Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026: Date in India, USA, Canada and UK
Guru Nanak Jayanti is on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. It is the 557th Prakash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who was born in 1469 at Rai Bhoi di Talwandi, now Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.
Gurdwaras in India and abroad keep the date set by the SGPC calendar from Amritsar, so the 24th is the day you'll see on gurdwara notices from Delhi to Toronto. But if you live in Vancouver, Calgary or San Francisco and look at a Hindu panchang, you'll see Monday, 23 November instead. Both are correct. Here's why, and what it means for your family.
Why Gurpurab falls on Kartik Purnima
Guru Nanak's birth anniversary is kept on Katak di Puranmashi, the full moon of the month of Kartik in the lunar calendar. That's why the English date moves every year: 5 November in 2025, 24 November in 2026, 14 November in 2027.
The same full moon is Kartik Purnima for Hindus. In Varanasi it is Dev Deepawali, in Tamil Nadu Karthigai Deepam, and across North India a day for a dawn bath in the Ganga or any river nearby. So on 24 November, a lot of India is lighting lamps for different reasons on the same night.
The full moon tithi in 2026
In India, Purnima begins at 11:42 PM IST on Monday, 23 November and ends at 8:23 PM IST on Tuesday, 24 November. The rule for a full moon day is simple: it's the day Purnima is running at sunrise. In India that's Tuesday, with room to spare.
A tithi starts and ends at the same instant everywhere on earth. What differs is your local sunrise. On the US West Coast and in western Canada, Purnima ends early on Tuesday morning, before the sun comes up. So the only sunrise that falls inside Purnima there is Monday's.
Kartik Purnima 2026 by city
These are the dates a panchang gives for each place, calculated for that city's own sunrise. Purnima times are local.
| City | Purnima begins | Purnima ends | Kartik Purnima day |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Delhi, Amritsar, Mumbai (all India) | Mon 23 Nov, 11:42 PM | Tue 24 Nov, 8:23 PM | Tue 24 Nov |
| London, Birmingham | Mon 23 Nov, 6:12 PM | Tue 24 Nov, 2:53 PM | Tue 24 Nov |
| Dubai | Mon 23 Nov, 10:12 PM | Tue 24 Nov, 6:53 PM | Tue 24 Nov |
| New York, New Jersey | Mon 23 Nov, 1:12 PM | Tue 24 Nov, 9:53 AM | Tue 24 Nov |
| Toronto, Brampton | Mon 23 Nov, 1:12 PM | Tue 24 Nov, 9:53 AM | Tue 24 Nov |
| Chicago, Houston | Mon 23 Nov, 12:12 PM | Tue 24 Nov, 8:53 AM | Tue 24 Nov |
| Los Angeles | Mon 23 Nov, 10:12 AM | Tue 24 Nov, 6:53 AM | Tue 24 Nov |
| San Francisco | Mon 23 Nov, 10:12 AM | Tue 24 Nov, 6:53 AM | Mon 23 Nov |
| Vancouver, Surrey | Mon 23 Nov, 11:12 AM | Tue 24 Nov, 7:53 AM | Mon 23 Nov |
| Calgary | Mon 23 Nov, 12:12 PM | Tue 24 Nov, 8:53 AM | Mon 23 Nov |
| Sydney, Melbourne | Tue 24 Nov, 5:12 AM | Wed 25 Nov, 1:53 AM | Tue 24 Nov |
Los Angeles and San Francisco have the same Purnima times, so why the different dates? Sunrise in Los Angeles on the 24th is 6:34 AM, before Purnima ends at 6:53 AM. San Francisco's sunrise is 6:59 AM, six minutes too late.
So which day do you celebrate?
For Gurpurab, go by your gurdwara. The akhand path, the morning diwan and langar are arranged by the gurdwara committee, and they follow the SGPC date of 24 November. Gurdwaras outside India often hold the nagar kirtan on the nearest weekend so more of the sangat can join, so check your local gurdwara's notice.
For Kartik Purnima rituals (the Purnima vrat, Satyanarayan katha, a river bath or deep daan), Hindu families in Vancouver, Calgary and San Francisco would normally follow the local panchang, which says Monday the 23rd.
Many Punjabi families do both, and the one-day gap doesn't stop anyone from doing that.
How Gurpurab is celebrated
The celebrations start well before the day.
- Prabhat pheris in the weeks before: early morning processions through the neighbourhood, singing shabads.
- Akhand Path: a continuous, 48-hour reading of the Guru Granth Sahib from start to finish, timed to end on the morning of Gurpurab.
- Nagar Kirtan: a procession led by the Panj Pyare, with the Guru Granth Sahib carried in a decorated palki, usually a day or two before. Expect gatka displays, bands and the whole street served tea and snacks.
- On the day: Asa di Var in the early hours, then kirtan, katha about the Guru's life and teachings, and langar for everyone who walks in. In the evening gurdwaras are lit up, and many families light diyas at home.
At the centre of it all are Guru Nanak's three teachings: Naam Japna (keep God in mind), Kirat Karni (earn honestly) and Vand Chhakna (share what you have). Langar is the third one in practice: anyone can sit on the floor and eat, whoever they are.
Check the full moon for your city
Kartik Purnima date, tithi and moonrise for wherever you live.
You can also see every full moon of the year on our Purnima dates page, or open the Vancouver panchang to see the tithi change for yourself.
Quick answers
When is Guru Nanak Jayanti in 2026?
Tuesday, 24 November 2026. It's the 557th Prakash Purab.
Is Gurpurab on the same day in Canada and the USA?
Gurdwaras keep the SGPC date, Tuesday 24 November. The Hindu panchang puts Kartik Purnima on Monday 23 November in Vancouver, Surrey, Calgary and San Francisco, because the full moon tithi ends before sunrise there on the 24th.
When does the Purnima tithi start and end?
From 11:42 PM IST on Monday, 23 November to 8:23 PM IST on Tuesday, 24 November 2026.
Is Dev Deepawali on the same day?
Yes, in India. Dev Deepawali in Varanasi and Karthigai Deepam in Tamil Nadu are both on Tuesday, 24 November 2026.
When is Guru Nanak Jayanti in 2027?
Sunday, 14 November 2027.