Short answer: Kharmas 2026 begins when the Sun enters Dhanu (Sagittarius) on Wednesday 16 December 2026 at about 10:29 am IST, and ends when it enters Makar (Capricorn) on Thursday 14 January 2027 at about 9:14 pm IST. Makar Sankranti is kept on Friday 15 January. Weddings, griha pravesh and mundan wait; daily worship, charity and normal work carry on.
Updated 8 November 2026
Kharmas 2026 start and end date, with timings
Kharmas is not fixed by a tithi. It is a solar month, so it begins and ends at the exact moment the Sun changes sign. Here are the two moments for this season, in Indian Standard Time, as given for New Delhi. Other Indian cities see the same moment; only the local sunrise differs.
| Event | Date | Time (IST) | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhanu Sankranti, kharmas begins | Wednesday 16 December 2026 | 10:29 am | Sun enters Sagittarius |
| Kharmas runs | 16 December 2026 to 14 January 2027 | about 30 days | Auspicious ceremonies paused |
| Makar Sankranti moment, kharmas ends | Thursday 14 January 2027 | 9:14 pm | Sun enters Capricorn |
| Makar Sankranti observed | Friday 15 January 2027 | from sunrise | Punya kaal and festival day |
Because the Sun crosses into Capricorn after sunset on the 14th, the festival and its punya kaal move to the next morning. That is why you will see some calendars write 14 January and others 15 January. Both are reading the same sky; the difference is only which day gets the observance. My Makar Sankranti 2027 page covers the punya kaal by city.
What is kharmas, and why does it happen twice a year?
Kharmas is the month when the Sun moves through one of Jupiter’s two signs, Sagittarius or Pisces. So it comes twice a year: Dhanu kharmas from mid-December to mid-January, and Meena kharmas from mid-March to mid-April. The December one is the one this page is about.
The reasoning in the tradition goes like this. Jupiter, Guru, is the planet of blessing, dharma and auspicious ceremonies. When the Sun sits in Jupiter’s own sign, Guru’s influence over samskaras is considered dimmed, so the big life ceremonies are held back until the Sun moves on.
There is also a well-known story behind the name. Khar means donkey. Surya’s seven horses, the tale goes, grew tired and thirsty after months of running, and he stopped at a pond to let them rest. Since his chariot could not stand still, he yoked two donkeys to it for a while. The donkeys pulled slowly, the Sun’s pace dropped, and that month became khar-mas, the donkey month. When Surya took his horses back at Makar Sankranti, the year picked up speed again.
Some people also call this period malmas. Strictly, that word belongs to the extra lunar month, adhik maas, so I keep the two apart.
What is avoided during kharmas 2026?
Most families in North and East India will not hold these between 16 December and the Makar Sankranti morning:
- Vivah, the wedding itself, and in many families the roka or sagai too
- Griha pravesh into a newly built or bought home
- Bhoomi pujan and the start of house construction
- Mundan, the first haircut ceremony
- Upanayana, the sacred thread ceremony
- In many families, buying a new house, plot or vehicle, though practice varies more here
In Bengal the same stretch is roughly Poush, and the saying that there are no weddings in Poush comes from it. Tamil families keep weddings out of Margazhi, which also starts with Dhanu Sankranti. So the pause is very widely shared, even if the names differ.
What is fine to do in kharmas?
A lot. Kharmas pauses ceremonies; it does not pause life. These carry on as usual:
- Daily puja, japa, reading scripture and going to temples
- Offering water to the Sun each morning, which many families do more carefully in this month
- Charity: food, blankets and warm clothes are traditional in the winter cold
- Ordinary work, business, studies, travel and exams
- Medical treatment of any kind, as your doctor advises; never postpone it for a muhurat
- Planning: matching kundlis, booking halls and fixing dates for after Sankranti
In South India this same month is Dhanurmas, or Margazhi, and it is a deeply sacred time: early-morning prayers, the Tiruppavai, and usually Vaikuntha Ekadashi. That tells you the month itself is not “bad”. It is set aside for devotion rather than celebration.
Wedding dates before and after kharmas
If you are trying to fit a wedding in before the pause, the 2026 season is short. It opened after Dev Uthani Ekadashi on 20 November, and the last dates most panchangs agree on before kharmas are 11 and 12 December 2026. After that, families wait for Makar Sankranti.
In 2027 the dates come back from 15 January, and the first window runs until Meena kharmas begins in mid-March, with Vasant Panchami on 11 February as one of the busiest days. My marriage muhurat 2027 guide sets out all three wedding windows of the year and how I narrow them down for a couple.
One thing I always say: a date that is outside kharmas is only the first filter. The hour, the tithi and above all the bride’s and groom’s own charts decide whether it suits you. If the match itself is still being worked out, use the kharmas weeks for that; my kundli matching reading covers both charts in one sitting.
Griha pravesh and kharmas: moving into a new home
For a house-warming, the late 2026 dates listed on my site are 2, 3, 4, 11 and 12 December. If your keys arrive after 12 December, most families move their belongings in quietly but hold the formal griha pravesh after Makar Sankranti. That is a sensible middle path when rent and EMIs are running.
Use the waiting weeks well. Walk the new home with a compass, note where the kitchen, toilets and main door sit, and fix what you can before the ceremony. My griha pravesh Vastu checklist lists what I check before a family moves in. The 2027 house-warming windows are on my griha pravesh muhurat 2027 page.
Is kharmas a bad time? My honest view
No. I get messages every December from people who think something will go wrong if, say, they sign a job offer or buy a fridge in kharmas. That is not what the tradition says. Kharmas is about choosing the date for the large, once-in-a-life ceremonies. Everything else runs on ordinary good sense and, where it matters, your own chart.
If an urgent need comes up, such as a hospital, a transfer, a lease that ends, the practical need comes first. You can always do a small puja later on a good day. I would much rather a family keeps its health and finances safe than holds out for a date.
Plan your post-kharmas dates with me
These weeks are the best time to sort out what comes after: the match, the wedding date, the move. On a 45-minute video or phone call I read your chart, or both charts for a couple, against the panchang and give you dates that suit you, not just the calendar. Written notes follow. Book a session, ₹1,499 for a 45-minute session.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does kharmas 2026 start and end?
Kharmas 2026 starts on 16 December 2026 at about 10:29 am IST, when the Sun enters Sagittarius. It ends on 14 January 2027 at about 9:14 pm IST, with Makar Sankranti kept on 15 January.
Can we do a sagai or engagement during kharmas 2026?
Most North Indian families avoid a formal sagai in kharmas, though some hold a simple roka. Follow your family custom; the wedding itself waits until after Makar Sankranti.
Can I buy a car or flat during kharmas 2026?
Families differ. Many avoid buying property or a vehicle in kharmas, while others only avoid ceremonies. If the purchase cannot wait, I would pick a good day within the month from your chart.
Is kharmas the same as Dhanurmas?
They are the same solar month, the Sun in Sagittarius. North India calls it kharmas and pauses ceremonies; South India calls it Dhanurmas or Margazhi and treats it as a month of prayer.
When is the next kharmas after January 2027?
Meena kharmas follows when the Sun enters Pisces in mid-March 2027 and lasts until about mid-April. Weddings and griha pravesh pause again then.
