Kharmas 2026–27: Start and End Dates
Kharmas (Khar Maas) is the month in which the Sun passes through one of Jupiter's two signs, Dhanu or Meena. It comes twice a year, and by tradition weddings, griha pravesh and other new beginnings wait until it ends, while worship and charity are especially favoured.
Begins in 34 days
Kharmas 2026–27
- Begins:
- Wednesday, 16 December 2026, 10:25 AM, as the Sun enters Dhanu (Sagittarius)
- Ends:
- Thursday, 14 January 2027, 9:10 PM, with Makar Sankranti
When the Sun enters Makara after sunset, Makar Sankranti is kept the next day; weddings and other muhurats resume from then.
Times in IST, the same moment everywhere in India.
All Kharmas dates
- 15 March 2026 to 14 April 2026Sun in Meena (Pisces), ending with Mesha Sankranti
- 16 December 2026 to 14 January 2027Sun in Dhanu (Sagittarius), ending with Makar Sankranti
- 15 March 2027 to 14 April 2027Sun in Meena (Pisces), ending with Mesha Sankranti
- 16 December 2027 to 15 January 2028Sun in Dhanu (Sagittarius), ending with Makar Sankranti
- 14 March 2028 to 13 April 2028Sun in Meena (Pisces), ending with Mesha Sankranti
Why Kharmas is kept
Dhanu and Meena are the signs of Jupiter, the guru and the planet of auspicious beginnings. When the Sun stays in Jupiter's sign, tradition holds that the auspicious strength needed for a wedding or a new home is reduced, so such beginnings wait for the Sun to move on.
A well-known story gives the month its name. The seven horses of Surya Dev's chariot never rest, and in this month, seeing them tired and thirsty, he let them drink and rest and harnessed two donkeys (khar) in their place. With donkeys pulling, the chariot moved slowly for a month, until the horses took over again at Sankranti.
What to avoid, and what to do
Put off until it ends
- Weddings and engagements
- Griha pravesh and laying a foundation
- Mundan, janeu and other samskaras
- Starting a new business
- Buying a house, land or a vehicle
Especially good now
- Worship of Bhagwan Vishnu and Surya Dev
- Reading the Bhagavata and the Gita
- Japa, fasting and pilgrimage
- Charity: food, warm clothes, sesame and jaggery in winter
- Plans and preparation for what comes after
Customs differ by region and family; Kharmas is observed most widely in North and Central India. Work, study and anything already under way carry on as normal.
Questions about Kharmas
When does Kharmas start and end?
The next Kharmas begins: the Sun is in Dhanu (Sagittarius) from Wednesday, 16 December 2026, 10:25 AM to Thursday, 14 January 2027, 9:10 PM (IST), when Makar Sankranti ends it.
What should not be done in Kharmas?
By tradition, weddings and engagements, griha pravesh, mundan and other samskaras, and the start of a new house, business or major purchase are put off until the month ends. Daily life, work and things already under way carry on as usual.
What is good to do in Kharmas?
It is a month for devotion: worship of Bhagwan Vishnu and Surya Dev, reading or hearing the Bhagavata and the Gita, japa, fasting, charity, feeding the needy and pilgrimage.
Is Kharmas the same as Malmas or Adhik Maas?
No, though the names are often mixed up. Kharmas is the Sun's month in Dhanu or Meena and comes twice every year. Adhik Maas, also called Malmas or Purushottam Maas, is an extra lunar month added every two or three years; the last was Adhik Jyeshtha, 17 May to 15 June 2026, and the next falls in March–April 2029. Both pause auspicious beginnings, which is why they get confused.
The spring Kharmas begins around Holi (in 2027, a week before it): see Holi and Holika Dahan. Every festival and vrat of the year is on the Hindu calendar 2027.
Planning a wedding, a move or a purchase?
Kharmas tells everyone when not to begin. When the right time is for you depends on your birth chart. The complete reading looks at your next twelve months: your dasha periods, the Saturn, Jupiter and Rahu–Ketu transits over your chart and your annual chart, and points out the months to act in.
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