If you’re searching for the Rajasthan Calendar May 2026, you’ve picked a month that’s more spiritually eventful than its single public holiday might suggest. Buddha Purnima opens the month, Apara Ekadashi and a rare Shani Amavasya follow, and the standout event — the start of Adhik Maas, an extra lunar month that reshuffles several festivals later in the year — arrives right in the middle. This guide lays out every date, explains exactly what Adhik Maas means for your June and July calendar, and corrects one date that shifted after this month actually played out — more on that below. A free downloadable PDF is included further down.
Download the Rajasthan Calendar May 2026 PDF
If you’d rather have this month’s dates saved somewhere you can check without reopening this page, the Rajasthan Calendar May 2026 is available as a free, print-ready PDF. It carries the full month’s festival and vrat dates in a simple layout — no sign-up, no payment, nothing to install. Tap the download button, save the file to your phone or desktop, and print a copy if a paper version suits your study table, shop counter, or kitchen wall better.
Rajasthan Calendar May 2026 – Festival and Vrat Table
| Date (2026) | Day | Festival / Vrat | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | Friday | Buddha Purnima (Vaishakha Purnima) | Purnima Vrat |
| May 13 | Wednesday | Apara Ekadashi | Ekadashi Vrat |
| May 16 | Saturday | Shani Jayanti / Shani Amavasya, Vat Savitri Vrat | Amavasya / Vrat |
| May 17 | Sunday | Adhik Maas Begins | Adhik Maas |
| May 28 | Thursday | Eid-al-Adha (Bakrid) | Gazetted Holiday |
| May 31 | Sunday | Adhik Jyeshtha Purnima | Purnima |
A correction worth flagging: several calendars printed before this month listed Bakrid on May 27. That was the calculated date based on the Islamic lunar calendar, and it’s still the date Jammu & Kashmir observed. But after the crescent moon wasn’t sighted across most of India on the evening of May 26, religious authorities and state governments confirmed the holiday for Thursday, May 28 across the rest of the country, including Rajasthan. The explanation below covers both dates.
Every Date on the May 2026 Calendar, Explained
Buddha Purnima (May 1)
May opens with one of the most sacred days on the Hindu calendar. Vaishakha Purnima — better known as Buddha Purnima — carries triple significance, marking the birth, enlightenment, and Mahaparinirvana of Gautam Buddha. Devotees across Rajasthan take a holy bath at sunrise, visit temples, and observe a full-day fast. Charity performed on this day, particularly donating food, clothes, or water given the peak summer heat, is considered especially meritorious.
Apara Ekadashi (May 13)
Also known as Achala Ekadashi, this falls on the eleventh day of Jyeshtha’s Krishna Paksha. Based on Udayatithi, the fast is observed on Wednesday, May 13, with Parana (breaking the fast) the following morning on May 14. The day is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is traditionally believed to cleanse accumulated sins when observed with sincere devotion.
Shani Jayanti, Shani Amavasya and Vat Savitri Vrat (May 16)
This year’s Jyeshtha Amavasya lands on a Saturday, making it Shani Amavasya — also called Shani Jayanti, associated with the birth of Lord Shani (Saturn). Whenever Amavasya and Saturday coincide, it’s treated as an especially strong window for Shani puja, offering mustard oil, and performing remedies for Shani Dosha or Sade Sati. The same date also carries Vat Savitri Vrat, observed by married women across North India who pray beneath a banyan tree for their husband’s long life and wellbeing — making May 16 a genuinely triple-important date on this year’s calendar.
Adhik Maas Begins (May 17)
Right after Shani Amavasya, the lunar calendar enters Adhik Maas, running from May 17 to June 15, 2026. This extra month is inserted specifically because no solar Sankranti (zodiac transit) falls within the lunar month that would otherwise be Jyeshtha, so that month is duplicated — Rajasthan’s Panchang, like the rest of North India, refers to it as Adhik Jyeshtha Maas. Weddings, Griha Pravesh, and other new beginnings are traditionally postponed during this window, though the month itself is considered highly favourable for reading scripture, fasting, and charity. Because of Adhik Maas, festivals normally expected in June — such as Nirjala Ekadashi and Vat Purnima — will only be calculated under the regular Nija Jyeshtha month once Adhik Maas ends on June 15, shifting the rest of the year’s calendar by roughly twenty days compared to a normal year.
Eid-al-Adha / Bakrid — The Date That Shifted (May 28)
This is the one entry on the May 2026 calendar worth double-checking against whatever source you’re using. By calculation, the 12th of Dhu al-Hijjah fell on Wednesday, May 27, and that’s the date most advance holiday calendars — including early versions of this one — originally printed. However, Eid-al-Adha depends on an actual crescent-moon sighting rather than calculation alone, and when the moon wasn’t visible across most of India on the evening of May 26, religious authorities pushed the observance to Thursday, May 28 for the majority of the country, Rajasthan included. Jammu & Kashmir, where the crescent was sighted a day earlier, kept the original May 27 date. For Rajasthan specifically, government offices, banks, and most schools followed the revised May 28 date as the gazetted public holiday. The festival itself is marked with morning prayers, Qurbani, and sharing food among family, friends, and those in need.
Adhik Jyeshtha Purnima (May 31)
May closes with the Purnima of the Adhik Jyeshtha month. Because this Purnima falls inside Adhik Maas rather than a regular lunar month, it’s treated differently from a standard full moon — marked mainly through reading the Purushottam Maas Mahatmya and other Adhik Maas–specific observances rather than the usual Purnima rituals.
Rajasthan Public and Bank Holidays — May 2026
| Date | Day | Occasion | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2026 | Thursday | Eid-al-Adha (Bakrid) | Gazetted (Public) Holiday |
| Every Sunday | — | Weekly Off | Government Offices & Banks |
| 2nd & 4th Saturday | — | Weekly Off | Bank Holiday |
Rajasthan’s government schools typically begin summer vacation from mid-May through late June, following the academic calendar issued by the Directorate of Education, Bikaner. In practice, that means most state-run schools are already closed for a large chunk of May regardless of festival dates — exact vacation dates can vary slightly by district, so it’s worth confirming with your local school if this affects your planning.
Weather in Rajasthan During May 2026
May is peak summer across the state. Cities like Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Barmer, and Jodhpur regularly see daytime temperatures cross 42–45°C, while Jaipur, Udaipur, and Kota also stay hot, with daytime highs frequently above 40°C. If you’re travelling within Rajasthan this month, it’s worth scheduling outdoor sightseeing for early morning or evening, carrying plenty of drinking water, and sticking to light cotton clothing. Hill destinations like Mount Abu run noticeably cooler during the day and remain a popular May getaway for residents looking to escape the heat.
How This Calendar Was Verified
The Panchang-based dates on this Rajasthan Calendar May 2026 page — Buddha Purnima, Apara Ekadashi, Shani Amavasya, and the Adhik Maas window — follow standard Udayatithi calculations for North Indian time and don’t shift after the fact. The Eid-al-Adha entry is different: because Islamic dates depend on an actual moon sighting rather than calculation alone, the originally printed date (May 27) was superseded by the confirmed observance date (May 28) once sighting reports came in. This page reflects that confirmed outcome rather than the earlier calculated estimate, which is worth keeping in mind if you’re cross-checking against an older printed calendar or PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main gazetted holiday in Rajasthan in May 2026? Eid-al-Adha (Bakrid) is the main gazetted public holiday. It was originally calculated for May 27 but was confirmed for Thursday, May 28, 2026, across most of India, including Rajasthan, after the moon-sighting update.
When is Apara Ekadashi in May 2026? Apara Ekadashi falls on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, with Parana on the morning of May 14.
What is Shani Amavasya and when does it fall in May 2026? Shani Amavasya, also called Shani Jayanti, falls on Saturday, May 16, 2026. It occurs when the Amavasya tithi coincides with a Saturday and is considered highly auspicious for Shani puja and remedies.
What is Adhik Maas 2026 and how does it affect the Rajasthan Calendar? Adhik Maas 2026 runs from May 17 to June 15. It’s an extra lunar month during which major ceremonies like weddings are traditionally postponed, and it pushes several festivals normally expected in June — such as Nirjala Ekadashi and Vat Purnima — onto a later date.
Was Bakrid 2026 on May 27 or May 28 in Rajasthan? May 28. The 12th of Dhu al-Hijjah calculated to May 27, and Jammu & Kashmir observed it that day, but the crescent moon wasn’t sighted across most of India on May 26 evening, so the confirmed holiday for Rajasthan and most of the country shifted to May 28.
Can I download the Rajasthan Calendar May 2026 PDF for free? Yes, the free printable PDF is available using the download link earlier in this article.
Conclusion
The Rajasthan Calendar May 2026 runs from the sacred stillness of Buddha Purnima on the 1st, through Apara Ekadashi and a triple-significant Shani Amavasya, into the start of Adhik Maas on the 17th — the detail with the biggest knock-on effect for the months ahead. Eid-al-Adha closes out the month’s public holiday, ultimately observed on May 28 rather than the originally calculated May 27. Use the table above for quick reference, and download the free PDF to keep the month’s Panchang details handy without needing to check back here again.