Kartika is the holiest month of the Odia year. From Kumar Purnima to Kartika Purnima, thousands of Odias, most of them elderly women known as Habishyali, keep the Habisha vow: one simple vegetarian meal a day, cooked by their own hands, along with daily prayer. Many Habishyali travel to Puri to spend the month near the Jagannath Temple. In 2026 the Kartika vow ends on Tuesday, 24 November, with Kartika Purnima, Rasa Purnima and Boita Bandana. Here are the key dates and customs for this year.
Kartika Masa 2026 in Odisha: key dates- Sun 25 Oct: Kumar Purnima (some Odia panjikas list 26 Oct); the Habisha vow begins
- Thu 5 Nov: Rama Ekadashi
- Sun 8 Nov: Dipawali, Kali Puja and Badabadua Daka
- Wed 18 Nov: Akshaya (Amla) Navami and Radha Pada Darshan at Sakshi Gopal
- Fri 20 Nov: Prabodhini (Devutthana) Ekadashi (the Vaishnava date is Sat 21 Nov)
- Fri 20 to Tue 24 Nov: Panchuka, the last five days of Kartika
- Around Mon 23 Nov: Bada Osha at Dhabaleswar (expected; confirm locally)
- Tue 24 Nov: Kartika Purnima, Rasa Purnima and Boita Bandana; Bali Jatra opens in Cuttack (Kataka)
- Wed 25 Nov: Chhadakhai (expected)
What is Habisha, and who keeps it?
Habisha (also written Habisa) is a month-long vow of discipline and devotion kept through Kartika. The person keeping it, the Habishyali, eats only once a day, cooks that meal herself, and avoids food prepared by anyone else or eaten outside. Days begin with an early bath and prayer, and the month is dedicated to Lord Jagannath and to Krishna as Damodara. The vow ends on Kartika Purnima, when Habishyali break their fast after the Rasa Purnima rituals.
Food rules differ between families and villages, but the common pattern is:- Usually eaten: sun-dried (arua) rice, moong dal, ghee, raw banana, taro (saru), local greens and gourds, rock salt in small amounts, and in many homes milk, curd and seasonal fruit
- Usually avoided: onion, garlic, fish, meat and eggs; masoor and some other lentils; most spices; and food cooked by others
- Often given up too: tea, coffee and tobacco
Panchuka 2026: 20 to 24 November
Panchuka, also called Bhishma Panchak, is the last five days of Kartika. In 2026 it runs from Friday, 20 November to Tuesday, 24 November. Many Odias who don't keep Habisha for the whole month still go vegetarian for these five days, so fish and meat markets go quiet across the state. Panchuka ends on Kartika Purnima, and the feasting returns the next day with Chhadakhai.
Bada Osha at Dhabaleswar
Bada Osha is held on Kartika Shukla Chaturdashi, the day before Kartika Purnima, at the island temple of Dhabaleswar on the Mahanadi, near Athagarh in Cuttack (Kataka) district. In 2026 it is expected around Monday, 23 November. Devotees gather in very large numbers the night before and on the day, so arrive early and expect a long wait to cross to the island.
Kartika Purnima, Rasa Purnima and Boita Bandana: 24 November
The month ends on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. Before sunrise, families float small boats (boita) made of banana stem, paper or cork, carrying lamps and betel leaves, on rivers, ponds and the sea, in memory of Kalinga's seafaring merchants. The Purnima tithi ends at about 8:23 PM on 24 November, so the dawn Boita Bandana falls that morning. The same day, Bali Jatra opens on the Mahanadi bank in Cuttack (Kataka). Read our Kartik Purnima and Boita Bandana guide and our Bali Yatra 2026 guide.
Chhadakhai: the feast after Kartika
The day after Kartika Purnima is Chhadakhai, expected on Wednesday, 25 November 2026. After a month (or at least five days) without fish and meat, families crowd the markets early and cook their favourite non-vegetarian dishes. Read more in our Chhadakhai guide.
Other festivals during Kartika 2026
Kartika also carries two of Odisha's best-loved festivals. Dipawali and Kali Puja fall on Sunday, 8 November; read about Payasraddha and Badabadua Daka and Kalipuja in Bhadrak and Puri. On Akshaya (Amla) Navami, Wednesday, 18 November, devotees line up at Sakshi Gopal for Radha Pada Darshan, the one day a year when Goddess Radha's feet are shown.
Kartika Masa 2026: frequently asked questions
When does Kartika month start and end in Odisha in 2026?
The Kartika vow begins after Kumar Purnima on 25 October 2026 (26 October in some Odia panjikas) and ends on Kartika Purnima, Tuesday 24 November 2026.
What is Habisha?
Habisha is a month-long Kartika vow in which the devotee eats one self-cooked vegetarian meal a day, without onion, garlic, fish, meat or eggs, and spends the month in prayer.
When is Panchuka in 2026?
Panchuka runs from Friday 20 November to Tuesday 24 November 2026, the last five days of Kartika.
When is Kartika Purnima and Boita Bandana in 2026?
Kartika Purnima, Rasa Purnima and Boita Bandana fall on Tuesday 24 November 2026. Boats are floated at dawn that morning.
When is Chhadakhai in 2026?
Chhadakhai is expected on Wednesday 25 November 2026, the day after Kartika Purnima. Confirm the date in your local Odia panjika.
Dates follow published 2026 panchang listings and Odisha festival calendars. Odia panjika dates and times can differ by a day from North Indian panchangs, so check your local panjika. Last updated: 31 October 2026.
Related Posts
