When to Start the Vaibhav Lakshmi Vratवैभव लक्ष्मी व्रत कब शुरू करें

Choosing the day to start the Vaibhav Lakshmi Vrat is simple: the vow begins on a Friday, and by common tradition on a Friday of Shukla Paksha, the bright fortnight when the moon is waxing. Many families also avoid beginning during Kharmas and while Venus is combust. This page explains these customs, how to pick your first Friday, how many Fridays to choose and what time of day to do the puja, and it gives a table of suitable start Fridays for the coming years.

Why a Friday

In popular tradition Friday (Shukravar) is the day of Shukra, the planet Venus, and is associated with Goddess Lakshmi, prosperity and comfort. The Vaibhav Lakshmi Vrat is kept only on Fridays, so the first day of the vow is always a Friday. (The Santoshi Mata vrat is also kept on Fridays, but it is a separate vow with its own rules.)

Start in Shukla Paksha

Each lunar month has two fortnights. Shukla Paksha runs from the day after Amavasya (new moon) to Purnima (full moon), while the moon grows brighter. Krishna Paksha runs from the day after Purnima to Amavasya. Beginning auspicious vows in the waxing fortnight is a widespread custom, symbolising growth, so devotees usually take the sankalp on a Shukla Paksha Friday. Once the vow has begun, it continues on every Friday, whether in Shukla or Krishna Paksha.

Periods many people avoid

• Kharmas: the two solar months when the Sun is in Dhanu (Sagittarius) and Meena (Pisces), roughly mid-December to mid-January and mid-March to mid-April. New auspicious beginnings are traditionally avoided in this time.
• Shukra asta: the weeks when Venus is too close to the Sun to be seen and is called combust. Since Friday is the day of Shukra, many prefer not to begin a Friday vow while Venus is set.
• Adhik maas: the extra lunar month added every few years to keep the lunar and solar calendars in step. Many do not begin new vows in this month.

These avoidances are commonly followed, not universal. Some families simply start on the first convenient Shukla Paksha Friday. Once the vrat has begun, it is usually continued through these periods.

How to pick your first Friday

1. Look in a panchang (Hindu almanac) for your city, or a reliable online panchang, for the next Shukla Paksha.
2. Find the Friday or Fridays that fall in it.
3. Check that the date is not in Kharmas, Shukra asta or Adhik maas, if your family follows these customs.
4. Avoid a Friday when you know you will be travelling, unwell or otherwise unable to do the puja calmly. For women, many prefer a Friday that does not fall during menstruation.
5. On that Friday, keep the fast and take the sankalp during the evening puja, as described in the vrat vidhi.

Suitable start Fridays, 2026 to 2035

The table below lists Shukla Paksha Fridays year by year and flags those that fall in Kharmas, Shukra asta or Adhik maas. It is calculated for New Delhi; tithi timings and planetary dates differ slightly by location, so please confirm the date with a local panchang or your family priest.

Choosing 11 or 21 Fridays

At the first puja the devotee resolves to keep the vrat for a fixed number of Fridays. The usual choices are 11 or 21; some take 51 or 101. Eleven Fridays take a little under three months, and twenty-one take about five months, plus any Fridays that are skipped. Choose a number you can complete comfortably. Missed Fridays are not counted and the vrat continues, as explained in the vrat niyam. After the last Friday comes the udyapan.

What time of day

The fast is kept through the day, and the puja is usually done in the evening, after sunset around dusk, when the lamp is lit in the home. This is the time given in the popular booklet tradition. Some devotees do the puja in the morning because of work or family routines; customs vary. It helps to keep the same time every Friday. The fast is broken after the evening puja with prasad and one sattvic meal.

Frequently asked questions