Gita Jayanti 2026 falls on Sunday, 20 December. Pick the plan that matches the day you can start. Every plan covers all 18 chapters and 700 verses.
| Plan | Start | Each day | Time a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 days | Thu 3 Dec | 1 chapter | 4–13 min |
| 9 days | Sat 12 Dec | 2 chapters | 8–20 min |
| 3 days | Fri 18 Dec | 6 chapters | 35–47 min |
| 1 day | Sun 20 Dec | All 18 | About 2 hours |
Times are for reading the English at about 10 seconds a verse. Reciting the Sanskrit takes about half as long again.
Working out the days left from your date…
Thursday 3 December to Sunday 20 December
Chapter 1 on 3 December, chapter 18 on Jayanti. The shortest days are chapters 12 and 15 at 20 verses; the longest is chapter 18 at 78. Each day of this plan, with what the chapter covers and a verse from it, is on Read the Gita in 18 days.
Add all 18 days to my calendarSaturday 12 December to Sunday 20 December
The heaviest day is the first, chapters 1 and 2, because chapter 2 has 72 verses. The lightest is chapters 15 and 16.
Friday 18 December to Sunday 20 December
Commentators often read the Gita as three sets of six chapters, broadly on action, devotion and knowledge. This plan reads one set a day, so the last six chapters, ending with chapter 18, fall on Jayanti.
Sunday 20 December
Many temples and families read the full Gita on the day. Split into three sittings, each is under an hour in English. In New Delhi the Ekadashi tithi ends at 8:14 pm IST, so start the evening sitting by about 7 pm if you want to finish within it.
Short on time on the day itself? See which chapter to read on Gita Jayanti.
About two hours to read all 700 verses in English at an unhurried pace, or about three hours to recite the Sanskrit. Split into three sittings of six chapters, each takes 35 to 50 minutes in English.
For New Delhi, the Ekadashi tithi ends at 8:14 pm IST on 20 December. If you want to finish within the tithi, start the last sitting by about 7 pm. Times differ in other cities, so check your local panchang.
Yes. Split the 18 chapters into six sets of three and give one set to each person. The longest set, chapters 1 to 3, takes under half an hour in English, so six people can finish the Gita together in one sitting.
Tell Wisdom what’s going on and it picks a verse a day for seven days, with what each one means for you.
Week 1 is free. A few questions, about two minutes.