Tihar 2026 in Nepal: Full Dates, Bhai Tika Sahit and Public Holiday Schedule
Tihar 2083 in Nepal runs November 7–11, with Laxmi Puja on Sunday 8 November and Bhai Tika on Wednesday 11 November — plus the public-holiday schedule and the o
By Nepalese Events Australia Editorial
Published: 2026-10-29T05:56:43.000000Z
Category: Festivals
Tihar 2083 — the festival of lights — runs Saturday 7 November to Wednesday 11 November, 2026 in Nepal, closing the biggest fortnight of the Nepali year.
• Kag Tihar: Saturday, 7 November
• Kukur Tihar & Laxmi Puja: Sunday, 8 November — puja at local sunset
• Gai Tihar: Monday, 9 November
• Govardhan Puja / Mha Puja: Tuesday, 10 November
• Bhai Tika: Wednesday, 11 November (Kartik 25, 2083)
Public holidays
The government's published holiday window for Tihar 2083 covers Laxmi Puja through Bhai Tika — Sunday 8 through Wednesday 11 November — with Govardhan Puja/Mha Puja (Tuesday 10) also marking Nepal Sambat 1147, the New Year of the Nepal era. Banks, government offices and most private workplaces close across the period; transport and remittance counters run holiday hours.
The Bhai Tika sahit
The Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti announces the official Bhai Tika sahit only days before the festival — for 2082 it was 11:39 AM and for 2081 it was 11:37 AM, keeping the late-morning Abhijit muhurta pattern. Expect the 2083 announcement in the same ~11:30–11:45 AM NPT window; the worldwide Bhai Tika sahit er carries the official 2083 time with local conversions, and Nepal time now shows the live clock for diaspora families timing calls.
The rhythm of the five days
Kag Tihar opens the festival with offerings to crows; Sunday's combined Kukur Tihar and Laxmi Puja is the centrepiece — dogs garlanded by day, homes lit with diyas and the Laxmi invocation at dusk, and the first Deusi Bhailo groups out after dark. Gai Tihar and Govardhan follow, with Mha Puja — the Newar worship-of-self — marking Nepal Sambat 1147 on Tuesday, before Wednesday's Bhai Tika closes the season as sisters place the saptarangi tika on their brothers.
Chhath follows immediately: Nahay Khay on Friday 13 November through Usha Arghya on Monday 16 November — see the worldwide Chhath guide. And /festivals/tihar carries the festival hub with every country's dates.
Photo: File:Sister lighting traditional lamp during Tihar festival (edited).jpg by Original: Mithun Kunwar Derivative work: Radomianin via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Read more Nepali community news and stories. Browse upcoming Nepali events across Australia.
Explore Nepali Events
Nepali concerts | Teej events | Dashain events | Tihar events | Holi events | Festival calendar
Nepali events in Sydney | Melbourne | Brisbane | Perth | Adelaide | Canberra