Month 8October – November
Kartika
कार्तिक
Presiding Mantra
ॐ दामोदराय नमः
Om Damodaraya Namah
Ritu (Season)
Autumn
शरद ऋतु (Sharad)
Presiding Aditya
Mitra Aditya
Deity
Damodara
Gregorian
October – November
Significance
Diwali (Krishna Amavasya) — Rama's return to Ayodhya, Lakshmi puja. Kartik Purnima — Tripurari Purnima, Shiva killed Tripurasura. Dev Diwali at Varanasi ghats.
Major Festivals
Diwali, Govardhan Puja, Bhai Dooj, Chhath Puja, Tulsi Vivah, Kartik Purnima, Dev Diwali
Major Vrata
Kartik snana (daily early-morning sacred bath throughout month), Tulsi vivah (Shukla Ekadashi — Tulsi married to Shaligram), Chhath Puja 4-day sun fast (Bihar/UP/Jharkhand)
Ritual Character
Highest-merit month per Padma Purana. Kartik snana said to grant Vishnuloka. Vishnu wakes from Chaturmas sleep on Devuthani (Prabodhini) Ekadashi.