Panchang · 26 September 2026
Adhik Maas 2026: Why Teej and Raksha Bandhan Came So Late
अधिक मास 2026 — त्योहार देर से क्यों आए
If 2026 felt like the monsoon festivals were running late, you were right. Hariyali Teej fell on 15 August and Raksha Bandhan on 28 August — roughly 19 days later than in 2025. The reason is an Adhik Jyeshtha, an extra lunar month inserted in May–June 2026.
The 11-day problem
Twelve lunar months add up to about 354 days, while the solar year that drives the seasons is about 365¼ days. If nothing were done, Holi would slowly drift into winter and Diwali into the monsoon, the way Ramzan moves through the year in the Islamic calendar.
The fix: a month with no sankranti
Each normal lunar month contains one sankranti — the moment the Sun enters a new zodiac sign. Roughly every 32½ months, a lunar month begins and ends without the Sun changing sign. That month is declared Adhik (extra) and the next one takes the regular name. The calendar has caught up with the seasons again.
What people do in Adhik Maas
- It is also called Purushottam Maas, dedicated to Vishnu, and considered ideal for prayer, charity and reading the Bhagavat.
- Weddings, griha pravesh and mundan are generally avoided — which is why it is also called Mal Maas.
- The two Ekadashis of an Adhik month have their own names: Padmini and Parama Ekadashi.
The ripple effect
Because Adhik Jyeshtha came before Ashadha, every festival from Devshayani Ekadashi to Diwali moved later in the Gregorian calendar. In 2027 there is no Adhik Maas, so festivals swing back about 11 days earlier — Diwali on 29 October 2027 versus 8 November 2026.
See the lunar months for both years on our Hindu months page.