Questions people ask
Why is a festival sometimes a day earlier in the UK than in India?
A festival follows the lunar day (tithi) that is running at a set time, such as sunrise or the evening. UK sunrise comes about five and a half hours after India’s, so a tithi that starts in that gap is already running at a UK sunrise but not at India’s. The festival list shows the reason for each festival where the days differ.
Are the times in GMT or BST?
Every time on the site, in the calendar feed and in the PDF says GMT or BST, whichever is in force on that date. India times say IST. UK clocks go back on the last Sunday of October and forward on the last Sunday of March.
I don’t live in London, Leicester, Birmingham or Manchester. Which city should I choose?
Choose the nearest. Festival days are the same across the UK in almost every year; sunrise and puja times differ by a few minutes from city to city.
My temple keeps a different day. Which is right?
Both can be right: some festivals follow different rules in different traditions (for example Smarta and Vaishnava). We calculate the day for your city by the rule shown with each festival and mark the festivals where traditions differ. For your own rituals, your temple’s day is the one your community keeps.
How do I add the festivals to my phone’s calendar?
Use the “Add the festival dates to my calendar” button on the home page, which opens the step-by-step calendar help for iPhone, Android or Outlook. It is free and you can remove it any time.
Will the calendar update itself?
Yes. Your phone checks for changes; iPhone and Outlook usually within 12 hours, Google Calendar sometimes only once a day. If the dates never change, they were imported instead of subscribed; the calendar help shows how to fix it.
On Android, Google said “Calendar was successfully added”, but no festivals show. Why?
Google’s Calendar app on Android phones can say that without adding the calendar. Add it once from a computer; the Android steps in the calendar help show how, and can email you the link for your computer. Then turn on its Sync in the app (next answer).
I added the calendar on a computer. Why isn’t it in the Google Calendar app on my phone?
The app keeps a calendar added on the web out of sight until you turn on its Sync. In the Google Calendar app:
- Tap the three lines at the top left, scroll to the bottom and tap Settings.
- Under your Gmail address, tap “Hindu festivals · London” (tap Show more if it isn’t listed). At the top, turn Sync on.
The calendar’s name ends with your city. The festivals can take a few hours to show the first time.
I use Samsung’s own Calendar app. How do I see the festivals there?
First add the calendar with the Android steps, including turning on its Sync in the Google Calendar app. Then open Samsung Calendar, tap the three lines and tick “Hindu festivals · London”. The calendar’s name ends with your city. The Android steps are in the calendar help.
Can I print the dates?
Yes. Each city has an A4 PDF of the current month and the next 12 months, made to print well in black and white. Download it from the home page.
Is it free? Do I need to sign in?
It is free, with no sign-in and no ads.
Do you use cookies or track me?
No cookies. Your chosen city is kept only on your phone. We count visits without knowing who you are; the privacy page explains it.
How do you work out the dates?
From the positions of the Sun and Moon for your city, by the same observed-sky method modern panchangs use. Every update is checked against published festival dates before it goes live. See how we work out the dates.
What is a tithi, and why does it change in the middle of the day?
A tithi is a lunar day: the time the Moon takes to move 12° further from the Sun. It doesn’t follow the clock, so it can begin and end at any hour. The day is named after the tithi running at sunrise.
Do you show fasts such as Ekadashi, including the ISKCON day?
Fasts, with their fast-breaking (parana) times and reminders the evening before, come in the next update in early November. Where the Smarta and Vaishnava (ISKCON) days differ, we will show both.
Why do other calendars show a different time?
Some calendars show India’s time, or forget that UK clocks change between GMT and BST. Ours are worked out for your UK city and always say GMT or BST. A time can also differ by a minute because of rounding.
Are there ads?
No. If ads ever come, they will never sit next to dates, times or devotional text, and there will be no pop-ups. See the ad policy.
Can you do my kundali, horoscope or a reading?
No. We show dates and times only. For a reading, please speak to a priest or astrologer you trust.
Can I see a family date, such as a death anniversary (shraddh) tithi, every year?
Not yet. Personal tithi dates that repeat every year are planned for spring 2027.
Is it in Gujarati or Hindi?
English for now. Gujarati is planned for December, checked by a native speaker, with more languages after that.
Is there an app?
The site works on your phone like an app, with nothing to install. To keep it one tap away, use your browser’s Share or menu button and choose Add to Home Screen.
Something looks wrong. How do I tell you?
Use Feedback under any date, or email [email protected]. A wrong date or time is checked within 2 days.
Another question? Ask us. We add the questions people send.