Kharmas 2026, Start and End Dates and When Weddings Resume

Kharmas 2026 starts on Wednesday, 16 December 2026, when the Sun enters Dhanu at 10:29 am, and ends with Makara Sankranti on 15 January 2027, as per Drik Panchang for New Delhi. No marriage muhurat is listed in between. The last wedding date before it is 12 December 2026, and the first one after it is 15 January 2027.

The same season has a second Kharmas. It runs from 15 March to 14 April 2027, while the Sun is in Meena.

What Is Kharmas?

Kharmas is the solar month in which the Sun moves through Dhanu (Sagittarius) or Meena (Pisces), the two signs ruled by Jupiter. Each one lasts about a month. North Indian families also call it Malmas, and in Hindi people often ask about "kharmas me shadi", meaning whether a wedding can be held in it.

Drik Panchang's note on choosing marriage dates cites Muhurta Chintamani. It lists six solar months as good for marriage: Mesha, Vrishabha, Mithuna, Vrischika, Makara and Kumbha. Dhanu and Meena are on the list of months to avoid, and Drik Panchang adds that the Dhanu month "is also known as Kharmas".

Kharmas Dates for 2026 and 2027

All times are New Delhi time from Drik Panchang's sankranti lists for 2026 and 2027. The moment of sankranti is the same everywhere in India, but the date can shift by a day for some regional calendars, because they count from sunrise or sunset.

Why Are Marriages Not Done in Kharmas?

The reason given in the muhurat texts is simple. The Sun in Jupiter's signs is not counted as a good time to start a household, so the solar month as a whole is left out. Drik Panchang applies this rule to every Indian city on its marriage calendar, which is why its lists for New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai all go blank in the same weeks.

Families who follow the rule are not marking these weeks as bad luck in daily life. Pujas, temple visits, fasting and charity carry on. It is the big samskaras, such as marriage and the griha pravesh of a new house, that most families hold back. The exact list varies, so ask your family priest what your tradition stops.

Last and First Wedding Dates Around Each Kharmas

Times are for New Delhi from Drik Panchang. Prokerala agrees on the edges. Its last 2026 window is in the early hours of 12 December, and its first 2027 window starts on the night of 14 January and runs to 2:13 pm on 15 January.

Notice the April gap. Meena Kharmas ends on 14 April 2027, but Drik Panchang finds no good nakshatra, yoga or karana for three more days. So the first April date is 18 April, not 15 April.

Can Engagement Be Done in Kharmas?

Practice differs. Drik Panchang and Prokerala publish no separate engagement list, so there is no single rule to quote. Some families hold a small roka or sagai in Kharmas because no pheras take place. Others wait for the next muhurat day.

If both families want to be safe, hold the engagement on one of the marriage days just before Kharmas starts, such as 2 to 12 December 2026, or just after it ends. Our engagement muhurat guide explains how priests usually pick a day.

What Can You Do During Kharmas?

These weeks are useful for the work that comes before a wedding.

1. Finish the biodata and send it out. A month without weddings is a good time to collect horoscopes and exchange profiles. You can make a marriage biodata with rasi, nakshatra and lagna filled in, and download it as a PDF or a JPG.
2. Get horoscopes matched. Our guide to kundli milan explains the 36-point system.
3. Shortlist halls and caterers for the dates after Kharmas. Our January 2027 list has every date from 15 January.
4. Shop for jewellery and clothes, if your family has no custom against buying in Kharmas. Some families do avoid big purchases, so ask the elders first.

Is Margazhi the Same as Kharmas?

Margazhi, the Tamil month, starts with the same Dhanu Sankranti and ends with Thai, which begins on Pongal. In 2027 Pongal falls on 15 January, the same day Kharmas ends. Many Tamil families avoid weddings in Margazhi, and it is also called Dhanurmas in parts of South India, a month given to early-morning worship.

So for most Hindu families in North and South India, the winter gap is the same few weeks, even though the names differ. Meena Kharmas lines up with the Tamil month of Panguni, but Tamil practice on Panguni weddings differs between families, so ask your jothidar.