🐕 Dattatreya Jayanti (Margashirsha Purnima) 2026
The full moon of Agahan — birthday of Lord Dattatreya, the combined avatar of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh; worship of the Guru principle, the Purnima fast and Annapurna Jayanti.
Dattatreya Jayanti is celebrated on the Purnima of Margashirsha (Agahan) month — four days after Mokshada Ekadashi. On this day, in Pradosh Kaal, Lord Dattatreya was born to sage Atri and Mata Anasuya — three faces, six arms, with four dogs (the four Vedas) and a cow (the earth). He is regarded as the Adi Guru, so this is a festival of the Guru tradition.
The same Purnima is Annapurna Jayanti in North India — worship of the goddess of the kitchen and of grain, which is the housewife's own festival: cleaning and worshipping the hearth and kitchen, and giving grain in charity. Below are this year's date, the Pradosh muhurat, vidhi, samagri, katha, bhog and regional customs.
Significance — why this vrat
Dattatreya symbolises the unity of the three gods and is the 'Avadhoot' who learnt from 24 gurus (the earth, wind, water, the bee, the elephant…) — the day carries the spirit of remembering the Guru, humility in learning and respect for food. In Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat it is the biggest day of the Datta tradition.
Annapurna Jayanti — Annapurna Devi of Kashi, from whom Shiva begged alms; women of the house worship the kitchen and hearth on this day and vow that no one leaves the home hungry. Giving grain is the greatest charity of the day.
The Purnima fast, moon arghya and the Satyanarayan katha also fall on this day; the Purnima of Margashirsha with Mrigashira nakshatra is specially auspicious (the month is named after this nakshatra).
Puja vidhi (step by step)
This is the household vidhi — the Purnima bath and Annapurna (kitchen) puja in the morning, the Datta birth celebration in the evening Pradosh.
- Bathe in the morning, take the sankalp — 'I keep the Margashirsha Purnima vrat and the Dattatreya-Annapurna puja for the family's welfare.' Fruit or one meal during the day.
- Annapurna puja (morning): clean the kitchen; wash the hearth/stove and draw a swastik with roli and turmeric, akshat and flowers, a lamp; roli and mauli on the grain store (flour-rice containers); recite the Annapurna Stotra or chant 'Om Annapurnayai Namah'; the first roti of the day to a cow, and a vow of grain-charity to the needy.
- During the day remember the Guru — bow to your guru/elders; visit a Datta temple if there is one; chant 'Shri Gurudev Datta' / 'Digambara Digambara Shripad Vallabha Digambara'.
- In the evening Pradosh Kaal (time above — the hour of birth) worship the idol/picture of Dattatreya (three faces, with cow and dogs) — panchamrit bath, sandalwood, flowers, incense and lamp, naivedya; a chapter of the Datta Bavani/Gurucharitra or the Datta aarti 'Trigunatmak traimurti Datta ha jana'.
- Feeding dogs and cows is the special custom of the day — Dattatreya's companions; food-charity to a Brahmin/the needy.
- Arghya to the moon at moonrise; break the Purnima fast; if the Satyanarayan katha is to be held, with it in Pradosh.
- Datta bhajans/Guru stuti at night; in the Maharashtra custom the seven-day Gurucharitra parayana that began a week earlier concludes today.
Puja samagri checklist
If there is no Datta picture, puja with a Guru/ishta picture is valid; for Annapurna the kitchen itself is the temple.
- Idol/picture of Dattatreya (or a Guru/Shiva picture), wooden seat, yellow-white cloth
- Annapurna puja: roli, turmeric, akshat, mauli, flowers, lamp — for the hearth and grain store
- Panchamrit, Gangajal, sandalwood, Tulsi, bel leaves
- Flowers (white-yellow), garland, incense, camphor, aarti thali
- Naivedya — kheer, puran poli/laddoo, fruit, paan-supari
- Roti and jaggery for cows and dogs, grain for charity (flour-rice-dal), blanket
- Datta Bavani / Gurucharitra / Annapurna Stotra book
- Milk and water for the moon arghya
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Open panchang →Vrat katha (the story)
The chastity of Anasuya, wife of sage Atri, was spoken of in all three worlds. Lakshmi, Parvati and Saraswati grew jealous; they sent Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh to test Anasuya. The three came to the ashram as sadhus and begged for food — on the condition that Anasuya serve them unclothed.
With the water of her husband's feet Anasuya turned the three into six-month-old infants and nursed them like a mother. The goddesses came to take their husbands back and asked forgiveness; by Anasuya's boon the three gods became one and were born as her son — three faces, six arms — this is Dattatreya ('Datta' = given, 'Atreya' = son of Atri). The birth was in Pradosh Kaal on Margashirsha Purnima.
Dattatreya made 24 gurus — patience from the earth, detachment from the wind, coolness from water, the fault of hoarding from the bee, the fault of lust from the elephant, contentment from the python, depth from the ocean, innocence from a child… — the lesson that the Guru is everywhere, one only needs the eyes. The Annapurna story: in Kashi, when Shiva called food 'maya', Parvati withdrew food from creation; Shiva, tormented by hunger, begged alms from Parvati as Annapurna in Kashi — food is not maya, it is Brahman.
Purnima bhog and Annapurna's grain-charity
The spirit of the day is respect for food — a simple bhog, but shared. In Maharashtra the puran poli and sunthwada (a powder of dry ginger and jaggery — the birth prasad) of Datta Jayanti; kheer-poori in North India.
- Bhog: kheer, puran poli or besan laddoo, fruit, panchamrit; in Maharashtra sunthwada (dry ginger-jaggery-ghee) — the birth prasad
- Fast: fruit and milk in the day; a meal after the Pradosh puja and moon arghya
- Annapurna: the first food cooked at home that day to a cow, then grain-charity (flour-rice-dal-jaggery) to the needy/a temple
- Roti and milk to dogs — Datta's four companions
- Panjiri-panchamrit-banana if the Satyanarayan katha is held
Regional customs
A big day in the states of the Datta tradition; a household Annapurna-Purnima in North India.
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✅ Do
- Datta puja in Pradosh Kaal (the hour of birth) — time above
- Worship the kitchen and hearth and give the home's first food to a cow — the essence of Annapurna
- Grain-charity and feeding dogs and cows — special on this day
- Bow to the Guru/elders and take their blessing
- Arghya at moonrise, then break the fast
❌ Don't
- Disrespect to food — throwing leftovers — specially avoided on this day
- Driving away or hurting a dog — Datta's companion
- Meat, alcohol, quarrels on Purnima
- Do not leave the kitchen dirty — Annapurna dwells there
- Elders and the unwell should not keep a waterless fast
Frequently asked questions
When is Dattatreya Jayanti in 2026?
The date at the top is this year's Margashirsha Purnima — from panchang calculations; the Delhi times for Pradosh (the hour of birth) and moonrise are shown too. Datta Jayanti is the day on which the Purnima tithi is present in Pradosh.
Who is Dattatreya and why the dogs and cow with him?
The combined form of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, son of Atri and Anasuya, the Adi Guru/Avadhoot; the four dogs symbolise the four Vedas and the cow the earth/dharma — hence feeding dogs and cows on this day.
What is Annapurna Jayanti?
The manifestation day of Mata Annapurna (goddess of food, Kashi) on this same Margashirsha Purnima; women of the house worship the kitchen and hearth, give grain in charity and vow that no one leaves the home hungry.
What is the Gurucharitra parayana?
In Maharashtra-Karnataka, Datta devotees begin reading the 'Shri Gurucharitra' (52 chapters) seven days before Datta Jayanti and complete it on the day; one chapter or the Datta Bavani at home is enough.
Can the Satyanarayan katha be held on this day?
Yes — as on every Purnima; with the Datta puja in Pradosh Kaal or before it. Prasad of panjiri, panchamrit and banana.
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⚠️ This description follows traditional vidhi and folk belief; your own family custom comes first.
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