Karadaiyan Nombu 2026: Savitri Nombu Vratham Date, Time and Significance

Within Tamil tradition Karadaiyan Nombu 2026, also known as Savitri Nombu Vratham, is a deeply revered observance for married women. On this day a wife prays for the long life, health and stability of her husband and silently renews her commitment to the ideal of devotion shown by Savitri.

In 2026 Karadaiyan Nombu will be observed on Saturday, 14 March 2026. The auspicious time to break the fast and to wear the Saradu is between 07:30 PM and 08:30 PM on the same day, in India Standard Time. According to the Tamil calendar this period marks the delicate transition when the month of Maasi ends and Panguni begins. The fast is concluded, the Karadai Naivedya is offered and the Karadaiyan Nombu Saradu is tied around the neck exactly during this sacred junction.

Karadaiyan Nombu 2026: date, timing and month transition

The timing of Karadaiyan Nombu is anchored in the transition between the Tamil months of Maasi and Panguni. This is treated as a spiritually charged moment linked with a subtle shift in the Sun’s position and the flow of dharma.

Karadaiyan Nombu 2026: date and fast breaking time

Detail	Date and time
Name of the festival	Karadaiyan Nombu 2026
Other name	Savitri Nombu Vratham
Date of observance	14 March 2026, Saturday
Tamil month junction	Transition from Maasi to Panguni
Fast breaking and Saradu wearing time	14 March, 07:30 PM to 08:30 PM, India Standard Time
Central intention	Prayers for husband’s long life, health and marital stability

Tamil families living abroad also observe the vrat on this date, aligning their Puja with the Maasi Panguni junction in their local place as per tradition.

What is Karadaiyan Nombu and why is it called Savitri Nombu Vratham

Meaning of Karadaiyan Nombu

The name of this vrat carries two key words.

• Karadai refers to a special preparation offered as Naivedya on this day, a unique Adai type dish made with rice flour and traditional ingredients.
• Nombu means vratam or fast, a disciplined observance undertaken with a clear spiritual resolve.

Thus the festival is known as Karadaiyan Nombu because the fast is broken only after offering this specific Karadai preparation and receiving it as Prasad.

Link with the Satyavan Savitri legend

Karadaiyan Nombu is also known as Savitri Nombu Vratham, because it draws its inspiration from the powerful story of Satyavan and Savitri.

According to the legend

• Princess Savitri chose Satyavan as her husband even after knowing that his life would be short.
• As the predicted day of his death approached, she undertook strict vrat, prayer and inner discipline.
• When Lord Yama arrived to take Satyavan’s soul, Savitri followed him, kept talking to him with clarity and devotion and did not give up.
• Pleased with her steadfastness and the strength of her vow, Yama granted her boons and finally had to restore Satyavan’s life.

For this reason Savitri is remembered as an ideal wife, combining devotion, intelligence and courage. On Karadaiyan Nombu married women remember her example and pray that their own marriages may be blessed with such protection and grace.

How is Karadaiyan Nombu 2026 observed

The sankalpa and nature of the fast

The vrat of Karadaiyan Nombu

• is primarily observed by married women,
• and in some families unmarried girls also join in, praying for a good and dharmic life partner.

The general pattern of the fast is

• to refrain from regular meals until the Maasi Panguni junction,
• to follow the rules of the family tradition regarding water and fruits,
• and to wait for the correct time between 07:30 PM and 08:30 PM to complete the Puja and break the fast in 2026.

Stepwise observance of Karadaiyan Nombu 2026

Step	What is done
Step 1	Bathe in the morning and wear clean, traditional clothes
Step 2	Take the vrat resolve in remembrance of the Goddess and Savitri
Step 3	Prepare the Puja space at home or in a temple
Step 4	Cook the Karadai Naivedya and arrange the required Puja items
Step 5	At the Maasi Panguni junction light the lamp and perform Puja with mantras
Step 6	Offer Karadai along with butter or ghee to the deity
Step 7	Tie the Nombu Saradu around the neck and then break the fast

What is Karadai and why is it central to the vrat

Symbolic meaning of Karadaiyan Nombu Adai

The special food prepared on this day is called Karadaiyan Nombu Adai or simply Karadai. Traditions hold that

• it is prepared with rice flour, lentils and other traditional ingredients,
• both sweet and savoury variants are possible, depending on family custom.

According to the associated belief

• Savitri herself offered such a dish, together with unmelted butter, as Naivedya to Lord Yama,
• as a thanksgiving for sparing her husband’s life.

In that spirit

• the modern Karadai is not just food,
• it is the expression of loving effort, prayer and gratitude offered for the protection of marital life,

and becomes the sacred medium through which the fast is completed.

What is the Karadaiyan Nombu Saradu

The yellow thread and its inner meaning

Another distinctive part of the observance is the tying of the Saradu, a sacred yellow thread.

• This thread, sometimes coloured with turmeric, is called Karadaiyan Nombu Saradu.
• A small flower or tiny ornament may be tied along with it.

As the Saradu is placed around the neck, the woman silently prays that

• her husband’s life may be long, healthy and righteous,
• the home may be protected with love, respect and mutual support.

In many families the Saradu

• continues to be worn after the festival,
  until a later auspicious time when a new one is tied according to custom.

Significance of the Maasi to Panguni transition in 2026

Karadaiyan Nombu is not only about the legend of Savitri, it is also about the transition in the Tamil calendar.

• The vrat is kept on the day when Maasi ends and Panguni begins.
• This junction is seen as a subtle shift in solar energy and a pointer towards new beginnings.

During this time

• women inwardly leave behind fears and insecurities,
• and welcome faith, patience and stability into their married lives.

In this sense Karadaiyan Nombu 2026 can be viewed as a gentle new chapter that joins

• personal devotion,
• family responsibility,
• and the rhythm of the traditional calendar.

Life lessons from Karadaiyan Nombu 2026

For both husband and wife Karadaiyan Nombu 2026 can become a living reminder of

• loyalty,
• mutual respect,
• and shared responsibility in marriage.

For the woman the vrat

• is not only a prayer for her husband’s lifespan,
• but also a way to strengthen her own inner qualities of
  • patience,
  • clarity,
  • and moral courage,

as exemplified by Savitri.

For the husband the day

• invites a deeper appreciation of his wife’s prayer, effort and quiet sacrifice,
  so that marriage rests not only on rights but also on gratitude, cooperation and care.

Families that

• worship together,
• share the Prasad of Karadai,
• and renew their intentions towards each other

may find that Karadaiyan Nombu 2026 becomes a foundation for a more secure, harmonious and enduring marital life.

Common questions

When is Karadaiyan Nombu in 2026 and what is the fast breaking time
Karadaiyan Nombu in 2026 will be observed on Saturday, 14 March 2026. The auspicious time to break the fast and tie the Karadaiyan Nombu Saradu is between 07:30 PM and 08:30 PM, during the Maasi to Panguni transition.

Why is Karadaiyan Nombu also called Savitri Nombu Vratham
It is called Savitri Nombu because the vrat is inspired by the story of Satyavan and Savitri, where Savitri’s unwavering devotion, vrat and wise requests compelled Lord Yama to restore her husband’s life.

What is Karadai Prasad and what is its role in the vrat
Karadai is a special Adai preparation made with rice flour and other traditional ingredients, known as Karadaiyan Nombu Adai. It is offered to the deity, recalling the belief that Savitri offered a similar dish to Lord Yama and it is used to break the fast.

What is the significance of the Karadaiyan Nombu Saradu
The yellow Saradu tied around the neck during the auspicious time symbolises prayers for the husband’s long life and marital wellbeing. It represents the wife’s vow to uphold the qualities of faith and dedication shown by Savitri.

What message can couples take from Karadaiyan Nombu 2026 for their married life
The vrat teaches that strong marriage rests on trust, dialogue, sacrifice and thankfulness, not only on ceremonies. When both partners renew their commitment to support and protect each other, Karadaiyan Nombu 2026 can deepen stability and warmth in their relationship.