Masya: the new moon day, Tarn Taran Sahib, and the 2026–27 dates
What Masya, the new moon day, means in Sikh practice, why sangats gather at Tarn Taran Sahib and other gurdwaras, and every Masya date of Nanakshahi 558.
Every month in the Nanakshahi calendar
Masya is the day of the new moon, when the moon cannot be seen, and it comes once in every lunar month, about every twenty-nine and a half days. In the Nanakshahi calendar for 558 there are twelve. In Punjab it is a day when large sangats gather at certain historic gurdwaras.
Masya in Punjab
In Indian tradition the new moon, amavas, was long kept as a day for bathing in sacred waters, remembering ancestors and giving alms. Sikh tradition has kept the gathering but changed its meaning. On Masya, sangats travel to gurdwaras associated with the Gurus to hear kirtan and to bathe in the sarovar, and the best known of these gatherings is at Sri Darbar Sahib, Tarn Taran, the town founded by Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, whose sarovar is among the largest of all. Gurdwaras at Goindwal Sahib, Khadur Sahib, Baba Bakala and many other places also draw great numbers. At Sri Muktsar Sahib and Chheharta Sahib, a monthly Masya mela is a long tradition.
What the Gurus taught
The Gurus taught that bathing at a holy place does not wash away the dirt of the mind, and that the true pilgrimage is to bathe in the Name. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji questioned those who thought a dip at a particular moment could earn merit. Sikhs who keep Masya do so as a day to be in the sangat and to remember the Divine, not out of belief that the new moon itself is holy.
How Masya is observed
Gurdwaras that keep the day hold kirtan from early morning, katha and Ardas, and serve langar to the large sangats. Many families make Masya their monthly visit to a historic gurdwara near them. Hazri lists every Masya in its calendar.
Masya dates in Nanakshahi 558
| Date | Nanakshahi |
|---|---|
| Friday, 17 April 2026 | 4 Vaisakh 558 |
| Saturday, 16 May 2026 | 2 Jeth 558 |
| Monday, 15 June 2026 | 1 Harh 558 |
| Tuesday, 14 July 2026 | 30 Harh 558 |
| Wednesday, 12 August 2026 | 28 Sawan 558 |
| Wednesday, 9 September 2026 | 24 Bhadon 558 |
| Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 24 Assu 558 |
| Monday, 9 November 2026 | 24 Katak 558 |
| Tuesday, 8 December 2026 | 23 Maghar 558 |
| Thursday, 7 January 2027 | 23 Poh 558 |
| Saturday, 6 February 2027 | 24 Magh 558 |
| Monday, 8 March 2027 | 24 Phagun 558 |
Mark your Hazri to Waheguru
Stand before Waheguru every day, not only on days like this one. Hazri keeps your Nitnem on your phone with a recitation to read along with, marks your daily hazri, and reminds you on every Gurpurab of the year.
- Nitnem with audio
- Gurpurab reminders
- Paath with the sangat
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