Jyeshtha
ज्येष्ठ
May – JuneAlso spelled: Jyaishtha, Jeth
Pre-monsoon heat. Hosts Vat Savitri (married women fast for husbands' longevity) and Ganga Dussehra (descent of Ganga to earth).
Nakshatra
Jyeshtha
Where the full moon falls in this month
Presiding deity
Indra — the rain god
Seasonal element
Late pre-monsoon heat
Agricultural rhythm
Hottest month; farmers wait for monsoon; water-conservation rituals peak.
Spiritual character
Jyeshtha is the month of waiting — the earth thirsts for rain. Vat Savitri (married women fasting under banyan trees) and Ganga Dussehra (the river goddess's descent) both anchor the month's feminine-water energy.
Key observances this month
- •Vat Savitri (Shukla Purnima) — banyan-tree fast for husbands' longevity
- •Ganga Dussehra (Shukla Dashami) — descent of Ganga from heaven
- •Snana Yatra at Puri (Shukla Purnima) — Lord Jagannath's bathing festival
- •Jyeshtha Ekadashi — Vishnu fasting
Auspicious for
- ✓Charity (especially water + food)
- ✓River bathing
- ✓Tree-planting
Traditionally avoided
- ✗Heavy travel during peak heat
- ✗Major surgical procedures
Festivals in Jyeshtha
Vikram Samvat 2083
Snana Yatra
29 May 2026 · Fri
Shukla Purnima
The day Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are bathed at Puri.
Vat Savitri
29 May 2026 · Fri
Shukla Purnima
Married women fast for their husbands' longevity.
Ganga Dussehra
13 Jun 2026 · Sat
Shukla Dashami
The day Ganga descended from heaven to earth.
Raja Parba
15 Jun 2026 · Mon
Sun enters Gemini (solar — three-day festival starting Pahili Raja)
Odisha's 3-day festival of womanhood and the Earth's menstruation.
Ambubachi Mela
22 Jun 2026 · Mon
Mithuna Sankranti + 7 (solar; ~3rd day of Mithuna)
The annual menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya — Tantric pilgrimage at Guwahati.
Vikram Samvat 2084
Snana Yatra
4 Jun 2027 · Fri
Shukla Purnima
The day Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are bathed at Puri.
Vat Savitri
4 Jun 2027 · Fri
Shukla Purnima
Married women fast for their husbands' longevity.
Ganga Dussehra
13 Jun 2027 · Sun
Shukla Dashami
The day Ganga descended from heaven to earth.
Raja Parba
15 Jun 2027 · Tue
Sun enters Gemini (solar — three-day festival starting Pahili Raja)
Odisha's 3-day festival of womanhood and the Earth's menstruation.
Ambubachi Mela
22 Jun 2027 · Tue
Mithuna Sankranti + 7 (solar; ~3rd day of Mithuna)
The annual menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya — Tantric pilgrimage at Guwahati.