Bhishma Ashtami 2026
Bhishma Ashtami 2026 falls on Monday, Monday, January 26, 2026. Observed on: magha shukla 8.
Exact date, puja muhurat & city-wise timings for Bhishma Ashtami 2026
Key Information
Festival Date
Monday, January 26, 2026
2026 Calendar Context
Weekday
Monday
Vikram Samvat
2083
Shaka Samvat
1948
This year Bhishma Ashtami falls on a Monday, 10 days earlier than 2025 (2025-02-05) — typical lunar-calendar drift.
Falling on a Monday brings a Chandra emphasis — lunar rites and milk/rice offerings carry extra weight, especially for the moon-sensitive nakshatras.
The 2025 observance fell on Wednesday, 2025-02-05 — this year arrives 10 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, the familiar 11-day shift of the unmodified lunar year.
Looking ahead to 2027, Bhishma Ashtami will fall on Sunday, 2027-02-14 (19 days later than this year). So planning ritual schedules across years means anchoring to the tithi rather than the Gregorian date.
Astronomical context for Bhishma Ashtami 2026
On Monday, January 26, 2026, sunrise in Delhi (the reference city for this page) falls at 07:12 IST and sunset at 17:55 IST — a daylight span of 10h 43m. Across the six pan-Indian cities tabulated below, sunrise on this date varies from 06:17 (Kolkata) at the eastern edge to 07:14 (Mumbai) in the west — a 57-minute difference that drives the city-by-city muhurat shift you see in the table.
For Bhishma Ashtami 2026, the central rite of udaya tithi (sunrise) depends on the Magha Shukla 8 being present during that window on 2026-01-26 — confirmed across 6 reference cities in this year's computation pass. Cities further east (Kolkata, Chennai) see the window open ~15-25 minutes before Delhi; cities west of Delhi (Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore) see it start later by a similar margin.
City-Wise Timings for Bhishma Ashtami 2026
| City | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 7:12 AM | 5:55 PM |
| Mumbai | 7:14 AM | 6:27 PM |
| Bangalore | 6:46 AM | 6:17 PM |
| Chennai | 6:35 AM | 6:07 PM |
| Kolkata | 6:17 AM | 5:20 PM |
| Pune | 7:09 AM | 6:24 PM |
Click any city for detailed local timings, puja vidhi & samagri list
Why This Date?
Bhishma Ashtami follows the Udaya Tithi rule – the festival is observed on the day when the required tithi prevails at sunrise. This is the default Dharmasindhu convention for festivals without a special time-window requirement.
Deity
Bhishma Pitamah, Lord Vishnu
Legend & History
Bhishma Ashtami honours the great warrior Bhishma Pitamah of the Mahabharata, son of King Shantanu and Goddess Ganga. After being fatally wounded by Arjuna, Bhishma lay on a bed of arrows and chose to… Read full legend →Show less ↑
Bhishma Ashtami honours the great warrior Bhishma Pitamah of the Mahabharata, son of King Shantanu and Goddess Ganga. After being fatally wounded by Arjuna, Bhishma lay on a bed of arrows and chose to depart on this day during Uttarayana, exercising his boon of Iccha Mrityu (death at will). His selfless vow of lifelong celibacy (Bhishma Pratigya) and unwavering dharma make him one of the most revered figures in Hindu tradition.
How to Observe
Devotees perform Tarpan (water libation) for Bhishma, even those without departed ancestors, as he died without progeny. Sesame seeds and water are offered while facing the north. Recitation of Bhishma Stuti and Vishnu Sahasranama – which Bhishma narrated from his deathbed – is considered highly meritorious.
Significance
Bhishma Ashtami teaches the values of sacrifice, unwavering resolve, and adherence to one's vow (Pratigya). Offering Tarpan on this day is believed to be equivalent to offering it to all ancestors. It is the only day when Tarpan is offered to someone who was neither a father nor a direct ancestor.
Looking for Bhishma Ashtami 2027?
Bhishma Ashtami 2027 Date & Muhurat