Diwali 2026 Date: Laxmi Puja Muhurat & 5 Days of Diwali
Diwali 2026 Date: Laxmi Puja Muhurat & 5 Days of Diwali
The Diwali 2026 date is Sunday, 8 November 2026. Laxmi Puja is performed that evening, and in New Delhi the most favoured muhurat is 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM. The five-day festival runs from Dhanteras on Friday, 6 November, to Bhai Dooj on Wednesday, 11 November.
Below you will find the date table, the muhurat, the reasoning behind it, and a simple puja vidhi for home. All timings are for New Delhi (IST), and they shift a little by city.
Planning the whole festive season? See the full Hindu festival calendar 2026, with pages for Navratri, Dussehra, Karwa Chauth, Dhanteras, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj.
When is Diwali in 2026?
Diwali falls on Kartik Amavasya, the new moon night of Kartik in the North Indian (purnimanta) calendar. In the amanta calendar used in Gujarat, Maharashtra and the South, the same night is called Ashwin Amavasya.
In 2026:
- Amavasya begins: 11:27 AM, Sunday 8 November
- Amavasya ends: 12:31 PM, Monday 9 November
These tithi times match our own ephemeris calculation to within a minute. Websites differ on them by up to several hours, so if two sources disagree, check the Amavasya start and end against your city's panchang before planning around a specific minute.
Because Amavasya touches both days, many people ask whether Diwali is on 8 or 9 November. The rule is that Laxmi Puja is done on the evening when Amavasya is present during pradosh kaal, just after sunset. On 9 November Amavasya ends at midday, so Diwali falls only on Sunday, 8 November.
Diwali 2026 date table: the 5 days of Diwali
| Day | Festival | Date and day | Tithi (New Delhi, IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dhanteras (Dhantrayodashi) | Friday, 6 November | Krishna Trayodashi: 10:30 AM, 6 Nov to 10:47 AM, 7 Nov |
| 2 | Choti Diwali (evening diyas, Kali Chaudas, Hanuman Puja) | Saturday, 7 November | Krishna Chaturdashi begins 10:47 AM, 7 Nov |
| 2 (contd.) | Narak Chaturdashi Abhyang Snan | Sunday, 8 November, 5:41 AM to 6:38 AM | Chaturdashi ends 11:27 AM, 8 Nov |
| 3 | Diwali (Laxmi Puja) | Sunday, 8 November | Amavasya: 11:27 AM, 8 Nov to 12:31 PM, 9 Nov |
| 4 | Govardhan Puja (Annakut) | Tuesday, 10 November | Shukla Pratipada: 12:31 PM, 9 Nov to 2:00 PM, 10 Nov |
| 5 | Bhai Dooj | Wednesday, 11 November | Shukla Dwitiya: 2:00 PM, 10 Nov to 3:53 PM, 11 Nov |
A note on Choti Diwali. Chaturdashi runs from Saturday morning to Sunday morning. Drik Panchang lists Kali Chaudas and Hanuman Puja on Saturday, 7 November, and the Narak Chaturdashi oil bath (abhyang snan) at dawn on Sunday, 8 November. Most North Indian families will light Choti Diwali diyas on Saturday evening; those who keep the abhyang snan take it early on Sunday. Both are correct within their tradition.
The gap day. Monday, 9 November has no main festival, as Amavasya continues until 12:31 PM. A few calendars show Govardhan Puja on the 9th, but panchangs that follow the morning Pratipada rule place it on Tuesday, 10 November.
What to do on each day of Diwali 2026
Dhanteras 2026: Friday, 6 November
Traditionally people buy a metal item, such as a utensil, coin or some silver, to welcome prosperity. There is no need to overspend; a small steel lota bought happily carries the same meaning. In the evening, worship Dhanvantari, Goddess Lakshmi and Kuber. The Dhanteras puja muhurat in New Delhi is 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM. Yama Deepam, a lamp at the entrance facing south for the family's wellbeing, is lit the same evening.
Choti Diwali 2026: Saturday, 7 November
Finish cleaning, make the rangoli and set up the puja space. Light a few diyas at dusk.
Diwali 2026: Sunday, 8 November
If your family observes Narak Chaturdashi, take the abhyang snan between 5:41 AM and 6:38 AM. In the evening, perform Laxmi Puja in the muhurat below, then light diyas across the house. In Bengal this night is Kali Puja.
Govardhan Puja 2026: Tuesday, 10 November
Also called Annakut, this day remembers Shri Krishna lifting the Govardhan hill. The morning muhurat in New Delhi is 6:40 AM to 8:50 AM.
Bhai Dooj 2026: Wednesday, 11 November
Sisters apply tilak to their brothers and pray for their long life; brothers offer gifts and their support.
Diwali Laxmi Puja 2026 muhurat (New Delhi)
| Window | Time (8 November 2026, IST) |
|---|---|
| Laxmi Puja muhurat | 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM (1 hour 56 minutes) |
| Pradosh kaal | 5:31 PM to 8:09 PM |
| Vrishabha kaal (sthir lagna) | 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM |
| Mahanishita kaal | 11:39 PM to 12:31 AM (9 Nov) |
| Simha kaal (sthir lagna) | 12:25 AM to 2:42 AM (9 Nov) |
For shops and offices that hold puja during working hours, auspicious choghadiya windows on 8 November are 11:27 AM to 12:05 PM, 1:26 PM to 2:48 PM and 5:31 PM to 10:27 PM.
Timings shift by city, mostly because sunset changes. Laxmi Puja muhurat in some other cities: Mumbai 6:27 PM to 8:27 PM, Pune 6:24 PM to 8:24 PM and Kolkata 5:20 PM to 7:18 PM. For your own city, check the daily panchang for 8 November.
Why timing matters: pradosh kaal and sthir lagna
Two ideas decide the Laxmi Puja muhurat.
Pradosh kaal is the window of roughly two and a half hours after sunset. Lamps are lit at dusk to welcome Lakshmi, and Amavasya must be running then. That is why the evening decides the Diwali date.
Sthir lagna means a "fixed" rising sign: Vrishabha, Simha, Vrishchika or Kumbha. It is traditionally believed that worship done in a fixed lagna helps Lakshmi's blessings stay steady in the home. On Diwali evening Vrishabha rises during pradosh kaal, so their overlap, 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM in Delhi, is the window most families prefer.
Simha lagna and Mahanishita kaal, later in the night, suit Kali Puja and longer sadhana. For a household puja I recommend the pradosh and Vrishabha window; if you cannot manage it, a sincere puja anywhere in pradosh kaal is still meaningful. More on this in my guide to choosing an auspicious time.
Laxmi Puja vidhi: simple steps at home
- Prepare. Clean the puja area, bathe and wear fresh clothes.
- Set up the chowki. Spread a red or yellow cloth on a low stool. Place Ganesha and Lakshmi idols or a picture, with a kalash of water topped with mango leaves and a coconut.
- Light the main diya. Light a ghee or oil lamp that will stay lit through the night.
- Take sankalp. Holding water, rice and a flower, say your name, gotra (if known) and intention, then release them.
- Worship Ganesha first with roli, rice, flowers and durva grass.
- Worship Lakshmi. Offer kumkum, haldi, red or lotus flowers, kheel-batashe, sweets and fruit. Many families keep coins and account books (bahi-khata) before the Goddess.
- Worship Kuber, traditionally honoured alongside Lakshmi.
- Recite a stotra. Read the Mahalakshmi Ashtakam or the Lakshmi Chalisa, or chant a Lakshmi mantra you have learnt from your family or guru.
- Do the aarti. Perform Lakshmi aarti with the whole family.
- Light the house. Place diyas at the entrance, windows, kitchen, water source and every room. Share prasad and sweets.
A peaceful Diwali to you
Diwali is less about getting every minute right and more about the feeling you bring to the lamp you light. Prepare your puja space a day early and try to sit for Laxmi Puja between 5:54 PM and 7:50 PM in Delhi, or at your city's time.
If you would like a muhurat for your exact city, or Diwali guidance based on your own birth chart, you can book a consultation with me.
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Book a consultationFrequently Asked Questions
What is the date of Diwali 2026?
Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Amavasya runs from 11:27 AM on 8 November to 12:31 PM on 9 November, and since only the 8th has Amavasya during the evening, Laxmi Puja is done that night.
What is the best time for Laxmi Puja on Diwali 2026?
In New Delhi, the most favoured window is 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM, when pradosh kaal and the fixed Vrishabha lagna overlap. Timings shift by city, so Mumbai's window is 6:27 PM to 8:27 PM and Kolkata's is 5:20 PM to 7:18 PM.
Is Dhanteras on the same day as Diwali?
No. Dhanteras 2026 is on Friday, 6 November, two days before Diwali. The Dhanteras puja muhurat in New Delhi is 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM.
What are the 5 days of Diwali 2026?
Dhanteras on 6 November, Choti Diwali on 7 November, Diwali (Laxmi Puja) on 8 November, Govardhan Puja on 10 November and Bhai Dooj on 11 November. Monday, 9 November is a gap day this year because Amavasya runs into its morning.
Why is pradosh kaal important for Laxmi Puja?
Pradosh kaal is the dusk period after sunset, when lamps are traditionally lit to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. Panchangs fix the Diwali date by checking which evening has Amavasya during pradosh kaal, and it is considered the most fitting time for the main puja.
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