If you’re searching for the Rajasthan Calendar December 2026, you’ve reached the final and quietest month of the year on the festival front — but far from an uneventful one. December carries the auspicious Hindu month of Margashirsha, a sacred Ekadashi and Amavasya, the state’s peak winter tourist season, and Christmas, which brings the only gazetted holiday of the month. Compared to the packed festival run of October and November, December can feel like a breather, but that also makes it easy to miss a fasting day or misjudge how quiet (or busy, if you’re travelling) the month actually gets. Whether you’re a government employee checking office closures, someone tracking fasting days on the Panchang, or a traveller mapping out a winter trip through Rajasthan, this guide covers every date you need, along with a free downloadable PDF.
Why Margashirsha Makes December Spiritually Significant
Most of December 2026 falls inside Margashirsha (also called Aghan), a month that Hindu scripture treats as unusually sacred. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna singles out Margashirsha specifically when describing his own presence within the passage of time, placing it above the other eleven months in that particular verse. That reputation carries through into how the month is observed today — Margashirsha is considered a favourable stretch for fasting, charity, and ancestral remembrance, which is reflected directly in the two lunar observances that fall in December: Utpanna Ekadashi and Margashirsha Amavasya.
December in Rajasthan: Cool Weather Meets Peak Tourist Season
Outside of religious observance, December is when Rajasthan turns into one of the most visited regions in the country. Daytime temperatures typically settle in the comfortable mid-teens to low-twenties Celsius across most cities, while desert nights can drop sharply, especially around Jaisalmer and other western districts — pack warm layers if you’re travelling, particularly for early-morning desert safaris or evening rooftop dinners. Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Pushkar all see a noticeable jump in both domestic and international visitors this month, drawn by the pleasant weather, wedding-season energy left over from November, and a string of winter fairs and cultural events. Heritage hotels and havelis across these cities are typically booked out well ahead of the Christmas-to-New Year window, so travellers hoping to visit forts, palaces, or desert camps during this stretch are usually better off confirming accommodation a few months in advance rather than waiting until December itself. If you’re planning travel around Christmas week specifically, book transport early too — trains and flights into Jaipur and Udaipur tend to fill up fast for the year-end period.
Other Notable Dates Worth Marking in December 2026
Not every date on the calendar comes with a puja or a day off, but two dates in December are still worth circling. December 21 is the winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere — not a religious observance in the Rajasthan Panchang, but a date many schools and astronomy clubs across the state use for small educational events. December 31, New Year’s Eve, isn’t a gazetted holiday either, but it’s one of the busiest nights of the year for hotels, restaurants, and rooftop venues in Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur, so if you’re planning to be out that night, reservations are worth making well in advance.
Download the Rajasthan Calendar December 2026 PDF
To save yourself from checking this page repeatedly through the month, you can download the full Rajasthan Calendar December 2026 as a free, print-ready PDF and HD image. It includes every date below — Utpanna Ekadashi, Margashirsha Amavasya, and Christmas — laid out on one sheet, with no sign-up, subscription, or payment required. Save it to your phone for offline access, share it with family or your office group, or print a copy to keep near your desk or home temple so you always know what’s coming up.
Rajasthan Calendar December 2026 – Festival and Holiday Table
| Date (2026) | Day | Festival / Vrat | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 4 | Friday | Utpanna Ekadashi | Ekadashi / Fasting Day |
| December 8 | Tuesday | Margashirsha Amavasya | Lunar / Vrat Day |
| December 25 | Friday | Christmas | Gazetted Holiday |
December 2026 begins on a Tuesday and ends on a Thursday, running the full 31 days. Dates above are calculated for Jaipur and the wider Rajasthan region; tithi timings can shift by a few hours depending on your exact city, so check your local sunrise-based tithi for a precise fasting or puja window.
The Month’s Key Dates, Explained
Utpanna Ekadashi (December 4)
Utpanna Ekadashi is the first Ekadashi of Margashirsha and falls in the Krishna Paksha. The name itself means “born” or “originated,” referring to the legend of how Goddess Ekadashi came into being from Lord Vishnu to defeat the demon Mura, a story told in the Padma Purana. Observers begin their fast the evening before, on Dashami, and continue it through the day, typically avoiding rice, grains, onion, and garlic while sticking to fruit, milk, and fasting-approved foods like sabudana khichdi. The fast is broken the next morning, on Dwadashi (December 5), which is considered the most auspicious time to do so. Temples in Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner, and Kota often hold extended bhajan and kirtan sessions through the day and into the night.
Margashirsha Amavasya (December 8)
This new moon, falling on a Tuesday, is treated as one of the more spiritually weighted Amavasyas of the year given its place inside Margashirsha. Families across Rajasthan use the day for Pitru Tarpan and ancestral prayers, often starting with an early holy bath at a river, lake, or sacred kund — Pushkar Lake, Galtaji in Jaipur, Ana Sagar Lake in Ajmer, and the ghats along the Chambal in Kota are among the more popular spots for this. Many women observe a fast for their family’s wellbeing on this date, and it’s common to invite a priest home for a meal and offer dakshina, or to light a lamp in memory of departed ancestors.
Christmas (December 25)
Christmas is the only gazetted holiday in December 2026, and it falls on a Friday this year, which means many people will stretch it into a long weekend by combining it with the following Saturday and Sunday. Rajasthan’s Christian community is concentrated in cities like Jaipur, Ajmer, Kota, and Udaipur, where churches hold midnight mass on Christmas Eve and morning services on the day itself, decorated with stars, trees, and nativity scenes. The celebration reaches well beyond the Christian community, too — schools, malls, hotels, and restaurants across the state join in with carol singing, cake cutting, and seasonal decorations, and events like Jaipur’s Christmas market draw large mixed crowds every year. Government offices, banks, schools, and public sector institutions all close for the day.
Gazetted and Restricted Holidays in December 2026
December is about as simple as the Rajasthan holiday calendar gets. There is exactly one gazetted holiday — Christmas on December 25 — and, according to the standard state holiday list, no restricted holidays fall in this month at all. That makes December one of the lighter months for planned leave compared to festival-heavy stretches like October or November, though it’s still worth checking your specific organisation’s circular, since some employers add their own local or sector-specific holidays that don’t appear on the general state list.
Ekadashi and Lunar Dates at a Glance
For readers tracking fasting days specifically, December 2026 has two lunar observances worth marking: Utpanna Ekadashi on December 4, in the Krishna Paksha of Margashirsha, and Margashirsha Amavasya on December 8. Since tithi start and end times can vary slightly between cities like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Bikaner, it’s worth checking your own local Panchang if the exact hour matters for your fast or puja.
How This Calendar Was Verified
The dates on this Rajasthan Calendar December 2026 page are based on standard Hindu Panchang calculations for Jaipur, cross-checked against the typical gazetted and restricted holiday pattern published annually by the Rajasthan state government. Even so, exact tithi timings can shift by a few hours from one city to another, and official holiday notifications are occasionally finalised or amended closer to the date itself. For anything time-sensitive — a fast, a puja muhurat, or planned leave — it’s worth confirming against your organisation’s official circular or a local pandit as the date gets closer, rather than relying solely on any single online source, including this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many holidays are there in December 2026 in Rajasthan? There is one gazetted holiday in December 2026: Christmas, falling on Friday, December 25.
When is Utpanna Ekadashi in December 2026? Utpanna Ekadashi falls on Friday, December 4, 2026, during the Krishna Paksha of Margashirsha.
What is the significance of Margashirsha Amavasya? Margashirsha Amavasya is considered especially auspicious for ancestral prayers, Pitru Tarpan, and sacred bathing. It falls on Tuesday, December 8, 2026.
Is Christmas a government holiday in Rajasthan in 2026? Yes. Christmas on December 25, 2026, is a gazetted holiday, so government offices, banks, and schools remain closed.
Can I download the Rajasthan Calendar December 2026 PDF for free? Yes, the free PDF is available to download from the link in the download section above, with no registration or payment required.
What is the weather like in Rajasthan in December 2026? December is cold across Rajasthan, with daytime temperatures typically ranging from around 15 to 22°C in most cities. Nights can get considerably colder, particularly in the desert regions, so warm clothing is recommended for evening travel or sightseeing.
Is the winter solstice on December 21 a holiday in Rajasthan? No. December 21, 2026, marks the winter solstice astronomically, but it isn’t a religious or gazetted holiday on the Rajasthan calendar.
Is New Year’s Eve a public holiday in Rajasthan? No. December 31 is not a gazetted holiday, though it’s one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants and hotels across the state’s major tourist cities.
Conclusion
The Rajasthan Calendar December 2026 may look lighter on paper than the festival-packed months before it, but Utpanna Ekadashi on December 4, Margashirsha Amavasya on December 8, and Christmas on December 25 still give the month real religious and cultural weight — on top of being Rajasthan’s busiest stretch for winter tourism. With just one gazetted holiday and no restricted holidays this year, planning around December is refreshingly simple. Use the table above for quick reference, and download the free PDF to keep the full month within reach without needing to check back here again.