Kaveri Sankramana 2026: Tula Sankramana Date and Teerthodbhava

Last updated: September 2026 · By the Divine Hindu Team, Jayanagar 3rd Block East, Bengaluru 560011 · ~10 min read

Every year in mid-October, pilgrims climb to the source of the Kaveri in the hills of Kodagu to watch water rise in a small tank at a fixed moment. This is Kaveri Sankramana, Karnataka's name for Tula Sankramana. Here is the verified 2026 date and time, what the day means, how Kodava families and devotees along the river keep it, and how you can take part from afar.

Kaveri Sankramana 2026 date and time

The Teerthodbhava moment is fixed each year by the priests from the panchang, and it moves. In 2024 it was announced for 7:40 AM on 17 October; in 2026 it falls in the evening, within minutes of the Sun's entry into Tula. The 2026 schedule was announced after a meeting at Bhagamandala chaired by Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna. Timings can change, so confirm locally before you travel. Sankranti moments can also differ by a minute or two between panchangs.

What is Kaveri Sankramana?

Sankramana (Sanskrit sankranti) is the Sun's passage from one rashi (zodiac sign) into the next. It happens twelve times a year. When the Sun moves from Kanya (Virgo) into Tula (Libra), it is Tula Sankramana, the first day of the solar month of Tula. In Karnataka this day is celebrated as Kaveri Sankramana, the festival of the river Kaveri. In Kodagu it is also known colloquially as Changrandi.

The Teerthodbhava at Talakaveri

Talakaveri is the place traditionally held to be the source of the Kaveri. It lies on the Brahmagiri hills near Bhagamandala in Kodagu (Coorg) district, at about 1,276 metres. A tank, the kundike, marks the source, fed by a spring, and a small temple there is dedicated to Goddess Kaveri, or Kaveramma. A shrine to Agastheeswara recalls the link between the Kaveri and Sage Agastya. The waters are said to flow underground and emerge as the river some distance away; apart from the monsoon, there is no permanent visible stream from the spot.

On Sankramana day, at the predetermined moment, water wells up in the Brahma Kundike and fills the larger holy tank. This is the Teerthodbhava, "the appearance of the sacred water". Thousands gather to witness it, bathe, and carry the teertha (holy water) home. The day is also marked in pilgrim towns along the Kaveri.

Bhagamandala and the Triveni Sangama

About 8 km from Talakaveri lies Bhagamandala, where the Kaveri is joined by the Kannike and the mythical Sujyoti. This meeting of three rivers is a triveni sangama. Pilgrims commonly bathe here and perform rites for their ancestors before going up to Talakaveri. The Sri Bhagandeshwara temple stands nearby, and local belief reveres the Kaveri as Dakshina Ganga, the Ganga of the south.

Kaveramma: the kula devata of the Kodavas

For the Kodava people of Kodagu, the Kaveri is Kaveramma, their kula devata (family and clan deity). In Kodava tradition the people are known as Kaverammera makka, the children of Kaveri. They believe that when the water rises at Talakaveri, the goddess is present at the same moment in every stream, well and pond of the land. The chant that fills the air at Talakaveri on the day is "Kaveramma ukki baa", a call for Mother Kaveri to rise.

A widely told legend explains the bond. Kaveri was married to the sage Agastya, who promised never to leave her alone, but broke his word and confined her in his water pot. Angered, she flowed out and swept across the land. At Balamuri, where the river turns sharply, the Kodavas are said to have stood in her path and begged her to stay; the force of the water pushed the pleats of the women's saris to the back, which is how Kodava women drape them to this day.

How Kodava families keep the day

• Kanni puje: married women in new silk saris worship Kaveri at home in a symbolic form, usually a cucumber or coconut wrapped in red silk and adorned with flowers and the pathak, the Kodava mangalsutra. It is placed on a plate of rice with betel leaves, areca nut, glass bangles and a lit lamp.
• Teertha in every home: water from the Brahma Kundike is carried home and kept until the next Sankramana. A spoonful is given to the dying, in the belief that it grants moksha (liberation).
• Blessings: younger members bow to the elders to receive their blessings.
• The meal: many homes cook dosa, pumpkin curry (kumbala curry) and payasa, and keep the day vegetarian, though customs vary by village.

Tula masa: a month of Kaveri worship

Kaveri Sankramana opens Tula masa, the solar month that runs in 2026 from 17 October to 16 November. The Tula Purana is cited for the belief that the Ganga herself resides in the Kaveri during this month, and some writers cite the Agni Purana for the belief that countless tirthas dwell in the river then. So the whole month is kept as a time for Tula snana, a dip in the Kaveri, at places along its course from Talakaveri to Poompuhar on the Bay of Bengal.

Thula Snanam at Mayiladuthurai

In Tamil Nadu the month is called Aippasi, and the custom is known as Thula Snanam. It is celebrated on a grand scale at Mayiladuthurai (Mayuram), which has a special Tula ghat on the Kaveri. The dip on the last day of Aippasi is called Kadai Muzhukku, "the last dip". On that day the Panchamurtis (festival images) of the town's temples come to the river for a sacred bath, and devotees from across Tamil Nadu gather for darshan of Lord Mayuranathar. The next day, the first of Karthigai, is Mudavan Muzhukku. Its story tells of a lame devotee who struggled to reach the ghat and arrived a day late, and of the Ganga staying one more day in the Kaveri to bless him. Confirm the 2026 dates locally.

The Kaveri also links great Ranganatha shrines. Srirangapatna's Sri Ranganathaswamy temple is Adi Ranga, the first of the five Pancharanga kshetras along the river, and Mayiladuthurai's Parimala Ranganatha temple is usually counted among the five as well.

How devotees along the Kaveri observe the day

Away from Kodagu, families in towns along the river keep Kaveri Sankramana with simple acts of reverence:

• Snana: a bath in the Kaveri, or a bath at home with a little Kaveri teertha added.
• Kaveri puja: worship of the river as a mother goddess with flowers, turmeric, kumkum, incense and a lamp.
• Deepa daan: the gift of a lamp. Many devotees light oil lamps on the ghats and offer them to the river in gratitude.
• Remembrance of ancestors: in Kodava custom, offerings are also made for the ancestors at this time, and pilgrims at Bhagamandala offer rites for them before climbing to Talakaveri.

A simple Kaveri puja at home

1. Bathe and set a clean place with a lamp, flowers and a vessel of water. Add a little Kaveri teertha if you have it.
2. Light the lamp and incense, and make a short sankalp with your name, gotra and the day.
3. Offer flowers, turmeric and kumkum to the water, and chant a simple nama such as "Om Kaveryai Namah".
4. Offer a naivedya (food offering), such as payasa or fruit, and thank the river for the water that sustains life.
5. Share the offering with the family and pour the water at the foot of a plant.

Srirangapatna on the Kaveri

Srirangapatna is an island town in Mandya district, Karnataka, formed where the Kaveri divides into two arms and rejoins. Its ghats include the Sangama, where the arms meet again, the Paschima Vahini, where the river flows west, and Gosai Ghat. Read our guides to the Srirangapatna Sangam, Paschima Vahini and the Ranganathaswamy temple.

Take part from afar: Kaveri puja and deepa daan at Srirangapatna

If you cannot travel to Kodagu or to the river, a pandit can offer the puja in your name through sankalp. Our articles Can a puja be done remotely? and How online puja works explain the tradition and the steps.

• What happens: our pandit performs a private Kaveri puja and deepa daan on Tula Sankramana on your behalf on the Kaveri banks at Srirangapatna, at the Sangama, the Paschima Vahini ghat or Gosai Ghat, as the vidhi and the day require.
• Sankalp: only your family's names and gotra are included.
• Muhurat: our team confirms the date on WhatsApp and shares the muhurat fixed by the pandit.
• Video: the video of your puja reaches you on WhatsApp within 3–4 days. No prasad is sent for Srirangapatna pujas.
• Booking closes: 4 PM IST on Friday 16 October 2026.

Divine Hindu has no connection with the Talakaveri or Bhagamandala temples, the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple or any temple board. The puja is offered by our pandit on the Kaveri banks at Srirangapatna, not at Talakaveri and not inside any temple. Browse all Srirangapatna pujas, including pitru tarpan if you also wish to remember your ancestors on the river.

If you plan to visit Talakaveri

• Distance: Talakaveri is about 8 km from Bhagamandala and 48 km from Madikeri, the district headquarters.
• Weather: this is one of the wettest parts of Karnataka. Bhagamandala averages about 318 mm of rain in October, so carry rain gear.
• Crowds: expect heavy crowds around the Teerthodbhava moment. Check advisories from the Kodagu district administration and the temple before you travel; timings can change, so confirm locally.

More on the Kaveri and the festive season

Kaveri Sankramana falls one week after Mahalaya Amavasya 2026 and in the middle of Navratri. For the rest of the season, see our Navratri 2026 guide and the Hindu festival calendar 2026.

Related reading: Srirangapatna Sangam · Paschima Vahini, Srirangapatna · Ranganathaswamy temple, Srirangapatna · Booking a pandit-performed pooja from home

This guide is for educational and devotional purposes and reflects traditional practice. Confirm exact muhurat timings with your local panchang.