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Once every two or three years, the Hindu calendar adds an extra month. This extra month is called Adhik Maas, which is also known as Mal Maas, Purushottam Maas, or simply Adhik Mahina. This rare month is returning in 2026.

If you want to know what is adhik maas, adhik maas kab hai, or the mal maas start date 2026, this comprehensive guide by Astro Arun Pandit covers everything you need to know, including dates, significance, what to do, what not to do, and the adhik maas year list.

What is Adhik Maas?

Adik Maas literally means ‘extra month’. The Hindu lunar calendar has 354 days in a year; these days are 11 days shorter than the 365 days of the solar year. To align the solar and lunar calendars together, an extra month is added roughly after every 32 to 33 months. This extra month is known as the Adhik Maas. This month does not belong to any particular deity, which is why it was considered inauspicious for new beginnings. However, Lord Vishnu later accepted this month and named it Purushottam Maas, meaning the month of the supreme being. Since then, it has been considered highly sacred for devotion, charity, and spiritual practice.

Adhik Maas 2026 Start & End Date

Adhik Maas in 2026 falls in the month of Shravan (Sawan). Here are the exact dates:

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Adhik Maas Start Date 2026: 17 May 2026

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Adhik Maas End Date 2026: 14 June 2026

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Adhik Maas Month Name: Adhik Jyeshtha Maas, also known as Mal Maas / Purushottam Maas / Adhik Mahina

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Duration: 29 days

Note: May 17 is a special day in India in 2026 as it marks the beginning of Adhik Maas. This day is considered auspicious for worship, charity, and personal reflection that lasts nearly a month.

Which Month is Adhik Maas in 2026?

Adhik Maas 2026 is Adhik Jyestha Maas. It comes before the regular Jyeshtha month in the Hindu calendar. This year, the presence of Adhik Maas makes this year 2026 longer than usual. In the Adhik Maas 2026 Hindu calendar, this month appears between Vaisakha and the regular Jyestha.

For those who follow the Adhik Maas 2026 Marathi calendar or the Adhik Maas 2026 Gujarati calendar, the dates and month names may be slightly different based on regional traditions, but the dates remain largely the same across India.

Want to know how Adhik Maas 2026 will impact your life? Get your personalized Kundli report.

Significance of Adhik Maas

Adhik Maas is believed to carry the combined spiritual energy of all twelve months of the year. Prayers, fasting, charity, and reading the sacred texts during this period are said to bring results many times greater than doing the same in any other month.

Some key spiritual beliefs around Adhik Maas:

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Lord Vishnu (Purushottam) is the ruling deity of this month

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Reading the Bhagavata Purana during Adhik Maas is considered especially positive

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Donating food, clothes, and lamps to the needy brings spiritual rewards

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Those observing fasts during this period are believed to receive blessings for health and prosperity

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Reciting the Purushottam Maas Katha or Vrat Katha daily is a traditional practice

What to Do in Adhik Maas

Since Adhik Maas is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, here are the recommended practices:

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Wake up early, take a bath, and light a ghee diya before sunrise

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Recite Vishnu Sahasranama or chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya 108 times

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Read or listen to the Adhik Maas Vrat Katha or Bhagavata Purana

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Offer Tulsi leaves, yellow flowers, and fruits to Lord Vishnu

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Donate food, clothes, or money to the poor and needy

Fasting in Adhik Maas (Chauth Vrat)

Many devotees observe Adhik Maas 2026 Chauth Vrat on the Chaturthi (4th day of each fortnight) that falls within this month. This vrat is a way to seek blessings for the family. On fast days, devotees eat only fruits, milk, and light satvik foods and avoid non-vegetarian food, onion, garlic, and alcohol.

What to Avoid in Adhik Maas

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Starting new businesses or signing major contracts

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Performing marriage ceremonies or griha pravesh (housewarming)

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Mundan (first haircut), thread ceremonies, and other major samskaras

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Purchasing new property or vehicles (for auspicious occasions)

These activities are avoided not because the month is inauspicious, but because it is considered a time for inner reflection and devotion rather than outward celebrations.

Planning an important decision? Consult an astrologer before taking any major step during Adhik Maas.

Adhik Maas Across India: Marathi and Gujarati Calendar

In Maharashtra, the Adhik Maas 2026 Marathi calendar refers to this month as Adhika Jyeshtha. Devotees follow traditions like reading the Purushottam Maas Katha and performing daily pujas at home or at nearby Vishnu temples.

In Gujarat, the Adhik Maas 2026 Gujarati calendar also marks this as a month of heightened devotion. Families gather for collective readings of sacred texts, and community events are organised at temples throughout the month.

In both traditions, and indeed across India, the spirit of the month is the same: slowing down, turning inward, and using this rare gift of extra time for spiritual growth.

Curious how Adhik Maas 2026 will influence your career, relationships, and finances? Explore your monthly horoscope insights here.

Final Thoughts

Adhik Maas 2026 is a rare and beautiful gift from the Hindu calendar. From 17 May to 15 June 2026, you have nearly a full month set apart for what truly matters: prayer, gratitude, simplicity, and care for others.

Whether you follow the Adhik Maas 2026 Marathi calendar, the Adhik Maas 2026 Gujarati calendar, or simply the broader Hindu tradition, the spirit of this month is the same everywhere. It is a time to slow down, look inward, and let devotion fill the days.

Use this Adhik Mahina well. Light a lamp. Read a page of the Bhagavata. Feed someone who is hungry. These simple acts, done with a good heart in this sacred month, carry a weight that ordinary days cannot match.

Adhik Maas Years List (2010 to 2035)

Year
Adhik Month
Approx. Period
2012
Adhik Bhadrapada
August – September 2012
2015
Adhik Ashadha
June – July 2015
2018
Adhik Jyeshtha
May – June 2018
2020
Adhik Ashadha
July – August 2020
2023
Adhik Shravan
July – August 2023
2026
Adhik Jyeshtha
17 May – 15 June 2026
2028
Adhik Ashwin
September – October 2028

Frequently Asked Questions

Adhik Maas is an extra month added to the Hindu lunar calendar roughly every 32 to 33 months to keep it aligned with the solar year. It is also called Mal Maas or Purushottam Maas and is considered sacred for devotion and charity.

Adhik Maas 2026 starts on 17 May 2026 and ends on 14 June 2026. It is Adhik Jyeshtha Maas. May 17 is a special day in India in 2026 as the sacred month begins on this date.

The Mal Maas start date 2026 is 17 May 2026.

The Adhik Maas end date in 2026 is 14 June 2026.

During Adhik Maas, you should focus on prayer, fasting, reading sacred texts like the Bhagavata Purana, chanting Vishnu mantras, donating to those in need, and lighting lamps daily. Avoid major life events and ceremonies.

The last Adhik Maas was in 2023. It was Adhik Shravan Maas, from 18 July to 16 August 2023.

The next Adhik Maas after 2026 is expected around 2028 or 2029.

Adhik Maas is neither bad nor inauspicious. It was once thought to be so because it belonged to no deity, but after Lord Vishnu accepted it as Purushottam Maas, it became a highly sacred month. It is excellent for spiritual practices, charity, and devotion.

Adhik Maas 2026 Chauth Vrat refers to the Chaturthi fasts that fall within the Adhik Maas period. Devotees observe these fasts for the well-being of the family and to seek blessings from Lord Vishnu and Lord Ganesha.

The last Adhik Maas before 2026 occurred in 2023. It was Adhik Shravan Maas, running from 18 July 2023 to 16 August 2023. Before that, Adhik Maas came in 2020 (Adhik Ashadha Maas).