Sydney · fasting, dates and muhurat
Festivals, fasting, and when they fall
Festival, fasting and vrat dates for Sydney with their muhurat and parana times, and the community events we could verify against an organiser’s own page. 36 ahead, 18 of them something to attend.
Dates checked Sat 31 Oct 2026. Listings last checked Fri 30 Oct 2026; dates that have passed drop off on their own.
Before you go
Check it yourself
Check before you observe. Panchang timings differ between traditions and are recalculated for a location — your family’s practice or your pandit may differ from what is shown here, and that difference is not an error. Where two published calendars disagree, we have not adjudicated between them.
Check before you travel. Community events belong to the organisations running them, not to us. Times, venues and bookings change, sometimes at short notice. Confirm every detail with the organiser before you set out, and treat anything here as a prompt to go and look rather than as confirmation.
We have no arrangement with any organisation on this page and earn nothing from it.
The calendar
What is coming up
Source: what Sydney organisations have published.
Compiled from their own pages and public notices.
We do not verify it and we organise none of it, so treat any date here as a prompt to check rather than as settled.
A thin month means those dates have not been announced yet, not that nothing is happening.
We do not fill the gaps from panchang websites: a date computed elsewhere is not necessarily the date this community is keeping, and the two do differ.
The Notes column is ours. It is background we have looked up to save you the trouble — what an observance is, where a hall actually is — and it never carries a date, a time or a venue. Those come from the organisations alone.
All times are Sydney time and are not converted. A muhurat is computed for a place, so converting it would be worse than leaving it alone.
| What | Date | When (Sydney) | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | ||||
| Sewa Diwali food donation driveUnconfirmed. A Diwali food drive collecting rice, flour, pasta, tinned food, pantry staples and long-life drinks for food banks, shelters and community organisations. The collection points have not been published here. | Mon 19 Oct–16 Nov | Donations collected from 19 October to 16 November | Collection points are listed on the drive’s own siteThe drive’s site | Sewa means selfless service. Food drives at Diwali have become a way for Hindu groups across Australia to mark the festival by giving to food banks and shelters. |
| Deepawali Mela at Shree Ram Krishna MandirA two-day mela with market stalls, food, cultural and dance programmes, singers and musicians, children’s entertainment, fireworks and a photobooth, and a diya lighting devotees can book a diya in. Free entry, everyone welcome. The Saturday adds a Tamil Nadagam theatre performance. | Fri 30–31 Oct | Friday 6–11 pm; Saturday 11 am–11:30 pm, with the Tamil Nadagam performance from 7 pm on the Saturday | Shree Ram Krishna Mandir, 275 Fifteenth Ave, Austral | A mela is a fair, and this one is the mandir’s own fair for Diwali. Tamil Nadagam is a form of Tamil stage drama. Austral is in Sydney’s south-west, between Leppington and Bringelly. |
| Kids Diwali celebration — BAPSAn afternoon of activities, live shows, Indian street food and fireworks for children and families. Five dollars a person, adults and children alike. Registration is compulsory. | Sat 31 Oct | 1:00 – 7:00 pm, with fireworks at 8:00 pm | BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir and Cultural Precinct, Kemps CreekRegister | Kemps Creek is in Sydney’s west, near Cecil Park. BAPS is a Swaminarayan fellowship, and its Sydney mandir and cultural precinct is the largest it has built in Australia. |
| BJCA Diwali Utsav — Bihar Jharkhand Community AustraliaA Ram Leela play staged with Bhakti Sangam, cultural performances and food stalls. Twenty-five dollars a family or fifteen dollars a person. RSVP through the organiser’s form; no closing date has been given. | Sat 31 Oct | 5:30 – 9:00 pm | Roselea Community Centre, BeecroftRSVP | Bihar and Jharkhand are neighbouring states in eastern India. Ram Leela is the staged telling of the Ramayana, played out over an evening. Roselea Community Centre is a council hall in Beecroft, in the city’s north. |
| Kirtan concert and fundraising evening — International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) West SydneyA kirtan concert and fundraising evening presented by ISKCON West Sydney, the Hare Krishna Community and Cultural Centre. Families welcome. Seating is limited and admission is first come, first served. No booking link has been published. | Sat 31 Oct | 7:30 pm onwards | St Ives Community Centre, Memorial Avenue, St Ives | Kirtan is call-and-response devotional singing, the practice at the centre of the Hare Krishna tradition. St Ives is a suburb on Sydney’s upper North Shore, and the community centre there is a council hall on Memorial Avenue. |
| November 2026 | ||||
| Understanding the Mind of a Child — a free workshopA free afternoon workshop at the mandir on raising children, covering emotional wellbeing, parenting styles, learning and growth, and neurodivergence. Entry is free but an RSVP is required, and the organisers invite contributions towards the mandir’s regular activities. | Sun 1 Nov | 2:00 – 4:00 pm | Maharashtra Mandir Australia, Unit 41, 9 Hoyle Avenue, Castle HillRSVP (organiser form) | Generation Alpha is the name given to the children born since the early twenty-tens. Neurodivergence covers ways of thinking that differ from the typical pattern, such as autism and ADHD. |
| Haryana Day celebration and Baithak inauguration — AIHCA havan ceremony, cultural performances and the opening of the association’s new Baithak, a day room for its senior members and the wider community which the organisers say will be open daily with tea and refreshments. All are welcome and no booking route is published. | Sun 1 Nov | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm | AIHC Baithak, 12 Palmer Street, North Parramatta | Haryana Day marks the founding of the north Indian state of Haryana, and Haryanvi communities abroad keep it with a havan and folk performances. A baithak is a sitting place where a community gathers; the Australian Indian Haryanavi Community is opening one at North Parramatta as a day space for its older members. |
| Deepavali at Carmel Village — Hindu Council of AustraliaUnconfirmed. A free family celebration with diya painting, face painting, henna and community stalls. The council’s own events listing still gives a different day for its Box Hill Deepavali, so this row follows its own later and fuller post and stays marked unconfirmed until the two agree. No booking route is published. | Sun 1 Nov | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm | Carmel Village, 17 Mount Carmel Drive, Box Hill | Deepavali, the festival of lights, is kept across Sydney through the weeks around the new moon of Kartik, and small suburban celebrations like this one sit alongside the large showground events. Box Hill is also the name of a Melbourne suburb, which is a common source of confusion when looking up a Sydney event. |
| Lakshmi pujan at the BAPS mandirLakshmi pujan at the mandir, part of its Diwali and Annakut celebrations. | Fri 6 Nov | 6:00 pm onwards, followed by mahaprasad | BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir and Cultural Precinct, Kemps Creek | Lakshmi pujan is the prayer to Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, kept in the days around Diwali. |
| Bijoya celebration and night concert — Bengali Association of New South Wales (NSW)The evening that closes the association’s Durga Puja season, with a ticketed concert. The association has now published the venue, the starting time and its own ticket page, which is what lifted the earlier unconfirmed marking. Seats are chosen when booking. | Fri 6 Nov | From 6:00 pm | Bowman Hall, 35 Campbell Street, BlacktownTickets | Bijoya is the round of visits, sweets and embraces that follows Dashami. Communities abroad often keep it weeks later as a social evening with music, once the festival days themselves have passed. |
| Ull-Agam: Our Inner Abode — Bharatanatyam ensemblePresented by Shivam Dance Creative as a fundraiser for the Hindu Education and Cultural Centre. General admission $45, including a vegetarian food pack. The afternoon and evening shows are ticketed on separate pages. | Sat 7 Nov | Two shows, 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm, each about an hour and a quarter | Tom Mann Theatre, 136 Chalmers Street, Surry HillsBook the 3:30 pm show | Bharatanatyam is the classical dance form of Tamil Nadu. Tom Mann Theatre is a small independent theatre in Surry Hills, a short walk from Central station. The organisers are raising money towards a Hindu school they plan to open in Australia. |
| Diwali and chopda pujan at the BAPS mandirDiwali and chopda pujan, the blessing of the account books, followed by mahaprasad. | Sun 8 Nov | 4:30 pm onwards, followed by mahaprasad | BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir and Cultural Precinct, Kemps Creek | Chopda pujan is the blessing of the account books, kept by traders as the Gujarati business year turns. |
| Kali puja — Sydney Kali TempleKali puja on the night of Diwali, with pushpanjali, fruit prasad and aarti following the puja. Everyone is welcome and no booking is needed; the temple is seeking sponsorship of puja essentials. | Sun 8 Nov | Puja from 3:00 pm, pushpanjali 5:00 pm, fruit prasad 5:10 – 5:30 pm, aarti 5:30 pm | Sydney Kali Temple, Unit 41, Level 1, 9 Hoyle Avenue, Castle Hill (entry up the ramp) | Kali puja is kept on the night of Diwali in the Bengali tradition, where Lakshmi puja is kept elsewhere in India. Castle Hill is a suburb in Sydney’s north-west; the temple gives this unit as a temporary home, and the same address is used by another organisation listed on this calendar. |
| Grand Annakut and Hindu New Year at the BAPS mandirAnnakut, the offering of many dishes to the deities, with darshan through the day and mahaprasad afterwards. | Tue 10 Nov | New Year aarti 7:00 am; mahapuja 9:00 am; annakut darshan 11:00 am – 7:00 pm, followed by mahaprasad | BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir and Cultural Precinct, Kemps Creek | Annakut means a mountain of food: many dishes are cooked, offered to the deities and then shared with those who come. |
| Humare Ram — stage showUnconfirmed. Tickets were not on sale when this was compiled. | Sat 14 Nov | Two shows | Norwest Convention Centre | A stage retelling of the Ramayana from Ravana’s side, on its first Australian tour. |
| Navratri Utsav — Bhavya Mata Ki ChowkiPresented by the Indo Australia Sanatan Society with the Australian Indian Haryanvi Community. An afternoon of culture, food and performances, followed by Mata Ki Chowki with bhajans, darbar and prashad. Entry is free but registration is required, and the organisers also offer an optional donation ticket. | Sat 21 Nov | Multicultural festival 12:00–9:00 pm; Mata Ki Chowki 5:00–10:00 pm | Castle Hill Showground, Castle HillRegister | The Castle Hill Showground, in Sydney’s north-west, is the district showground, and its pavilions are hired for community gatherings. A Mata Ki Chowki is an evening of devotional singing kept before an image of the goddess, with prashad shared afterwards. |
| Ekadasha Rudram at Shri Shiva Mandir, MintoAn Ekadasha Rudram observance continuing with yagna and abhishekam at the temple, followed by prasadam for all devotees. The organisers invite sponsorship. Their own website carries the date and the start time but still shows the venue as to be announced, while the poster names the Minto mandir. | Sat 28 Nov | 7 am–1:30 pm | Shri Shiva Mandir, 201 Eagle View Road, Minto | Ekadasha Rudram is a recitation of the Rudram hymn eleven times over, usually with an abhishekam, the ritual bathing of the Shiva lingam. Minto is in Sydney’s south-west, near Campbelltown. |
| January 2027 | ||||
| Maa Kali darshan at Maharashtra MandirThe Maa Kali idol, part of the Sydney Kali Temple initiative, is being hosted at the mandir until 31 January 2027 while arrangements are made for its own temple. Everyone is welcome for darshan during regular temple hours. | Sun 31 Jan | During regular temple hours — Tuesday and Thursday 7:00–9:00 pm, aarti 7:30 pm; Sunday 5:00–7:00 pm, aarti 6:00 pm | Maharashtra Mandir Australia (MMAI), Unit 41, 9 Hoyle Avenue, Castle HillTemple site | Kali is worshipped especially in the Bengali tradition. MMAI is the Marathi community’s mandir, in a unit complex on Hoyle Avenue, Castle Hill. |
| What | Date | When (Sydney) | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | ||||
| Ahoi AshtamiAn evening vrat. SHSMA gave the date and the muhurat in answer to a member, explaining that the day is settled by the evening observance rather than by the tithi at sunrise. | Sun 1 Nov | Sayankal puja muhurat 7:23–8:26 pm; stars sighted from 7:49 pm. Parana after tara darshan, from 7:49 pm (Sydney, star time from Drik Panchang) | Home observance | Ahoi Ashtami is kept by mothers for the wellbeing of their children, and is broken after sighting the stars in the evening. It falls in the fortnight before Diwali. |
| Ravi Pushya YogaA Sunday falling on Pushya nakshatra, which SHSMA names as an auspicious window for buying gold, silver or a vehicle and for starting a new venture. Not a fasting day, so no parana applies. | Sun 1 Nov | 11:09 am Sunday 1 November – 5:54 am Monday 2 November (Sydney) | Home observance | Pushya is held to be the most auspicious of the nakshatras, and when it falls on a Sunday the pairing is called Ravi Pushya. It is traditionally chosen for buying gold or a vehicle and for beginning something new, rather than for a gathering at a temple. |
| Rama EkadashiSHSMA’s November calendar gives the date only; the tithi and the parana window are the Sydney figures from Drik Panchang. | Thu 5 Nov | Ekadashi tithi 4:33 pm 4 Nov – 4:05 pm 5 Nov. Parana on Friday 6 Nov, 5:51–8:34 am, with dwadashi ending 4:00 pm that day (Sydney, from Drik Panchang) | Home observance | Rama Ekadashi is the Ekadashi fast of the dark fortnight of Kartik, kept in the week before Diwali, and broken in the parana window the following morning. |
| DhanterasThe first day of the Diwali sequence, kept with a Lakshmi and Kuber puja in the evening. SHSMA gave the muhurat and the pradosh kaal for Sydney in answer to a member, and published the gold-buying windows on its own Dhanteras poster. | Fri 6 Nov | Lakshmi–Kuber puja muhurat 8:12–9:32 pm; pradosh kaal 7:27–9:32 pm. Gold-buying muhurats: Amrit kal 9:12–10:55 am, Labh 5:45–7:27 pm | Home observance | Dhanteras falls on the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Kartik and opens the Diwali days. Households traditionally buy metal, light a lamp at the door, and worship Dhanvantari alongside Lakshmi and Kuber. |
| Kali ChaudasKept with worship of Hanuman and of Kali on the day before Diwali in the western Indian reckoning. Two organisations published the same Sydney muhurat on the same morning; it falls after midnight, in the small hours of the following day. | Sat 7 Nov | Puja muhurat 12:18 – 12:59 am on Sunday 8 November; Chaturdashi 4:17 pm 7 Nov – 4:57 pm 8 Nov (Sydney) | Home observance | Kali Chaudas is the day before Diwali in the western Indian reckoning, kept with worship of Hanuman and of Kali. |
| Chhath Puja — Sandhya ArghyaSHSMA’s November calendar gives the Sandhya Arghya date only; the sunrise and the sunset are the Sydney figures from Drik Panchang. | Sun 15 Nov | Sandhya Arghya at sunset, 7:36 pm Sunday 15 Nov. Usha Arghya at sunrise, 5:43 am Monday 16 Nov, when the fast is broken (Sydney, sunrise and sunset from Drik Panchang) | Home observance | Chhath is a fast kept for Surya and Chhathi Maiya across several days. The offering to the setting sun and the offering to the rising sun the next morning are its two central moments. |
| Devutthana EkadashiSHSMA’s November calendar gives the date only; the tithi and the parana window are the Sydney figures from Drik Panchang. | Sat 21 Nov | Ekadashi tithi 12:45 pm 20 Nov – 12:01 pm 21 Nov. Parana on Sunday 22 Nov, 5:40–8:29 am, with dwadashi ending 10:26 am that day (Sydney, from Drik Panchang) | Home observance | Devutthana Ekadashi is the day Vishnu is said to wake from his yogic sleep, which reopens the season for weddings. |
| Ravi Pradosh VratSHSMA’s November calendar gives the date only; the tithi and the muhurat are the Sydney figures from Drik Panchang. | Sun 22 Nov | Trayodashi tithi 10:26 am 22 Nov – 8:06 am 23 Nov. Pradosh puja muhurat 7:43–9:42 pm, and the fast is broken after the pradosh puja (Sydney, from Drik Panchang) | Home observance | Pradosh vrat is kept for Shiva on the trayodashi tithi, with the puja in the window either side of sunset. Falling on a Sunday it is called Ravi Pradosh. |
| Ganadhipa Sankashti ChaturthiSHSMA’s November calendar gives the date only; the tithi and the moonrise are the Sydney figures from Drik Panchang. | Fri 27 Nov | Chaturthi tithi 3:18 pm 27 Nov – 12:09 pm 28 Nov. Moonrise 11:00 pm, when the fast is broken (Sydney, from Drik Panchang) | Home observance | Sankashti Chaturthi is the monthly fast for Ganesha, kept from sunrise until the moon is sighted. |
| What | Date | When (Sydney) | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | ||||
| Diwali and Lakshmi pujanDiwali, the festival of lights, with Lakshmi pujan kept on the evening of the amavasya. SHSMA gave the Sydney date in answer to a member query and said the puja muhurat would follow, and has now published the Sydney muhurats on its own poster. | Sun 8 Nov | Abhyang snan muhurat 4:47–5:49 am. Lakshmi pujan muhurat 7:29–11:21 pm; chopda pujan 8:06–9:33 pm; sharda pujan 7:29–11:21 pm. Amavasya 4:57 pm 8 Nov – 6:01 pm 9 Nov (Sydney) | Home observance | Lakshmi pujan is the prayer to Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, kept on the evening of Diwali. Chopda pujan, the blessing of the account books, is kept by traders at the same turn of the year. |
| Govardhan Puja and Gujarati New YearListed on SHSMA’s November calendar with the date only. | Tue 10 Nov | No Sydney timings have been published | Home observance | Govardhan Puja is the annakut day after Diwali, when a mountain of food is offered to Krishna. The same day opens the Gujarati new year. |
| Bhai DoojListed on SHSMA’s November calendar with the date only. | Wed 11 Nov | No Sydney tilak muhurat has been published | Home observance | Bhai Dooj closes the Diwali sequence, kept by sisters and brothers with a tilak and a shared meal. |
| Labh PanchamiListed on SHSMA’s November calendar with the date only. | Sat 14 Nov | No Sydney timings have been published | Home observance | Labh Panchami falls in the first week of the Gujarati new year and is kept as an auspicious day to resume work and open new account books. |
| GopashtamiListed on SHSMA’s November calendar with the date only. | Wed 18 Nov | No Sydney timings have been published | Home observance | Gopashtami honours Krishna as the cowherd and the cows themselves, and is kept at gaushalas with cow puja. |
| Akshaya NavamiListed on SHSMA’s November calendar with the date only. | Thu 19 Nov | No Sydney timings have been published | Home observance | Akshaya Navami is kept with worship of the amla tree and with acts of charity said to bring merit that does not diminish. |
| Tulsi VivahListed on SHSMA’s November calendar with the date only. | Sun 22 Nov | No Sydney timings have been published | Home observance | Tulsi Vivah is the ceremonial marriage of the tulsi plant to Vishnu, kept the day after Devutthana Ekadashi. |
| Kartika PurnimaListed on SHSMA’s November calendar with the date only. | Tue 24 Nov | No Sydney timings have been published | Home observance | Kartika Purnima is the full moon of the month of Kartik, kept with lamps, charity and bathing at the water’s edge. |
| Dev DeepawaliListed on SHSMA’s November calendar with the date only. | Tue 24 Nov | No Sydney timings have been published | Home observance | Dev Deepawali, the Diwali of the gods, falls on the same full moon and is kept with rows of lamps lit at the water’s edge. |
Every week
Weekly events
These run on the same day every week, so they carry no date. Each stays listed while its organisers keep announcing it, and drops off on its own if they stop. Check with them before you go.
| What | Day | When (Sydney) | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly Samuhik Rudrabhishek — Sanatan Dharma Bhawan, ArtarmonA collective Rudrabhishek every Monday evening, with blessed food distributed to all devotees afterwards. The offerings named are jal and gangajal, milk and panchamrit, bel patra, flowers and a name gotra sankalp, closing with a Shiv aarti. | Every Monday | From 6:30 pm | Sanatan Dharma Bhawan, 1/401 Pacific Highway, Artarmon | Rudrabhishek is the ritual bathing of the Shiva lingam, and samuhik means it is kept together as a congregation rather than at home. Artarmon is on Sydney’s lower north shore. |
| Weekly bhajans and community meal — Indo Australia Sanatan SocietyFree vegetarian meals, bhajans and kirtans, and company. Elders and volunteers are welcome. | Every Tuesday | 6:00–8:30 pm | Idavi Kitchen, 50 Brien’s Road, Northmead | Northmead is in Sydney’s west, just north of Parramatta. The programme is aimed at bringing elders together against isolation. |
Sources
Where this comes from
What this list is, and what it is not.
This is a compilation of what has been published publicly — on organisations’ own pages and notices, and in panchang calendars. We do not verify it, we are not the organiser of anything listed, and an entry appearing here is not confirmation that it is going ahead as shown. Where an entry has a booking or registration form, the link is on the entry and goes to the organisers.
Some entries are marked unconfirmed. That means the date, venue or booking was still to be announced when the list was compiled, and it is exactly the sort of entry to check before you set out.
We do not publish private addresses, personal names or phone numbers, even where they circulate freely elsewhere.
If you organise one of these events and would like it listed, corrected or taken down, tell us and it will be done.
A date wrong, or an event we have missed? We would rather be told than be wrong — tell us about this page. And if there is something you wish this site covered and it does not, tell us that too.