In short
- Subramanya Shashti 2026
- Tuesday, 15 December 2026
- Tithi
- Margashirsha Shukla ShashthiMargasira Shukla Shashthi (amanta)
- Fast
- Many fast until the puje or for the whole day
- Observed for
- Children, relief from naga dosha, courage
- Panchami — fast begins
- Mon, 14 Dec · Sunset 06:06 PM
What is it? The day of Lord Subrahmanya, on the sixth day of the bright half of Margashira.
Why do families keep it? Subrahmanya, leader of the devas’ army, defeated the asura Tarakasura. In Karnataka he is also lord of the Nagas, so the day is kept for relief from naga dosha.
What happens on the day? A fast, puje to Subrahmanya with milk abhisheka at a Naga stone, feeding young boys (brahmacharis), and temple visits — above all to Kukke and Ghati.
When to observe Subramanya Shashti in 2026
| Shashthi tithi begins | Mon, 14 Dec, 07:16 PM |
|---|---|
| Shashthi tithi ends | Tue, 15 Dec, 09:20 PM |
| Sunrise | 06:44 AM |
| Abhijit Muhurat | 12:03 PM – 12:48 PM |
| Sunset | 06:07 PM |
| Rahu Kaala — keep aside | 03:16 PM – 04:42 PM |
How the days unfold
- Mon, 14 Dec
Panchami — fast begins · Sunset 06:06 PM
Many begin the vrata with a light meal on Panchami evening.
- Tue, 15 Dec
Subramanya Shashti · Sunrise 06:44 AM
Puje to Subrahmanya, abhisheka at the Naga stone, and the rathotsava at Kukke.
What Subramanya Shashti means
Kukke Subramanya
In the forests of Dakshina Kannada, below Kumara Parvata, Kukke is the most famous Subrahmanya shrine in Karnataka. Champa Shashti is its biggest day, with the brahmarathotsava.
Lord of the Nagas
It is told that Vasuki, king of the serpents, took refuge with Subrahmanya at Kukke. So families with naga dosha — or troubles linked to it in their horoscope — pray here, and Sarpa samskara and Ashlesha bali are performed at the temple.
Ghati Subramanya
Near Doddaballapura, Subrahmanya is worshipped as a seven-headed serpent with Narasimha behind him. The Shashti fair here is one of the oldest in Old Mysore.
Kumara and Tarakasura
Who is in it: Subrahmanya (Kumara, Skanda), Shiva and Parvati, The six Krittikas, Tarakasura, Vasuki
Tarakasura had a boon that only a son of Shiva could kill him. Shiva, grieving Sati, sat in deep tapas, and the asura ruled the worlds.
Through Parvati’s tapas and the gods’ prayers, Shiva’s fire was born as a child in the reeds of Sharavana. Six Krittika maidens nursed him, and he took six faces to drink from all of them — Shanmukha.
Parvati gave him the vel. The devas made him their commander, and he led them to Tarakasura and destroyed him.
In Karnataka it is told that Vasuki, fleeing Garuda, prayed at Kukke, and Subrahmanya promised to protect the Nagas there. That is why he is worshipped as their lord in this land.
What it teaches: Courage comes to those who prepare in patience. The young can lead when they are ready.
Subramanya Shashti puja at home, step by step
Getting ready
- 1On Panchami, eat light and keep the house clean.
- 2Keep milk, turmeric, flowers and a new cloth ready for the Naga stone.
The puja
- 1Bathe early and take the sankalpa.
- 2Worship Subrahmanya — an idol, a picture, or a vel — with arishina-kumkuma, flowers and lamps.
- 3At a Naga stone (nagakallu) or anthill, pour milk and water, apply turmeric, and offer flowers.
- 4Chant the Subrahmanya mantra 108 times.
- 5Feed a young boy or boys as Kumara, and give them a small gift.
Closing the puja
- 1Break the fast after the puje with prasada.
- 2Visit a Subrahmanya temple in the evening.
What to keep ready for Subramanya Shashti
Must have
| What | How much | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | Half a litre | Abhisheka at the Naga stone |
| Arishina, kumkuma and flowers | As needed | Puje |
| Lamp, agarbatti and karpoora | 1 set | Aarati |
| Banana, jaggery and coconut | As needed | Naivedya |
Good to have
| What | How much | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| A small silver or copper serpent (naga pratime) | — | Offered at the temple by families with naga dosha |
Family and regional customs
| What | How much | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Tambittu or a ragi sweet | — | Naivedya in Old Mysore homes |
Keeping the Subramanya Shashti fast
The day before
- A light meal on Panchami evening.
On the fasting day
- Many fast until the puje; some fast the whole day on fruit and milk.
Ending the fast
- Break the fast after the puje, with prasada first.
If a full fast is not right for your health, phalahara (fruit and milk) or a single meal keeps the vrata just as truly. Ask your elders or our pandit.
Good practice, and what to avoid
Please do
- Pour milk at a Naga stone — gently, and clean up after.
- Feed young boys with respect.
Best avoided
- Harm snakes, or dig up an anthill.
- Pour milk into a live snake’s hole — it harms the snake.
Chants for Subramanya Shashti
Shadakshara mantra
ॐ शरवणभवाय नमः
ಕನ್ನಡ ಲಿಪಿಯಲ್ಲಿ
ಓಂ ಶರವಣಭವಾಯ ನಮಃ
oṃ śaravaṇabhavāya namaḥ
What it means: A bow to the one born in the reeds of Sharavana.
Subrahmanya dhyana
षडाननं कुङ्कुमरक्तवर्णं महामतिं दिव्यमयूरवाहनम्।
रुद्रस्य सूनुं सुरसैन्यनाथं गुहं सदाहं शरणं प्रपद्ये॥
ಕನ್ನಡ ಲಿಪಿಯಲ್ಲಿ
ಷಡಾನನಂ ಕುಙ್ಕುಮರಕ್ತವರ್ಣಂ ಮಹಾಮತಿಂ ದಿವ್ಯಮಯೂರವಾಹನಮ್।
ರುದ್ರಸ್ಯ ಸೂನುಂ ಸುರಸೈನ್ಯನಾಥಂ ಗುಹಂ ಸದಾಹಂ ಶರಣಂ ಪ್ರಪದ್ಯೇ॥
ṣaḍānanaṃ kuṅkumaraktavarṇaṃ mahāmatiṃ divyamayūravāhanam| rudrasya sūnuṃ surasainyanāthaṃ guhaṃ sadāhaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye||
What it means: Six-faced, red as kumkuma, wise, riding the divine peacock — the son of Rudra and leader of the devas’ army: in Guha I always take refuge.
Subramanya Shashti from region to region
Kukke Subramanya
Champa Shashti brahmarathotsava, with lakhs of devotees through the week.
Ghati Subramanya
The Shashti rathotsava and the cattle fair near Doddaballapura.
Tamil Nadu
Skanda Shashti — six days ending in Soorasamharam, falls in Aippasi, a month earlier.
Maharashtra
Champa Shashti is the festival of Khandoba at Jejuri.
Have the Subramanya Shashti 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
- Skanda Purana and Kumarasambhava of Kalidasa for the birth of Kumara and the defeat of Tarakasura.
- Kukke Sri Subrahmanya temple tradition for Vasuki and the Champa Shashti festival.
- Ghati Subramanya temple tradition.
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 Mangaluru, 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 Subramanya Shashti 2026?
Tuesday, 15 December 2026. In Mangaluru, Margasira Shukla Shashthi (amanta; Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi in the North Indian count) begins Mon, 14 Dec, 07:16 PM and ends Tue, 15 Dec, 09:20 PM IST.
Will Mysuru and Delhi keep Subramanya Shashti 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.
Is this the same as Skanda Shashti in Tamil Nadu?
Same lord, different month. Tamil Nadu’s main Skanda Shashti falls in Aippasi (Karthika in the Kannada calendar); Karnataka’s Subramanya Shashti is in Margashira.
Can I book Sarpa samskara or Ashlesha bali?
Those are done at Kukke itself, by the temple. We can arrange a Rahu-Ketu or Sarpa dosha puje at home or at a temple near you.