Bhishma Panchak 2025: Dates, Significance & Rituals

 

Festival Dates

• Start Date:Saturday, 1 November 2025
• End Date: Wednesday, 5 November 2025

These five days of the Kartik month are considered highly auspicious and spiritually potent.

Spiritual Significance

• Named after Bhishma Pitamah, who observed this vrat while lying on his bed of arrows awaiting the right time to leave his body.
• It is believed that observing this vrat grants the complete benefits of Chaturmas fasting, even if one hasn’t observed the full four-month period.
• The vrat is associated with devotion, purification, and liberation, and is especially recommended for childless couples seeking blessings.

Rituals and Observances

• Daily Puja: Devotees worship Lord Vishnu and recite the Bhishma Stuti and Vishnu Sahasranama.
• Fasting: Many observe a strict fast for all five days, while others follow dietary restrictions and spiritual discipline.
• Charity and Bathing: Holy river baths and donations to Brahmins are encouraged.
• Avoidance: During these days, one should avoid anger, lies, and harmful actions to maintain spiritual purity.

Regional Celebrations

• Widely observed in Vrindavan, Mathura, Varanasi, and Jagannath Puri, where Kartik rituals are deeply embedded in temple traditions.
• In Jagannath Puri, special Bhishma Panchak rituals are performed in the presence of Lord Jagannath.