February 2026 runs from Makara (Magha) 19 to Kumbha (Phalguna) 16 in the Odia calendar. Its big days are Magha Purnima (1 February), Maha Shivaratri (15 February) and Phagu Dashami (26 February). Below is every important date of the month, with its rituals.
- Odia months
- Magha and Phalguna
- Sankranti
- Kumbha Sankranti, 13 February
- Purnima
- 1 February
- Amavasya
- 17 February
February 2026Magha 19 – Phalguna 16
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Magha 19Festival, Purnima: Magha Purnima | 2Magha 20 | 3Magha 21 | 4Magha 22Festival: Madhusudan Das's death anniversary; Shab-e-Barat | 5Magha 23 | 6Magha 24 | 7Magha 25 |
| 8Magha 26 | 9Magha 27 | 10Magha 28 | 11Magha 29 | 12Magha 30Festival: Swami Dayananda Saraswati Jayanti | 13Phalguna 1Ekadashi, Sankranti: Kumbha Sankranti; Pankoddhara Ekadashi | 14Phalguna 2 |
| 15Phalguna 3Festival: Maha Shivaratri | 16Phalguna 4 | 17Phalguna 5Amavasya: Amavasya | 18Phalguna 6 | 19Phalguna 7Festival: Ramzan begins; Ramakrishna Paramahansa Jayanti | 20Phalguna 8 | 21Phalguna 9 |
| 22Phalguna 10 | 23Phalguna 11 | 24Phalguna 12 | 25Phalguna 13 | 26Phalguna 14Festival: Phagu Dashami | 27Phalguna 15Ekadashi: Papanashini Ekadashi | 28Phalguna 16Festival: Gobinda Dwadashi |
Important dates in February 2026
| Date | Festival or observance |
|---|---|
| 1 FebruarySunday | Magha Purnima |
| 4 FebruaryWednesday | Madhusudan Das's death anniversary; Shab-e-Barat |
| 12 FebruaryThursday | Swami Dayananda Saraswati Jayanti |
| 13 FebruaryFriday | Kumbha Sankranti; Pankoddhara Ekadashi |
| 15 FebruarySunday | Maha Shivaratri |
| 17 FebruaryTuesday | Amavasya |
| 19 FebruaryThursday | Ramzan begins; Ramakrishna Paramahansa Jayanti |
| 26 FebruaryThursday | Phagu Dashami |
| 27 FebruaryFriday | Papanashini Ekadashi |
| 28 FebruarySaturday | Gobinda Dwadashi |
Rituals, date by date
1 February: Magha Purnima
Families bathe in rivers and the sea at dawn and give to charity, and the month-long Magha brata ends. At Puri, Jagannath wears the Gaja Uddharana Besha, recalling Vishnu saving the elephant king.
Why it matters: One of the holiest full moons of the year for a bath and for charity.
4 February: Madhusudan Das's death anniversary; Shab-e-Barat
Odisha pays tribute to Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das, who led the movement for a separate Odisha. Muslims keep Shab-e-Barat with night-long prayers and visits to family graves.
12 February: Swami Dayananda Saraswati Jayanti
Arya Samaj centres hold havans, fire offerings, and readings for the founder of the Arya Samaj.
13 February: Kumbha Sankranti; Pankoddhara Ekadashi
The Sun enters a new sign and a new Odia month begins; families bathe at dawn and pray to the Sun. It is also an Ekadashi: families fast from rice and other grains, worship Vishnu, and break the fast after sunrise the next day.
15 February: Maha Shivaratri
Devotees fast through the day, pour water and milk on the Shiva linga and stay awake all night (Jagara). At Lingaraj in Bhubaneswar, the fast is broken once the Mahadeepa, a great lamp, is raised to the top of the temple.
Why it matters: The great night of Shiva, kept in every Shiva temple in Odisha.
In Koraput: The Gupteswar cave temple, 76 km from Koraput town, draws about 2 lakh devotees for Shivaratri.
17 February: Amavasya
A day for offerings of water and sesame to the ancestors (tarpana); many families avoid starting new work.
19 February: Ramzan begins; Ramakrishna Paramahansa Jayanti
Muslims begin the month of fasting from dawn to sunset, with the evening meal (iftar) shared with family. Ramakrishna Missions hold pujas and readings for Sri Ramakrishna.
26 February: Phagu Dashami
The deities are smeared with abira, coloured powder, and dressed for Holi (Chachery Besha at Puri); the Dola festivities begin in temples and villages.
Why it matters: The start of the spring festival that ends with Dola Purnima and Holi.
27 February: Papanashini Ekadashi
Families fast from rice and other grains, worship Vishnu, and break the fast after sunrise the next day.
28 February: Gobinda Dwadashi
Pilgrims bathe in the sea at Puri, a dip said to wash away sins, and visit the Jagannath temple.
Koraput in February
February is still cool and dry, and nights stay cold, so pack warm clothes. Deomali's views are clear, and Gupteswar is at its busiest for Shivaratri.
January 2026 · March 2026 · How the Odia calendar works, and every month
Dates from the Kohinoor Press Sankhyepa Panjika 2026, Cuttack.
