The short answer
In 2026, Bandi Chhor Divas is Sunday 8 November. Both of the sources we read give that date.
Wikipedia says this Sikh day is still calculated by the Bikrami calendar, while the rest of the Sikh celebrations it lists are now set by the Nanakshahi calendar. For 2027 we found one source, and it gives Friday 29 October; the other source we read gives no 2027 date, so for it the answer is still to be confirmed. We do not rule on which date is right. Follow your gurdwara.
The dates, with sources
Each date below is shown with the page it came from and the day we opened that page.
2026, Wikipedia
Sunday 8 November 2026
Listed as the 2026 date, with 21 October for 2025
Source: Wikipedia, Bandi Chhor Divas page. Checked 16 October 2026.
2026, University of Southern California
Sunday 8 November 2026
Listed as Bandi Chhor Divas / Diwali (Sikh)
Source: USC Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Sikh holy days calendar. Checked 16 October 2026.
2027, University of Southern California
Friday 29 October 2027
The page itself warns that the calendar convention in use, and what a local community does, can shift a date.
Source: USC Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Sikh holy days calendar. Checked 16 October 2026.
2027, Wikipedia
To be confirmed
The page gives no 2027 date.
Source: Wikipedia, Bandi Chhor Divas page. Checked 16 October 2026.
Neither page says which city or time zone its date is for. We found no second source for 2027 among the pages we are using, so please treat the 2027 date as one reading until it is confirmed.
The dates by source
| Year | Wikipedia | USC Sikh calendar | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sun 8 Nov | Sun 8 Nov | Same |
| 2027 | No date given | Fri 29 Oct | One source |
Why the date moves
Wikipedia names two calendars for Sikh celebrations, the Bikrami and the Nanakshahi. It says Bandi Chhor Divas is one of three Sikh days still calculated by the traditional Bikrami calendar, and that the rest are now decided by the Nanakshahi calendar. It also says that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and other Sikh religious leaders formally took this day into the Nanakshahi calendar in 2003.
Wikipedia describes it as an autumn day that frequently coincides with the Hindu Diwali, and its summary box gives the date as the Amavasya of Kartika.
- Bikrami: Wikipedia gives 21 October for 2025 and 8 November for 2026, and USC gives 29 October for 2027, so the printed date moves by days or weeks from year to year.
- Nanakshahi: a note on the USC page says its dates can differ depending on which Nanakshahi calendar convention is followed and on local community practice. Neither source prints a separate Nanakshahi date for Bandi Chhor Divas, and we do not make one up.
Neither page prints how its date was worked out, so we cannot show the working behind the dates.
What this means for you
Check which day your gurdwara marks. The USC note says its dates may vary by calendar convention and local community practice, and USC describes its calendar as provided for planning and awareness.
Follow your gurdwara, family or community. This page does not rule on which date is right.
Sources we opened
- Wikipedia, Bandi Chhor Divas: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandi_Chhor_Divas. It gives 21 October 2025 and 8 November 2026, and says the day is still worked out from the Bikrami calendar. Read 16 October 2026.
- University of Southern California, Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Sikh holy days calendar: orsl.usc.edu/life/sikh-holy-days-calendar/. It gives 8 November 2026, 29 October 2027 and 17 October 2028. Read 16 October 2026.
We did not read anything published by the SGPC, which Wikipedia names in connection with the 2003 adoption. The reading above is ours and rests on those two pages.