A soul arrives in Yamaloka, trembling, with nothing in its hands. On a great throne sits Yama, and beside him a man with a pen, an inkpot and a heavy ledger. He does not ask the soul to explain. He simply opens the book and begins to read, page by page, every kind word and every cruelty, with nothing added and nothing missed.
That man is Chitragupta. And in thousands of Kayastha homes, once a year, the family turns the scene around. Instead of waiting for the ledger to be read, they sit down with a fresh sheet of paper and write their own accounts of the year first.
The scribe of Yama’s court, in brief
Lord Chitragupta is the divine scribe who keeps the record of every soul’s deeds for Yama. Kayastha families worship him on Yama Dwitiya, 11 November 2026, with the Kalam-Dawat (pen and inkpot) puja, and each member writes a fresh account of the year’s income and expenses to offer him. Here are the lesser-known stories about him, and the writing custom in detail.
| Who | Chitragupta, record-keeper of Yama, the god of death |
|---|---|
| Puja day 2026 | Wednesday, 11 November 2026 (Kartik Shukla Dwitiya, Yama Dwitiya) |
| Muhurat | About 1:10 PM to 3:20 PM in New Delhi (afternoon); check your city’s panchang |
| Also called | Kalam-Dawat Puja, Masyadhara Puja, Lekhani-Dawat Puja |
| Main texts | Padma Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Garuda Purana |
Chitragupta unknown facts: seven stories most people miss
The riddle in his name
Before there was a scribe, there was only a thought. In the tellings, he stayed hidden (gupta) in the mind of Brahma, like a picture (chitra) not yet drawn. When he finally stepped out, Brahma named him Kayastha because he sprang from his body (kaya), and Chitragupta for his fame.
The man who appeared after a very long silence
Brahma sat in meditation for what one account calls 11,000 years. When he opened his eyes, a man stood before him holding a pen, an inkpot and a sword. Accounts differ on the details, so treat the number as part of the legend.
A court beside Yama’s throne
In Yamaloka, Chitragupta does not stand in a corner. He has a throne of his own, where he holds court and keeps the records according to what each person did in life.
A scribe with a household
Even the keeper of the ledger has a family. Tradition names his two wives as Iravati (Shobhavati in some lists) and Nandini. Sources differ on the names, and these accounts are community tradition rather than a single scripture.
Twelve sons, twelve clans
Kayastha tradition says Chitragupta had twelve sons, and each founded a branch of the community. The commonly cited names include Srivastava, Mathur, Saxena, Gaur, Nigam, Bhatnagar, Ambashtha, Karna, Asthana, Kulshreshtha, Suryadhwaj and Valmiki. Which son founded which clan varies from list to list, and spellings differ too.
The few doors open to him
Walk into any town and you will find a Shiva or Hanuman temple in minutes. Chitragupta’s temples are rare. The one in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, is described as the oldest temple in South India dedicated to him, with inscriptions pointing to the 9th century under the Cholas. In Hyderabad, Kayasthas who served the Qutb Shahi rulers built a Chitragupta temple at Falaknuma. Ujjain has a sacred site too, Shri Chitragupta Prakatya Tirth.
The temple that carries his name but not his image
Travellers at Khajuraho sometimes bow at the “Chitragupta Temple” and find, inside, a sun god. It is dedicated to Surya, and was built in the early 11th century (about 1020 to 1025 CE). Only the local name carries his.
Why the pen is put down, and picked up again
Chitragupta’s work is writing, so his tools are his symbols: the pen (lekhani), the inkpot (dawat) and the account book. That is why the puja is called Kalam-Dawat Puja.
Many Kayastha families keep their pens and books aside from Diwali and take them up again only after the puja. A folk legend explains it: Chitragupta once put down his pen when he was left out of Rama’s coronation invitations. It is not in Valmiki’s Ramayana, and the full tale is in our post on Bhai Dooj and Chitragupta Puja.
The day is the same as Bhai Dooj, when Yama visited his sister Yamuna. The people of Yama’s court are honoured on Yama’s own day. For the origin story, read the story of Lord Chitragupta.
A morning in a Kayastha home
It is the morning of Yama Dwitiya. In a house in Lucknow, Patna or Bhopal, the grandmother has already cleared the floor and set a picture of Chitragupta on a raised seat. Before it lie a new pen, an inkpot and the family’s account books, untouched since Diwali.
Then sheets of plain paper are handed round. The grandfather bends over his, the mother over hers. A ten-year-old grips a new pen as if it might run away. Nobody speaks much. For once, every member of the family is about to write the truth about the year, line by line, for the one who is believed to keep an honest record anyway.
The youngest writes a few small lines beside the elders’ long columns of figures, and all of it goes to the same page of the same ledger. Families remember that detail best.
The Kayastha custom of writing the year’s accounts, step by step
This is the part that makes the puja unusual. It is a community custom, so families vary in the details; ask the elders of your own family. The steps below are the commonly described form.
- Take fresh, plain paper and a new pen.
- Draw a swastik at the top with roli and ghee.
- Write “Shri Ganeshaya Namah”, then the names of five gods and goddesses. Some families write five, seven or eleven names.
- Write your name and address, both present and permanent, and the Hindu date (tithi and month).
- Write the year’s income and expenditure, honestly, in simple lines, and then what you will need in the coming year.
- Write “Om Chitraguptaya Namah” on the sheet; Bhakti Bharat describes writing it and “Shri Ganeshaya Namah” 11 times each.
- Fold the sheet and place it before the image of Chitragupta with the puja items, then keep it with them.
What the custom teaches
Think about what the sheet asks of you. You cannot write it without looking at where your money came from and where it went. The paper goes to the one who is believed to keep an honest record anyway, so there is nothing to hide.
The practice also carries a quiet lesson in literacy and bookkeeping. For a community long associated with scribes and clerks, writing is the sacred act. Offering the first page to Chitragupta turns an everyday habit into a yearly accountability ritual.
How to do the Kalam-Dawat Puja
- Clean the place and set up an image of Chitragupta on a raised seat.
- Keep a new pen, an inkpot and your account books or notebooks before it.
- Offer roli, akshat (rice), flowers, sweets and fruit. Many families also make panchamrit from curd, milk, honey, sugar and ghee.
- Do the account writing described above.
- Chant ॐ श्री चित्रगुप्ताय नमः and recite the lekhani shloka and aarti, which are on our Chitragupta Puja (Dawat Puja) page.
- Take the pen up again and resume your work.
The puja is done in the afternoon of 11 November 2026. The Dwitiya tithi runs from 2:00 PM on 10 November to 3:53 PM on 11 November, and the muhurat in New Delhi is about 1:10 PM to 3:20 PM (Drik Panchang). Check your local panchang for your city.
For a king whose life turned after this one puja, read how Raja Saudas was rewarded by observing Chitragupta Puja.
Sources and versions
The Garuda Purana describes Chitragupta’s throne in Yamaloka and his record-keeping. The Bhavishya Purana, as summarised on Wikipedia, gives the naming from kaya (body) and his fame. The Padma Purana is also cited for him. The 11,000-year meditation, the names of his wives and the list of twelve sons are tellings and community tradition, and they differ between sources. The pen-down story is a folk legend, absent from Valmiki’s Ramayana. The Surya temple at Khajuraho is described on Wikipedia. Puja timings are from Drik Panchang, and the writing steps from Bhakti Bharat and community practice.
चित्रगुप्त पूजा और लेखा-जोखा की परंपरा (संक्षेप में)
भगवान चित्रगुप्त यमराज के लेखाकार हैं और हर प्राणी के कर्मों का हिसाब रखते हैं। कार्तिक शुक्ल द्वितीया (यम द्वितीया) को, इस वर्ष 11 नवंबर 2026 को, कायस्थ परिवार कलम-दवात पूजा करते हैं। परंपरा के अनुसार सादे कागज़ पर रोली और घी से स्वस्तिक बनाया जाता है, “श्री गणेशाय नमः” और पाँच देवी-देवताओं के नाम लिखे जाते हैं, फिर अपना नाम, पता, हिंदू तिथि, साल की आय और खर्च लिखा जाता है। परिवार के हर सदस्य, बच्चों समेत, यह लिखते हैं। कागज़ को मोड़कर चित्रगुप्त जी के सामने रखा जाता है। विवरण हर परिवार में थोड़ा अलग हो सकता है।
Frequently asked questions
When is Chitragupta Puja 2026?
Chitragupta Puja is on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, the same day as Bhai Dooj. The New Delhi muhurat is about 1:10 PM to 3:20 PM; timings differ by city.
What do Kayasthas write on Chitragupta Puja?
They write “Shri Ganeshaya Namah”, the names of deities, their name, address and the Hindu date, and then the year’s income and expenses. The paper is offered to Chitragupta. Details vary by family.
Can non-Kayasthas do Chitragupta Puja?
Yes. Anyone who works with pen, books and accounts, such as students, writers and traders, can worship Chitragupta on this day. Kayasthas observe it most closely as a community festival.
Why is the pen worshipped?
The pen and inkpot are Chitragupta’s tools. Worshipping them honours the work of writing and record-keeping, and people begin using them again after the puja.
More on this season is in our Diwali stories and our Festivals section. Coming next: Chhath and Kartik Purnima.