Can We Marry in Paush Month? Why It Is Avoided and the Paush Dates

Most North Indian Hindu families do not marry in Paush, because most of the lunar month of Paush falls in Dhanu Kharmas, the solar month when weddings are avoided. In 2026-27, Paush runs from 24 December 2026 to 22 January 2027 in the North Indian calendar, as per Drik Panchang for New Delhi.

Kharmas ends on Makara Sankranti, 15 January 2027, and Drik Panchang lists marriage dates again from that day, even though Paush has a week left.

So the honest answer is "mostly no, but it depends on whether your family goes by the lunar month or the solar one". This page explains the difference, with dates.

Paush Dates for 2026-27 and 2027-28

Paush (also written Pausha, Pausa or Poush) is the tenth month of the Hindu lunar year. In the purnimanta calendar used across North India, a month ends on the full moon.

All dates are from Drik Panchang for New Delhi. The Sankranti moment is the same everywhere in India, but the dates of the lunar month can shift by a day in other cities, so check your local panchang.

Why Marriages Are Not Done in Paush

The real reason is Kharmas. Kharmas is the solar month when the Sun is in Dhanu (Sagittarius), one of the two signs ruled by Jupiter. Muhurat texts treat that month as unfit for marriage. Drik Panchang's note on choosing marriage dates, which cites Muhurta Chintamani, lists Dhanu among the solar months to avoid and says it is also known as Kharmas.

Dhanu Kharmas runs from mid-December to mid-January every year. The lunar month of Paush falls almost entirely inside it. Over generations, many families came to say "no weddings in Paush", when the rule underneath is "no weddings while the Sun is in Dhanu".

Our page on Kharmas 2026 has the full Kharmas dates and the last and first wedding dates around each one.

The Days Where Paush and Kharmas Do Not Overlap

Because Paush is lunar and Kharmas is solar, the two do not line up exactly. That leaves a few days that some panchangs allow and some families avoid.

January 2027, After Makara Sankranti but Still in Paush

Drik Panchang's marriage list for New Delhi has these dates between Makara Sankranti and Paush Purnima:

These days are in Paush by the lunar calendar but outside Kharmas. Drik Panchang treats them as valid marriage days. A family that avoids the whole lunar month of Paush would wait for the first date after Paush Purnima, which is Sunday, 24 January 2027 (10:20 am to 9:29 pm, Magha nakshatra).

December 2027, When Paush Starts Before Kharmas

In 2027-28 it works the other way round. Paush begins on 14 December 2027, two days before Dhanu Sankranti. Drik Panchang lists Tuesday, 14 December 2027, from 7:05 am to 1:24 pm (Mrigashira), as a marriage day for New Delhi. It is the first day of Paush and the last wedding day before Kharmas.

By the end of this Paush there is no overlap problem. Paush ends on 12 January 2028, and Kharmas ends on 15 January 2028. Drik Panchang's first January 2028 marriage date for New Delhi is Saturday, 15 January (7:15 am to 11:25 am, Magha).

If your wedding date is one of these edge days, ask your family pandit which rule your family follows before you book the hall.

Is Paush Month Good for Marriage in Every Region?

No, practice differs by region, because India uses more than one calendar.

Amanta States

In the amanta calendar, used in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, a month ends on the new moon. So the month called Pausha (Pushya in Telugu) starts about a fortnight later than in the North. In 2027 it runs from 8 January, the day after the new moon of 7 January, to the new moon of 6 February.

Most of that amanta month falls after Makara Sankranti, outside Kharmas. That is why a Telugu wedding calendar can show many dates in Pushya. Our Telugu marriage dates 2027 page lists them.

The Solar Calendars of the East

Bengali families use a solar calendar, and the Bengali month of Poush is the month when the Sun is in Dhanu, that is, the Kharmas month itself.

Bengali families traditionally avoid weddings in Poush, along with Bhadra and Chaitra. Drik Panchang's Kolkata list has no marriage dates in Poush. Our Bengali marriage dates 2027 page shows this month by month. Assam's Puh and Odisha's Pausa are also solar months tied to Dhanu, so families there follow the same idea.

The Tamil Month of Margazhi

The Tamil month of Margazhi starts with the same Dhanu Sankranti and ends at Thai (Pongal). Many Tamil families do not hold weddings in Margazhi, which they keep for early-morning worship. In practice, the South Indian winter gap and the North Indian Paush gap cover nearly the same weeks.

Other Faiths

The Paush and Kharmas rules are Hindu muhurat rules. Muslim, Christian and Sikh families do not follow them, and a nikah, a church wedding or an Anand Karaj can be held in these weeks. Court marriage registration also goes on as usual.

What Families Do in Paush Instead

Paush is a good month to finish the work that comes before a wedding. Many families use it to exchange biodatas, get the kundli matched, and book halls for the dates after Makara Sankranti. If you are at that stage, you can make a marriage biodata with the rasi, nakshatra and lagna filled in from the date, time and place of birth.

Some families also hold a small roka or sagai in Paush, since there are no pheras. Others wait. There is no single published rule for engagements, so ask the elders.