October 31, 2026 Hindu Panchang: Shashthi to Saptami

If you need the tithi for worship, a vrata, or a sankalpa on October 31, the important detail is not merely the date. The tithi changes late in the evening, so the time at which you perform an observance can determine whether it falls under Shashthi or Saptami.

Saturday, October 31, 2026 is Krishna Paksha Shashthi for most of the day. Shashthi continues until 9:25 PM, after which Krishna Paksha Saptami begins. Use that transition as your starting point, then confirm the local Panchang if the precise tithi is essential to your observance.

October 31 Panchang at a glance

The spelling difference between Shashthi and Sashti is only a matter of transliteration. Both names refer here to the sixth tithi of Krishna Paksha.

Why the 9:25 PM transition matters

A tithi is a lunar measure, not another name for a Gregorian calendar date. It begins and ends according to the changing angular relationship between the Sun and the Moon. Its boundary therefore does not have to coincide with midnight.

That distinction is easy to miss when someone asks, “What is the tithi on October 31?” The useful answer has two parts: Shashthi is in effect through most of October 31, while Saptami takes over after 9:25 PM. Calling the whole date only Shashthi loses the evening transition; calling it Saptami without a time qualifier is more misleading because Saptami begins only near the end of the day.

This becomes important whenever a practice requires a particular tithi. Some observances are determined by the tithi present at sunrise, while others depend on whether the required tithi prevails during a prescribed part of the day. Those rules belong to the observance itself. You should not infer them from the tithi boundary alone.

How to plan an observance on this date

1. Identify the tithi your practice actually requires. If the instruction specifies Krishna Paksha Shashthi, the relevant part of October 31 ends at 9:25 PM. If it specifies Krishna Paksha Saptami, that tithi begins after the transition.
2. Check which timing rule governs the observance. Determine whether your sampradaya or temple follows the tithi at sunrise, a tithi prevailing during a particular period, or another traditional rule. The late-evening change does not by itself settle that question.
3. Confirm the calculation for your location. Panchang times are location-sensitive. If you are outside the region used for the stated time, consult a city-specific Panchang or ask the temple or priest guiding the observance. Do this before fixing a narrow worship window.
4. Do not treat the tithi as a complete muhurta. A suitable muhurta may also require the nakshatra, yoga, karana, local sunrise and sunset, and any intervals excluded by the tradition being followed. No exact values for those elements should be assumed from the tithi alone.
5. Use the same local calendar throughout. Mixing a tithi time from one city with sunrise or muhurta details calculated for another can produce a result that looks precise but is internally inconsistent.

If you are arranging an ordinary home puja and only need to remain within Shashthi, complete it before the stated transition, allowing enough margin that the rite does not run across 9:25 PM. If the observance has formal requirements, use the rule prescribed for that vrata rather than assuming that any moment before the boundary is equally suitable.

The same caution applies to Saptami. Its beginning after 9:25 PM establishes when the tithi changes, but it does not automatically establish the correct civil date or worship period for a Saptami vrata. Sunrise-based observance rules can make the following day’s Panchang relevant even though Saptami has already begun on Saturday night.

Key takeaways

• October 31, 2026 falls on a Saturday.
• Krishna Paksha Shashthi continues until 9:25 PM in the stated calendar timing.
• Krishna Paksha Saptami begins after 9:25 PM.
• The late-evening transition means the entire civil date should not be assigned one tithi without qualification.
• For a vrata, sankalpa, or muhurta, verify the observance rule and the Panchang calculation for your location.
• Do not invent missing nakshatra, yoga, karana, sunrise, sunset, or auspicious-time details from the tithi entry.

For practical planning, mark 9:25 PM as the boundary and decide first whether your purpose belongs to Shashthi or Saptami. Then make one final check against a Panchang calculated for your city and the rule followed by your family, temple, or sampradaya.

References

• Hindu Blog — October 31 2026 Tithi – Panchang – Hindu Calendar – Good Time – Nakshatra – Rashi