Skanda Sashti falls on Wednesday, 16 September 2026 in the UAE. The Sashti tithi begins at 07:29 AM on 16 September and ends at 09:17 AM on 17 September, Dubai time. The great one, the Soora Samharam Kanda Sashti that Tamil families wait all year for, comes later: Sunday, 15 November 2026.

That makes 2026 an unusual year in the Gulf. Ganesh Chaturthi is on 14 September and Skanda Sashti follows just two days later on 16 September, so the two brothers, Ganesha and Murugan, are honoured in the same week in the same home mandir.

Skanda Sashti 2026 at a glance

• Next Skanda Sashti: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
• Sashti tithi begins: 07:29 AM, 16 September 2026 (Dubai)
• Sashti tithi ends: 09:17 AM, 17 September 2026 (Dubai)
• Lunar month: Bhadrapada, Shukla Paksha
• Soora Samharam / Kanda Sashti: Sunday, 15 November 2026
• Subrahmanya Sashti: Tuesday, 15 December 2026
• Deity: Lord Murugan, also called Skanda, Kartikeya, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha and Velan

All timings on this page are calculated for Dubai. A tithi begins and ends at the same instant right across the UAE, so 07:29 AM in Dubai is 07:29 AM in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman as well. What shifts between the emirates is sunrise and sunset, by about five minutes end to end, with Sharjah and Ajman a minute ahead of Dubai and Abu Dhabi about four minutes behind.

What is Skanda Sashti?

Skanda Sashti is the sixth day of the waxing moon, dedicated to Lord Murugan. It returns every lunar month, so there are twelve or thirteen Skanda Sashti days in a year, and devotees keep a simple fast on each of them.

One of those twelve is the big one. The Sashti that falls in the Tamil month of Aippasi, which lands in Kartika on the North Indian calendar, is the Kanda Sashti, and it ends with Soora Samharam. In 2026 that day is 15 November.

Murugan is the younger son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and the brother of Lord Ganesha. He is the commander of the deva army, the god of the hills, and the one who carries the Vel, the divine spear his mother gave him. In Tamil homes he is the family deity of choice for courage, clarity and the removal of fear.

The story behind Skanda Sashti

The asura Soorapadman had grown so powerful through penance that the devas could not stand against him. He seized the three worlds and imprisoned the gods. Shiva drew six sparks of fire from his third eye, and from those sparks a child was born with six faces, raised by the six Krittika stars, which is why Murugan is called Shanmukha and Kartikeya.

Parvati gave him the Vel. Murugan led the deva army against Soorapadman, and the battle ran for six days. On the sixth day he brought the asura down. Soorapadman then took the form of a mango tree, and Murugan split it with the Vel. One half became the peacock that Murugan rides, the other became the rooster on his flag.

That ending is the point of the story. Soorapadman was not destroyed. He was turned toward the light and given a place at Murugan's side. Skanda Sashti is not really about winning a war. It is about ego being cut down and turned into service.

If you want the longer version of the Kartikeya story, read how Kartikeya killed Tarakasur, which covers the earlier war that made his birth necessary in the first place.

Skanda Sashti dates and Dubai muhurat, September 2026 to December 2027

Every Skanda Sashti in the next fifteen months, with the Sashti tithi window in Dubai local time.

A tithi is not a calendar day. It can begin in the morning and end the next morning, which is why several rows above cross midnight. The fast is kept on the day the Sashti tithi is present at sunrise, which is the date shown in the first column.

The six-day Kanda Sashti Vratam in 2026

The Aippasi Kanda Sashti is not a single day. It is a six-day vratam counted from Kartika Shukla Prathamai to Sashti. In 2026 the Diwali Amavasya falls on 8 November, so the vratam opens on 9 November and closes with Soora Samharam on Sunday 15 November. Because tithis do not line up one to one with calendar days, that window spans 9 to 15 November on the Dubai calendar.

• Days 1 to 5: a light fast each day, a Murugan abhishekam or simple puja in the morning, and recitation of the Kanda Sashti Kavasam.
• Day 6, 15 November 2026: Soora Samharam. In temples this is enacted in the evening, and devotees break the fast after it.
• The day after: Thirukalyanam, the celestial wedding of Murugan and Devasena, which many families mark with a sweet offering at home.

Not everyone keeps all six days, and that is fine. Many working families in the UAE fast on day one and day six, or on the sixth day alone. The tradition allows for that.

Skanda Sashti puja vidhi at home

This is a simple version that works in a Dubai apartment with a small mandir and no pandit.

1. Bathe early and clean the puja space. Wipe the mandir and lay a fresh cloth. Traditionalists face east or north while sitting.
2. Place Murugan at the centre. A photo or frame is enough. Many Tamil homes keep a Vel alongside it.
3. Light the lamp. A ghee or sesame oil lamp on the right of the deity. Light incense next.
4. Begin with Ganesha. Murugan is the younger brother, and every Tamil puja opens with Vinayaka. Chant ॐ गं गणपतये नमः, Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha, five times or recite one of the Ganesha mantras for a smooth start.
5. Apply vibhuti. Offer sacred ash to the deity and apply three lines on your own forehead, then kumkum in the centre. Vibhuti, called thiruneeru in Tamil, is the mark of a Murugan devotee.
6. Abhishekam if you can. Bathe a small Vel or metal murti in milk, then panchamrit, then water, and dry it. If you only have a framed photo, skip to the next step.
7. Offer flowers. Red and orange are the colours associated with Murugan. Kadamba flowers are traditional, but marigold and hibiscus are what is actually available here and are perfectly acceptable.
8. Recite the Kanda Sashti Kavasam. Once is enough. Some devotees chant it six times on the sixth day.
9. Offer naivedyam. Panchamrit, fruit, jaggery, and in many homes a plate of sweet pongal or appam.
10. Karpoora aarti. Light camphor, circle it before the deity, and ring the bell. This is the moment the whole puja builds toward.
11. Distribute prasad and keep the lamp burning as long as it safely can.

Set up your Murugan altar

The three things a Skanda Sashti puja actually needs at home, delivered across the UAE.

Murugan Photo Frame A4 Wooden

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Vibhuti / Thiruneeru Sacred Ash

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Pure Kapoor (Camphor) 10gm

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What you need for Skanda Sashti puja

A short samagri list. Most of it you will already have if you do a weekly puja at home.

• Murugan photo, frame or a small Vel
• Vibhuti and kumkum, plus chandan kesar powder for the tilak
• Ghee or sesame oil, cotton wicks and a diya
• Camphor for the karpoora aarti
• Incense sticks or dhoop
• Red and orange flowers, and a garland if you can find one
• Fruit, jaggery, panchamrit ingredients, betel leaf and supari
• A brass thali, a bell and a small kalash of clean water

If you are building a Tamil puja shelf from scratch, the Tamil Pooja collection and the broader Pooja Samagri range cover most of this in one order.

Kanda Sashti Kavasam

The Kanda Sashti Kavasam is a Tamil devotional hymn by Devaraya Swamigal, composed as an armour, a kavacham, that asks Murugan for protection from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet. It is the single most recited text on this vratam.

You do not need Tamil to benefit from it. Many UAE families play a recording during the morning lamp lighting and follow along with a transliteration. If you keep a mala for the count, a five mukhi rudraksha mala is the traditional choice in a Shiva family household. Our guide on how to use a japa mala for chanting covers the method.

Skanda Sashti fasting rules

Murugan vrats are gentler than most. There is no single rule, and regional practice varies widely, so pick the level you can sustain.

• Nirahara: a full fast with water only, kept by a few on the sixth day.
• Phalahara: fruit, milk and water through the day, with one meal after the evening aarti. This is what most families do.
• One satvik meal: a single meal without onion, garlic, meat or alcohol. Common among working devotees and elders.

Whatever level you choose, the food is satvik and the day is meant to be quiet. Break the fast after the aarti with something light. Our vrat recipe collection has options that hold up well in Gulf summers.

Anyone who is pregnant, unwell, elderly or on regular medication should not fast without speaking to their doctor first. Offering the puja without the fast carries the same devotion.

Skanda Sashti in the UAE

Murugan worship is quietly one of the strongest devotional traditions in the Emirates, carried by the large Tamil and Malayali communities across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman.

Where to go. For a Murugan Sashti, the Hindu Temple in Jebel Ali is the one to head for. Murugan is one of the sixteen deities enshrined there, the complex runs on largely South Indian lines, and it opens at 6:00 AM daily, early enough for a puja close to sunrise. The temple complex in Bur Dubai, the oldest Hindu place of worship in the country, opens at 7:30 AM and closes at 11:00 AM, then reopens 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM; our Bur Dubai temple guide covers how to get there. In Abu Dhabi the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Mureikhah opens 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, is closed on Mondays, and asks visitors to register before arriving. A full list is in our guide to Hindu temples in the UAE.

Timing note. Every timing on this page is Gulf Standard Time, calculated for Dubai. If you are following a panchang printed in India, subtract one hour and thirty minutes. A Sashti that a Chennai calendar shows starting at 09:00 AM begins at 07:30 AM here, which is why families who follow Indian apps sometimes light the lamp late.

Working around office hours. In 2026 Skanda Sashti falls on a Wednesday and Soora Samharam on a Sunday. The Wednesday puja works best before leaving for work, since the tithi is already running from 07:29 AM. For 15 November, the Sunday, most families do the morning abhishekam at home and the temple visit in the evening.

Ordering in time. Divine Sansar delivers across all seven Emirates. For the 16 September Sashti, place orders by around 13 September so the samagri reaches you before the Ganesh Chaturthi and Sashti week rush. For the 15 November Soora Samharam, order in the first week of November, ahead of the Diwali delivery backlog.

For the Sashti aarti at home

Thali, bell and mala - the pieces that turn a quick prayer into a proper puja.

Brass Pooja Thali, Engraved Floral

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Morpankh Ghanti, Peacock Puja Bell

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5 Mukhi Rudraksha Mala, 108 Beads

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Frequently asked questions

When is Skanda Sashti in 2026?

The next Skanda Sashti is Wednesday, 16 September 2026. The Sashti tithi runs from 07:29 AM on 16 September to 09:17 AM on 17 September in Dubai. The major Soora Samharam Kanda Sashti is on Sunday, 15 November 2026.

What is the difference between Skanda Sashti and Kanda Sashti?

They are the same word, one in Sanskrit and one in Tamil. In practice, Skanda Sashti usually refers to the monthly sixth-day vrat, while Kanda Sashti most often means the six-day Aippasi festival that ends in Soora Samharam. In 2026 the monthly one is 16 September and the six-day one closes on 15 November.

Can I keep the Skanda Sashti vrat if I am not Tamil?

Yes. Murugan is worshipped as Kartikeya and Subrahmanya across India, and the vrat has no regional restriction. In North India the same deity is honoured on Skanda Sashti and on Subrahmanya Sashti in Margashirsha, which falls on 15 December 2026.

How many days is the Kanda Sashti fast?

Six, counted by tithi from Kartika Shukla Prathamai to Sashti. In 2026 that runs from 9 November to Soora Samharam on 15 November. Many families in the UAE keep only the first and last day, or the last day alone, and that is an accepted practice.

What can I eat during a Skanda Sashti fast?

Most devotees keep a phalahara fast: fruit, milk and water through the day, with one satvik meal after the evening aarti. A stricter option is water only until the aarti. Onion, garlic, meat and alcohol are avoided either way. If you are pregnant, unwell or on medication, speak to your doctor before fasting.

What should I offer Lord Murugan?

Vibhuti, kumkum, red and orange flowers, fruit, jaggery, panchamrit and a camphor aarti. Sweet pongal and appam are the traditional naivedyam in Tamil homes. A Vel or a Murugan photo at the centre of the mandir completes the setup.

Why is the peacock associated with Murugan?

After the battle, Soorapadman took the form of a mango tree and Murugan split it with the Vel. One half became the peacock he rides, the other the rooster on his flag. The peacock stands for the ego brought into service rather than destroyed, which is the heart of the Skanda Sashti story.

Do the Dubai timings differ from Indian panchang timings?

Yes. Gulf Standard Time is one hour thirty minutes behind Indian Standard Time, so every tithi on an Indian calendar starts and ends ninety minutes later than it does here. All timings on this page are already calculated for Dubai and hold across Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman.

Bringing it home

Skanda Sashti asks for very little. A clean lamp, a pinch of vibhuti, the Kavasam once through, and camphor at the end. The story it carries is worth keeping close: the strength that comes from turning fear into service rather than fighting it.

Mark 16 September 2026 for the monthly Sashti and 15 November 2026 for Soora Samharam. Every date on this page is also on our Hindu Festival and Tithi Calendar for the UAE, alongside every other festival in the season. If you are planning ahead, our guides to Ganesh Chaturthi 2026, Navratri 2026, Karthigai days and Diwali 2026 in the UAE follow on from here.