the Datta Jayanti puja done for you
Two ways to do it. At a temple: the pandit takes your family’s name and gotra in the sankalpa and sends you the photos and video. At home: a pandit from our panel comes to you with the vidhi, and you sit for the puja yourself.
Where this comes from
- Markandeya Purana and Bhagavata Purana for Dattatreya’s birth.
- Sri Guru Charitra.
How we work out the dates: Stuti Mandir’s own panchanga engine places the Sun and Moon (Lahiri ayanamsa) and checks the tithi against sunrise, sunset and moonrise in Bengaluru, in IST. A printed panchanga may differ by a minute or so. Where your family’s panchanga or your purohita says otherwise, go with them.
Questions devotees ask us
When is Datta Jayanti 2026?
Wednesday, 23 December 2026. In Bengaluru, Margasira Purnima (amanta; Margashirsha Purnima in the North Indian count) begins Wed, 23 Dec, 10:48 AM and ends Thu, 24 Dec, 06:58 AM IST.
How many days are left until Datta Jayanti 2026?
47 days, counted from Friday, 6 November 2026. Datta Jayanti 2026 is on Wednesday, 23 December 2026.
When is Datta Jayanti 2027?
Monday, 13 December 2027, on Margasira Purnima, worked out for Bengaluru.
What is Datta Jayanti also called?
Dattatreya Jayanti, Datta Purnima and Margashirsha Purnima; in Indian scripts, दत्त जयंती, ದತ್ತ ಜಯಂತಿ, దత్త జయంతి.
Will Mysuru and Delhi keep Datta Jayanti on the same day?
Mostly yes. But the sun rises and sets at different times in different towns, and a habba is kept on the day its tithi is running at the right hour — so timings shift, and once in a while the date does too. Change the town above to see yours.
At what time is Dattatreya’s birth celebrated?
At dusk (Pradosh kaal) on Margashira Purnima. The table above gives sunset for your town.