Nagula Chavithi (నాగుల చవితి) 2026 is on Friday, November 13, 2026 in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and all of India. In Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, San Jose and Seattle it is on Thursday, November 12; in New York, Jersey City, Chicago, Atlanta, Toronto, London, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney it is on Friday, November 13.
Nagula Chavithi, also called Naga Chaturthi, is the Telugu festival of the Nagas, the serpent beings. It falls on the fourth day of the bright half of Kartika, a few days after Diwali, and is kept above all in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and today by Telugu families all over the world. Early in the morning, before sunrise, devotees go to an anthill or to a snake idol and offer milk, turmeric and flowers, praying for the welfare of the family and for protection from harm by snakes. It is the Kartika month's own day of Naga worship, just as Naag Panchami is earlier in the year.
Astika, who saved the serpents
The Mahabharata tells why the serpents themselves were once in great danger, and who saved them.
Kadru and Vinata were wives of the sage Kashyapa, and Kadru was the mother of a thousand serpents. One day the two saw the heavenly horse Uchchaihshravas and made a wager about its colour. Vinata said the horse was all white; Kadru said its tail was black. Whoever lost would become the other's servant. To be sure of winning, Kadru told her serpent sons to turn into black hairs and cover the horse's tail. They refused to take part in the trick, and in her anger Kadru cursed them: in the great snake sacrifice of King Janamejaya, the fire would burn them all.
The frightened serpents gathered around their king Vasuki. The wise serpent Elapatra remembered what Brahma had told the gods: a sage named Jaratkaru would marry a wife with the same name as himself, and their son Astika would stop the sacrifice. Vasuki's own sister was named Jaratkaru, so Vasuki gave her in marriage to the sage, and Astika was born to them.
Many years later King Janamejaya, son of Parikshit, began his snake sacrifice, and serpents by the thousands fell into the fire. Only Takshaka was missing, for he was hiding with Indra. The king ordered that Takshaka be drawn in even if Indra came with him, and Takshaka began to fall towards the flames. At that moment the boy Astika, who had praised the sacrifice so wisely that the king had offered him any boon, made his request. He did not want gold, silver or cattle. He asked only that the sacrifice end, so that his mother's people would be saved. Astika called out to Takshaka three times, and Takshaka stayed hanging in the sky and did not fall. The king said, "Let it be as Astika has said," and the sacrifice ended.
The grateful serpents offered Astika a boon. He asked that anyone who reads or hears this story with attention should have no fear of them. The Mahabharata says that remembering Astika keeps one safe from snakes, and that telling this story drives away all fear of snakes. It is a good story to tell the children on Nagula Chavithi morning.
Nagula Chavithi 2026, city by city
Click your city for the full page, with sunrise, moonrise and the panchang of the day.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (Friday, November 13)
- Hyderabad, Telangana: Friday, November 13
- Warangal, Telangana: Friday, November 13
- Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: Friday, November 13
- Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh: Friday, November 13
- Guntur, Andhra Pradesh: Friday, November 13
- Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh: Friday, November 13
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (Friday, November 13)
- Bangalore, Karnataka: Friday, November 13
- Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Friday, November 13
United States
- New York City, New York: Friday, November 13
- Jersey City, New Jersey: Friday, November 13
- Atlanta, Georgia: Friday, November 13
- Chicago, Illinois: Friday, November 13
- Dallas, Texas: Thursday, November 12
- Houston, Texas: Thursday, November 12
- Phoenix, Arizona: Thursday, November 12
- San Jose, California: Thursday, November 12
- Seattle, Washington: Thursday, November 12
Canada and United Kingdom (Friday, November 13)
- Toronto, Ontario: Friday, November 13
- London, England: Friday, November 13
Dubai, Singapore and Australia (Friday, November 13)
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Friday, November 13
- Singapore: Friday, November 13
- Sydney, New South Wales: Friday, November 13
The day is not the same in every American city this year, so please check the page for your own city. Your city is not here? Open mypanchang.com/nagulachavithi.php and choose your city. In Telugu: నాగుల చవితి
For the full sankalpa for any day and your city: mypanchang.com/sankalpa
May the Naga devatas bless your family with health, children and long life, and keep every home safe from all harm. Wishing you a blessed Nagula Chavithi.
Pundit Mahesh Shastri
www.mypanchang.com
