| City | Date | Purvahna (morning) Puja time | Tithi (local) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durban South Africa Time (SAST) | Monday, December 14, 2026 | 4:49 AM – 10:26 AM SAST | Dec 13, 1:18 PM → Dec 14, 3:47 PM SAST |
| Johannesburg South Africa Time (SAST) | Monday, December 14, 2026 | 5:09 AM – 10:39 AM SAST | Dec 13, 1:18 PM → Dec 14, 3:47 PM SAST |
Timings are local. Tithi = begin → end of the festival's tithi in that city.
The tithi prevailing at local sunrise (Udaya tithi).
The wedding of Rama and Sita is the symbol of the ideal marriage — the vrat of this day is kept to remove obstacles to marriage and to keep love between husband and wife. Unmarried girls keep it wishing for a husband like Rama.
The Dhanush-Yajna and wedding episode of the Bal Kand of the Ramcharitmanas is read on this day — with 'Mangal bhavan amangal hari' and 'Siya-Ram may sab jag jani'; completing a Manas reading is considered specially fruitful.
In Mithila this day is a festival of the sweetness between a daughter's home and her in-laws — Sita is Mithila's daughter, so here Rama is the 'son-in-law' and all the teasing of the baraat is in the folk songs.
Yes — Monday, December 14, 2026.
Purvahna (morning) Puja time: 4:49 AM to 10:26 AM (SAST). Other cities are in the table above.
Each row is in that city's own local time (South Africa Time (SAST) for Durban).
It is the wedding day of Rama and Sita, yet folk tradition avoids weddings on this day — because Rama and Sita had to bear separation; this belief is strong in Mithila and Awadh. See the muhurat page for auspicious dates.
Married women wishing for a happy marriage, and unmarried girls wishing for a good husband; for obstacles to marriage, reading the wedding episode of the Bal Kand on this day is considered special.
By one view Tulsidas ji completed the Ramcharitmanas on this Vivah Panchami, hence Manas reading and remembrance of Tulsidas on this day.
At Janakpur (Nepal) the wedding procession of Rama and Janaki arrives from Ayodhya — the mandap, sindoor daan, kohbar, Maithili wedding songs, thousands of devotees; in Ayodhya the wedding tableau at Kanak Bhavan and the Ram temple, the wedding episode of the Ramlila; in the homes of Mithila Sita is regarded as a daughter and the songs of 'a daughter's farewell' are sung.