May 2026 runs from Mesha (Baisakha) 18 to Brusha (Jyeshtha) 17 in the Odia calendar. Its big days are Buddha Purnima (1 May), Savitri Brata (16 May) and Mala masa (the extra month) begins (17 May). Below is every important date of the month, with its rituals.
- Odia months
- Baisakha and Jyeshtha
- Sankranti
- Brusha Sankranti, 15 May
- Purnima
- 1 May
- Amavasya
- 16 May
May 2026Baisakha 18 – Jyeshtha 17
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Baisakha 18Festival, Purnima: Buddha Purnima; Chandan Purnima; May Day | 2Baisakha 19 | |||||
| 3Baisakha 20 | 4Baisakha 21 | 5Baisakha 22 | 6Baisakha 23 | 7Baisakha 24 | 8Baisakha 25 | 9Baisakha 26 |
| 10Baisakha 27 | 11Baisakha 28 | 12Baisakha 29 | 13Baisakha 30 | 14Baisakha 31 | 15Jyeshtha 1Sankranti: Brusha Sankranti | 16Jyeshtha 2Festival, Amavasya: Savitri Brata |
| 17Jyeshtha 3Festival: Mala masa (the extra month) begins | 18Jyeshtha 4 | 19Jyeshtha 5 | 20Jyeshtha 6 | 21Jyeshtha 7 | 22Jyeshtha 8 | 23Jyeshtha 9 |
| 24Jyeshtha 10 | 25Jyeshtha 11 | 26Jyeshtha 12 | 27Jyeshtha 13Festival, Ekadashi: Purushottami Ekadashi; Bakrid | 28Jyeshtha 14 | 29Jyeshtha 15 | 30Jyeshtha 16 |
| 31Jyeshtha 17Purnima: Mala Purnima |
Important dates in May 2026
| Date | Festival or observance |
|---|---|
| 1 MayFriday | Buddha Purnima; Chandan Purnima; May Day |
| 15 MayFriday | Brusha Sankranti |
| 16 MaySaturday | Savitri Brata |
| 17 MaySunday | Mala masa (the extra month) begins |
| 27 MayWednesday | Purushottami Ekadashi; Bakrid |
| 31 MaySunday | Mala Purnima |
Rituals, date by date
1 May: Buddha Purnima; Chandan Purnima; May Day
Buddhists mark the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing with prayers and lamps, and the month-long Baisakha brata ends. Workers' unions hold rallies for May Day. Families bathe at dawn, and many hold a Satyanarayana puja in the evening.
Why it matters: The full moon of Baisakha, holy to Buddhists and Hindus alike.
15 May: Brusha Sankranti
The Sun enters a new sign and a new Odia month begins; families bathe at dawn and pray to the Sun.
16 May: Savitri Brata
Married women fast, dress in new clothes, worship a stone as Savitri, listen to the story of Savitri and Satyavan and break the fast with fruit.
Why it matters: Women pray for their husbands' long life, after Savitri, who won her husband back from Yama.
17 May: Mala masa (the extra month) begins
Until 15 June, families avoid weddings, house-warmings and new ventures, and many read scriptures and keep the Purushottami Ekadashi fasts.
Why it matters: The lunar year falls behind the solar one, and an extra month every few years brings them back together. It is why Rath Yatra falls in July this year.
27 May: Purushottami Ekadashi; Bakrid
The first Ekadashi of the extra month, kept with special devotion. Families fast from rice and other grains, worship Vishnu, and break the fast after sunrise the next day. Muslims celebrate Eid-uz-Zuha with prayers at the mosque and a sacrifice shared with family and the poor.
31 May: Mala Purnima
The full moon of the extra month. Families bathe at dawn, and many hold a Satyanarayana puja in the evening.
Koraput in May
May is Koraput's warmest month, yet it stays below 35 °C, so you can skip AC in your hotel room. Mornings suit the hilltops; the afternoons suit Upper Kolab.
April 2026 · June 2026 · How the Odia calendar works, and every month
Dates from the Kohinoor Press Sankhyepa Panjika 2026, Cuttack.
