Adhik Maas 2026: : In 2026, the Hindu calendar will witness one of its rarest and most fascinating astronomical occurrences, a double Jyeshth month, turning the year into a full 13-month cycle. Known as Adhik Maas or Purushottam Maas, this extra lunar month brings spiritual depth, traditional significance and a unique shift in the yearly Panchang. While the Gregorian year begins on 1 January, the Hindu year follows the Vikram Samvat, which starts from the Pratipada of Chaitra Shukla Paksha. According to this system, the year 2083 (2026–27) carries remarkable celestial importance
As per the Hindu Panchang, the year 2026 is extraordinary because the Jyeshth month will occur twice. This means devotees will observe both a regular Jyeshth and an Adhik Jyeshth.
Together, these two lunar cycles stretch the duration of the month to nearly 58–59 days, creating a full 13-month year in Vikram Samvat.
In traditional terminology, this extra month is called Adhik Maas, Malam Maas, or Purushottam Maas.
This phenomenon occurs to balance the 11-day yearly gap between the solar year (365 days) and the lunar year (354 days). To synchronise both, an additional lunar month appears approximately every 32 months, 16 days, and 8 ghati.
Adhik Maas 2026 begins on 17 May 2026 and ends on 15 June 2026.
The month is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and scriptures describe it as especially auspicious for prayers, charity, chanting, fasting, and reading sacred texts. This is why it is honoured as Purushottam Maas, meaning the “supreme” or “most sacred” month.
However, despite its spiritual weight, major auspicious ceremonies such as marriages, griha pravesh, naming ceremonies, land worship, new business openings, are generally avoided during Adhik Maas. This is because the month is intended to restore cosmic balance, and is therefore considered spiritually active but ritually inactive for celebrations.
The solar year is 365 days long, while the lunar year spans only 354 days, leaving an annual difference of around 11 days.
Every few years, this growing gap must be corrected to prevent festivals and seasons from drifting apart.
Thus, an additional lunar month, Adhik Maas, is inserted into the calendar to maintain alignment between sun, moon, seasons, and rituals
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