Festival · Margashirsha Purnima
Datta Jayanti 2026
Datta is born at dusk on the full moon of Margashirsha: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in one form, the guru of gurus.
Date, tithi and timing
Times are for Dubai. The app gives times for your city.
Date by city
The date is the same in every city listed.
Next year, 2027
Quick facts
- Also known asDattatreya Jayanti, Datta Janma
- WhereMaharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat
- Puja forDattatreya
- In one lineThe day Dattatreya was born to the sage Atri and Anasuya.
Datta Jayanti, in a little more detail
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About the festival
Dattatreya holds Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in one, so his image has three faces and six arms. Datta means given: the gods gave themselves to Anasuya. Atreya means son of Atri.
He's the guru of gurus. The Bhagavata tells how he learnt from the earth, from water, from a honeybee, even from a child: twenty-four gurus in all. The lesson is simple: learn from wherever you can.
A cow and four dogs stand with him. The cow is taken for the earth, and the four dogs for the four Vedas.
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The story of Anasuya
Anasuya, wife of the sage Atri, was known in all three worlds for her penance and her virtue. To test her, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva came to the ashram dressed as young sages, while Atri was away at his bath.
Anasuya saw through them. She sprinkled water on them and all three became babies, and she fed them as a mother would. When their wives came asking, she gave them back their own forms.
Pleased, the three offered her a boon. She asked that they be born as her children. A part of each came together in one son, Dattatreya, born on the full moon of Margashirsha.
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In Maharashtra and beyond
For seven days before the Jayanti many homes read the Gurucharitra, finishing on the day itself. Others recite the Datta Bavani or a Datta stotra.
At dusk, the hour of his birth, Datta's cradle is rocked to cradle songs, and sunthavada, a sweet of dry ginger, goes round as prasad.
The Datta kshetras, Ganagapur, Narsobawadi, Audumbar and Pithapuram in Andhra, hold big festivals. Shripad Shrivallabh, Narasimha Saraswati and Swami Samarth of Akkalkot are held to be incarnations of Datta, so their maths are full today too.
How to do the puja
In short: The Gurucharitra through the week, the birth and the cradle at dusk, then the aarti, prasad and food for others.
- 1If you read the Gurucharitra, start a week ahead so the reading ends on the Jayanti.Families keep their own rules for the reading: many eat simply and read at the same time each day.
- 2Bathe early, and choose your fast: a full fast, or one simple meal.If you're unwell, pregnant or elderly, eat simply.
- 3Set Datta's picture on a clean chaurang, and light a lamp and incense.A photo of Datta works just as well as an image.
- 4Offer flowers, tulsi or bel leaves, akshata, sandalwood paste and turmeric.Datta holds Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in one, so tulsi and bel both suit him.
- 5At dusk, in pradosh kaal, celebrate the birth: lay the infant Datta in a cradle and sing the palna.The pradosh time for your city is above. No cradle? A small swing or a patta will do.
- 6Offer a milk or jaggery sweet and fruit as naivedya. Many Maharashtrian homes give sunthvada.Naivedya goes to God first, then to everyone.
- 7Do the aarti and sing bhajans, or recite the Datta Bavani or a Datta stotra.Gujarati homes often recite the Datta Bavani; Marathi homes sing the Datta aarti.
- 8Feed someone in need, or a cow or a dog, and break the fast with the prasad.A cow and dogs stand with Datta, so feeding them is held auspicious.
What you needTick as you go
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Frequently asked questions
At what time is Datta's birth celebrated?
At dusk, in pradosh kaal: Datta is believed to have been born in the evening. Your city's time is above. Temples hold the birth kirtan and the cradle then.
What are the rules for the Gurucharitra reading?
Seven days of reading before the Jayanti, ending on the day itself. The rules are strict and differ by family: many eat simply and read at the same time each day. If you're unsure, ask your elders or at a Datta math.
What is sunthvada?
A mix of dry ginger powder, dry coconut and sugar or rock sugar. Many homes give it as prasad at a birth festival, like Rama Navami and Gokulashtami, and at Datta Jayanti too.
Can I go to a temple instead of a puja at home?
Of course. Datta temples hold the birth kirtan, bhajans, a palkhi and annadana today. It gets crowded, so go early.
Should I fast if I'm unwell, pregnant or elderly?
Health comes first. Eat normally, and keep the puja, the cradle and the aarti with all your heart. If you're unsure, ask your doctor.
Set a reminder in the app
The app sends a notice the day before and on the day, even offline.