Why the dates move every year
Most Telangana festivals follow the lunar calendar, not the Gregorian one. A lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar year, so a festival fixed to a lunar date drifts backwards through the seasons — until a leap month (adhika masa) is inserted and it jumps forward again. That is why Ugadi can fall in late March one year and early April the next.
Two festivals here are exceptions. Sankranti tracks the sun's entry into Capricorn, so it lands on 14–15 January almost every year. The rest move.
Bathukamma & Dasara
Bathukamma runs for nine days and ends with Saddula Bathukamma, which falls two days before Dasara. So once you know the Dasara date, you know the festival.
| Year | Saddula Bathukamma | Dasara (Vijayadashami) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday 18 October | Tuesday 20 October |
| 2027 | Thursday 7 October | Saturday 9 October |
| 2028 | Monday 25 September | Wednesday 27 September |
| 2029 | Sunday 14 October | Tuesday 16 October |
| 2030 | Thursday 3 October | Saturday 5 October |
How to read this: the Dasara dates are taken from published panchangam calculations. Saddula Bathukamma is derived from them by the two-day rule above, and the nine-day festival begins nine days before that. We have deliberately not printed a "Bathukamma begins" date, because the opening day depends on when the tithi actually starts and reputable sources differ by a day. For the year in front of you, the Telangana government's general-holidays order is the authority.
Bonalu
Bonalu is not a single day. It unfolds across the Telugu month of Ashadam — roughly July into August — moving temple by temple over several weeks. It opens at the Jagadamba temple at Golconda, passes through the Ujjaini Mahankali temple in Secunderabad, and reaches the Old City temples including Lal Darwaza in the following weeks.
The state marks one day of it as a general holiday. In 2026 that day is 8 August.
Ugadi, Sankranti and the rest
- Ugadi — the Telugu new year, first day of Chaitra. 19 March 2026; 7 April 2027.
- Sankranti — the solar harvest festival, and the one fixed point in the calendar. Bhogi falls on 14 January and Sankranti on 15 January in most years, including 2026.
- Vinayaka Chaviti, Sri Rama Navami, Krishnashtami, Deepavali — all lunar, all moving; check the year's holiday order.
- Ramzan and Bakrid — set by moon sighting, so even the official list treats them as provisional until confirmed.
Dates on this page come from published panchangam calculations and, for 2026, the Telangana general-holidays order as reported. Lunar dates can shift by a day depending on the calculation and the sighting, and the state order is what governs offices, banks and schools. Treat this page as a planning aid, not a legal calendar. See also how Telangana's holiday list works, Bathukamma and Bonalu. Last reviewed .