Hindu festival · San Francisco Bay Area
Ratha Saptami
Dates for the Bay Area
- Sunday, 25 January 2026Vrat / deity festival
- Saturday, 13 February 2027Vrat / deity festivalnext
- Wednesday, 2 February 2028Vrat / deity festival
Why it matters
Honors Surya and symbolically celebrates the Sun’s life-giving movement, often described as Surya Jayanti.
The story behind it
The seven horses of Surya’s chariot are interpreted as rays, days, meters or forces of light and time.
Prayers and worship
Devotees may offer water (arghya) to the rising Sun, recite Aditya Hridayam, Surya Gayatri or Surya namaskara prayers, and perform arati.
Fasting and devotional customs
Temple darshan, a simple home pooja, japa, bhajans, charity or a sattvic fast may be observed according to family and sampradaya.
What is typically offered
Water offered in a copper vessel, red flowers, wheat, jaggery and lamps are common in many traditions.
Visiting a temple that day
Temple practices vary by region and sampradaya. Dress modestly, remove footwear where required, follow priest/volunteer directions, ask before photography, and check the temple’s event page for exact pooja, fasting and prasādam arrangements.
Spiritual themes
Vitality, gratitude, discipline, clarity and illumination.
Request this pooja
Ask Sri Kumar Gurukkal about a pooja for Ratha Saptami — at your home, at a temple, or with family joining remotely. A request is an enquiry, not a booking.
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Subscribe to the festival calendar Share on WhatsAppThe 2026–27 dates were compiled from a Northern-California Panchāṅgam reference for the Fremont / Bay Area location. The 2028 date is computed by this site’s own engine from the festival’s standard definition, tested against the 2026–27 dates: Māgha śukla saptamī, judged at the tithi at sunrise (udaya-vyāpinī). No 2028 date has been checked against a printed almanac or reviewed by Sri Kumar Gurukkal. They can differ from a calendar computed for another city or another sampradāya. Please confirm any date on which you plan a ceremony with Sri Kumar Gurukkal. How these dates are calculated →