Ardra (Thiruvathirai) star in the Tamil month Margazhi · Tamil Nadu, Kerala

Arudra Darshan 2026

Thiruvathirai · Thiruvathira

Moonrise in Chennai
6:12 PM
Thursday, 24 December 2026
Ardra nakshatra: Thu 24 Dec, 4:52 AM → Fri 25 Dec, 1:46 AM

Moonrise in major cities

Thursday, 24 December 2026 · All times in IST

CityMoonrise
Delhi5:47 PM
Mumbai6:30 PM
Bengaluru6:24 PM
Kolkata5:16 PM
Chennai6:12 PM
Hyderabad6:10 PM
Ahmedabad6:21 PM
Pune6:27 PM
Jaipur5:58 PM
Lucknow5:36 PM
Surat6:25 PM
Kanpur5:40 PM
Nagpur5:59 PM
Indore6:08 PM
Bhopal6:00 PM
Patna5:22 PM
Vadodara6:21 PM
Ghaziabad5:46 PM
Ludhiana5:46 PM
Agra5:48 PM

About this festival

Arudra Darshan celebrates the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva as Nataraja, on the Ardra (Thiruvathirai) star in the month Margazhi, usually at or near the full moon. The festival is grandest at the Chidambaram Nataraja temple. In Kerala the same day is Thiruvathira, when women perform Thiruvathira kali.

How it is observed

  • Pre-dawn abhishekam and darshan of Nataraja.
  • Thiruvathirai kali, a sweet of rice and jaggery, with ezhu kari kootu.

All dates

DateNotes
Saturday, 3 January 2026Ardra nakshatra: Fri 2 Jan, 8:03 PM → Sat 3 Jan, 5:27 PM
Thursday, 24 December 2026Ardra nakshatra: Thu 24 Dec, 4:52 AM → Fri 25 Dec, 1:46 AM

Questions people ask

Can Arudra Darshan happen twice in a calendar year?

Yes. Margazhi spans December and January, so a year can have one in early January and another in late December.

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