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ଓଡ଼ିଆ ପଞ୍ଜି ୨୦୨୬-୨୦୨୭
The Odia calendar, known as the "Panji" (ପଞ୍ଜି), is the traditional solar calendar of the Odia-speaking people of Odisha and neighbouring regions. Rooted in the Surya Siddhanta astronomical system, the Panji governs all religious observances, agricultural cycles, and festival timings for over 50 million Odia speakers worldwide. Unlike the lunisolar calendars of North India, the Odia calendar is fundamentally solar: each month begins when the Sun transits into a new zodiac sign (Sankranti), making Sankranti dates the cornerstone of the entire system. The Odia era, known as Amli or Onkia, counts from the year the Ganga dynasty established rule over Odisha. The Panji is published annually by traditional almanac publishers and remains the authoritative reference for temple rituals at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the most important Hindu shrine in eastern India. The current Odia year is 1435 Amli (beginning Pana Sankranti, 14 April 2026).
The Odia calendar follows the Surya Siddhanta solar system, where each month begins on the Sankranti (the day the Sun enters a new zodiac sign). Month lengths vary between 29 and 32 days depending on the Sun's apparent speed through each sign.
| # | Month | ଓଡ଼ିଆ | Rashi | Gregorian | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baisakha | ବୈଶାଖ | Mesha (Aries) | Apr 14 – May 14 | 30–31 |
| 2 | Jyestha | ଜ୍ୟେଷ୍ଠ | Vrishabha (Taurus) | May 15 – Jun 14 | 31–32 |
| 3 | Asadha | ଆଷାଢ଼ | Mithuna (Gemini) | Jun 15 – Jul 16 | 31–32 |
| 4 | Srabana | ଶ୍ରାବଣ | Karka (Cancer) | Jul 17 – Aug 16 | 31–32 |
| 5 | Bhadra | ଭାଦ୍ର | Simha (Leo) | Aug 17 – Sep 16 | 31 |
| 6 | Aswina | ଆଶ୍ୱିନ | Kanya (Virgo) | Sep 17 – Oct 17 | 30–31 |
| 7 | Kartika | କାର୍ତ୍ତିକ | Tula (Libra) | Oct 18 – Nov 16 | 29–30 |
| 8 | Margasira | ମାର୍ଗଶିର | Vrischika (Scorpio) | Nov 17 – Dec 15 | 29–30 |
| 9 | Pausa | ପୌଷ | Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Dec 16 – Jan 13 | 29–30 |
| 10 | Magha | ମାଘ | Makara (Capricorn) | Jan 14 – Feb 12 | 29–30 |
| 11 | Phalguna | ଫାଲ୍ଗୁନ | Kumbha (Aquarius) | Feb 13 – Mar 14 | 29–30 |
| 12 | Chaitra | ଚୈତ୍ର | Meena (Pisces) | Mar 15 – Apr 13 | 30–31 |
Exact dates for all major Odia festivals in 2026 with tithi and nakshatra computed for Bhubaneswar/Puri.
| Festival | Date | Tithi | Nakshatra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makar Mela / Makar Sankranti | Wed, 14 Jan 2026 | Paush Krishna Pratipada | Uttara Ashadha |
| Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) | Mon, 23 Feb 2026 | Magha Shukla Panchami | Shravana |
| Dola Purnima / Holi | Tue, 3 Mar 2026 | Phalguna Purnima | Uttara Phalguni |
| Pana Sankranti (Odia New Year) | Tue, 14 Apr 2026 | Chaitra Krishna Amavasya | Revati |
| Akshaya Tritiya / Chandan Yatra begins | Fri, 1 May 2026 | Baisakha Shukla Tritiya | Rohini |
| Raja Parba Day 1 — Pahili Raja | Sun, 14 Jun 2026 | Jyestha Krishna Trayodashi | Bharani |
| Raja Parba Day 2 — Mithuna Sankranti | Mon, 15 Jun 2026 | Jyestha Krishna Chaturdashi | Krittika |
| Raja Parba Day 3 — Basi Raja | Tue, 16 Jun 2026 | Jyestha Amavasya | Rohini |
| Rath Yatra (Puri) | Mon, 29 Jun 2026 | Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya | Pushya |
| Bahuda Yatra (Return Rath Yatra) | Tue, 7 Jul 2026 | Ashadha Shukla Dashami | Vishakha |
| Suna Besha (Golden Attire) | Wed, 8 Jul 2026 | Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi | Anuradha |
| Kumar Purnima | Sat, 24 Oct 2026 | Ashwin Purnima | Ashwini |
| Diwali (Kali Puja) | Sun, 8 Nov 2026 | Kartik Krishna Amavasya | Swati |
| Manabasa Gurubar (1st Thursday) | Thu, 19 Nov 2026 | Margasira Krishna Pratipada | Uttara Phalguni |
| Prathamastami | Thu, 26 Nov 2026 | Margasira Krishna Ashtami | Pushya |
Major Odia festival dates for 2027. Odia year 1436 Amli begins on 14 April 2027.
| Festival | Date | Tithi | Nakshatra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makar Mela / Makar Sankranti | Thu, 14 Jan 2027 | Paush Shukla Dashami | Shravana |
| Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) | Thu, 11 Feb 2027 | Magha Shukla Panchami | Shravana |
| Dola Purnima / Holi | Sun, 22 Feb 2027 | Phalguna Purnima | Purva Phalguni |
| Pana Sankranti (Odia New Year) | Wed, 14 Apr 2027 | Chaitra Shukla Dvadashi | Uttara Phalguni |
| Raja Parba Day 1 — Pahili Raja | Mon, 14 Jun 2027 | Jyestha Shukla Chaturdashi | Jyestha |
| Raja Parba Day 2 — Mithuna Sankranti | Tue, 15 Jun 2027 | Jyestha Purnima | Mula |
| Raja Parba Day 3 — Basi Raja | Wed, 16 Jun 2027 | Ashadha Krishna Pratipada | Purva Ashadha |
| Rath Yatra (Puri) | Fri, 18 Jun 2027 | Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya | Pushya |
| Bahuda Yatra (Return Rath Yatra) | Sat, 26 Jun 2027 | Ashadha Shukla Dashami | Vishakha |
| Kumar Purnima | Wed, 13 Oct 2027 | Ashwin Purnima | Ashwini |
| Diwali | Thu, 28 Oct 2027 | Kartik Krishna Amavasya | Chitra |
| Prathamastami | Mon, 15 Nov 2027 | Margasira Krishna Ashtami | Pushya |
The Rath Yatra of Puri is the most iconic festival of Odisha and one of the oldest chariot processions in the world, drawing millions of devotees annually. Rath Yatra 2026 falls on Monday, 29 June, with Bahuda Yatra on Tuesday, 7 July, and Suna Besha on Wednesday, 8 July.
Raja Parba (ରଜ ପର୍ବ) is a unique three-day festival celebrated exclusively in Odisha, honouring the earth's annual cycle of fertility. Raja Parba 2026 falls on Sunday, 14 June to Tuesday, 16 June.
The Odia calendar is a sidereal solar calendar based on the Surya Siddhanta. Each month begins on the Sankranti — the day the Sun enters a new rashi (zodiac sign). The Jagannath Temple in Puri follows the Panji exclusively for determining the dates of all 13 major annual festivals.
The Amli era (also called Onkia or Vilayati) counts from approximately 592 CE, when the Ganga dynasty established rule over Odisha. The current Odia year is 1435 Amli (14 April 2026 to 13 April 2027).
The history of the Odia Panji is intimately linked to the Ganga dynasty (11th-15th century CE), who built the Jagannath Temple at Puri. To this day, the "Panji Pandits" of the Jagannath Temple compute a fresh Panji each year following Surya Siddhanta methods, determining the exact dates for all 13 major annual festivals.
The Odia calendar is also integral to Odisha's agricultural life. Each Sankranti serves as a milestone for farming activities: Pana Sankranti for summer sowing, Mithuna Sankranti for monsoon preparation, and Makar Sankranti for the winter harvest festival.
A distinctive feature of the Odia calendar is that it remains one of the last major Indian calendars to operate on a purely astronomical basis — the Panji does not fix month lengths but determines them afresh each year from the Sun's actual transit times.