Girivalam · Full-moon walk

Girivalam November 2026: Karthigai Pournami date & time

When is Girivalam in November 2026? Karthigai Pournami falls on Monday, 23 November 2026: the full-moon window opens at 11:00 PM that day and closes at 9:00 PM on Tuesday 24 November (IST). Here is when to start, what the weather and crowd will be like, and how to plan the walk.

This Pournami has now passed. See the next full moon Girivalam date & time.

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Girivalam date and time, November 2026

Girivalam on a full moon follows the Purnima tithi, not the clock. For Karthigai 2026 the tithi begins at 11:00 PM on Monday 23 November and ends at 9:00 PM on Tuesday 24 November (IST).

The window opens late, at 11:00 PM on Monday 23 November. Most pilgrims wait until it begins and then walk through the night, so the usual 7–10 PM start is not available this month; plan to set off once it has opened. It does not close until 9:00 PM on Tuesday 24 November, so there is no practical deadline: you can walk the night or the following day. The 14 km walk takes most people three to five hours, so there is room to stop at the lingams or the temple. Every other month’s date and time is on the Girivalam dates & timings page.

Weather and what to carry in November

Late November sits inside the northeast-monsoon season, so showers are common and the road can be wet and slippery in places. A light poncho (rather than an umbrella, which is a nuisance in a crowd), a waterproof pouch for your phone and a change of clothes in a bag cover most of it. Nights are mild rather than cold. Whatever the month, carry a small torch even on a full-moon night, a phone, a little cash for tea and at least a litre of water. Many pilgrims walk barefoot; if you are not used to it, read barefoot or shoes? before you decide.

What Karthigai Pournami means

Karthigai Pournami is the greatest full moon at Arunachala. It opens into Karthigai Deepam, when the Maha Deepam is expected to be lit on the summit on 24 November 2026, and lakhs of pilgrims walk Girivalam through the night. Everything is on a different scale from an ordinary month: the road is packed, rooms are scarce and the walk takes far longer than the usual three to five hours.

Because this full moon runs straight into the festival, plan the two together. Our Karthigai Deepam 2026 guide covers where to watch the Maha Deepam and the ten-day schedule, where to stay for Karthigai Deepam 2026 covers rooms, and if you cannot travel there is a guide to watching the Deepam live online.

Plan the day

If you are travelling in, book your room early; full-moon dates fill up quickly (see where to stay in Tiruvannamalai). Special buses are usually run for Pournami, so look for the transport corporation notices a few days ahead. Eat lightly before you start and keep to the left side of the road with the crowd. On the walk itself, our route in detail shows the way stop by stop, and the Girivalam walking companion takes you round all 41 stops at your own pace; it loads once and works offline, which helps when the mobile network is busy.

First time on a full-moon night? Read what to expect on a Pournami night walk and the complete Girivalam guide.

The window follows the timings published for Tiruvannamalai and has been checked against the moon’s position; panchangams can differ by minutes. Confirm close to the date. Last updated 23 October 2026.