Diwali 2026 — Date, Lakshmi Puja Muhurat, Dhanteras & 5-Day Festival Guide

Diwali 2026 — the Festival of Lights — falls on Sunday, November 8, 2026. This is the main day of Diwali when Lakshmi Puja is performed, corresponding to Kartik Amavasya (the new moon of the lunar month of Kartik).

The Lakshmi Puja Muhurat for Diwali 2026 (New Delhi) is 17:54–19:50 IST (Vrishabha Lagna, within Pradosh Kaal 17:31–20:09). This approximately 2-hour window is the most auspicious time for the main puja on Diwali night. Adjust by approximately ±15–20 minutes for locations east or west of Delhi, or consult a city-specific panchang app.

The complete 5-day Diwali calendar for 2026: • Dhanteras (Dhantrayodashi): Friday, November 6, 2026 — Kartik Krishna Trayodashi • Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali): Saturday, November 7, 2026 — Kartik Krishna Chaturdashi • Diwali / Lakshmi Puja: Sunday, November 8, 2026 — Kartik Amavasya Lakshmi Puja Muhurat (New Delhi): 17:54–19:50 IST • Govardhan Puja (Annakut / Padwa): Tuesday, November 10, 2026 — Kartik Shukla Pratipada • Bhai Dooj: Wednesday, November 11, 2026 — Kartik Shukla Dwitiya (Kartik Amavasya continues into Monday, November 9, so Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj fall a day later than the usual back-to-back sequence.)

These dates are determined by the Kartik lunar month tithi sequence and are consistent across all major panchang sources. Because Diwali falls on a Sunday in 2026, the main days (Dhanteras through Lakshmi Puja) cover a Friday-to-Sunday weekend.

The Lakshmi-Ganesh puja on Diwali night is the spiritual centrepiece of the entire five-day celebration. It is performed after sunset during Pradosh Kaal — the twilight window considered most auspicious for welcoming Goddess Lakshmi into the home.

Muhurat 2026 (New Delhi): 17:54–19:50 IST. This is the Vrishabha Lagna window within the broader Pradosh Kaal (17:31–20:09). The Vrishabha Lagna is considered especially auspicious for Lakshmi puja because Vrishabha (Taurus) is the exaltation sign of the Moon and is associated with wealth and abundance. Puja performed even 30 minutes before or after this window — within Pradosh Kaal — is still meritorious; the muhurat marks the most potent interval.

Puja Samagri (items needed): • Idols or framed images of Goddess Lakshmi (centre), Lord Ganesha (right side from Lakshmi), and optionally Goddess Saraswati • Kalash (copper or silver pot) filled with water, a coconut, and mango leaves • Red or yellow cloth for the puja platform • Roli (vermillion), akshat (whole unbroken rice grains), haldi (turmeric) • Fresh flowers — red lotus or marigold preferred for Lakshmi; red for Ganesha • Incense sticks (agarbatti) and dhoop • Ghee lamp (diya) — a five-wick deepak is traditional • Camphor (kapur) • Fruits, betel leaves (paan), supari (betel nut) • Sweets (modak or laddoo for Ganesha; kheer, coconut sweets, or mithai for Lakshmi) • Coins and new currency notes (to be blessed) • Account books (bahi-khata) for business owners • Lotus seeds (kamal gatta) for Lakshmi mala

Step-by-step Puja Vidhi: 1. Clean the house thoroughly before Diwali — Lakshmi is said to enter clean, well-lit homes. 2. Set up the puja area facing east or north. Spread a red/yellow cloth on a raised platform. 3. Place the Kalash (filled with water, mango leaves, and a coconut) to the right of the idols. 4. Invoke Lord Ganesha first with "Om Gan Ganapataye Namah." Offer turmeric, flowers, and modak. 5. Invoke Goddess Lakshmi with "Om Shreem Mahalakshmiyei Namah." Offer red flowers, kumkum, akshat, and sweets. 6. Perform the Panchamrit Abhishekam (bathe the idol in milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, and sugar) or a simple water abhishekam. 7. Apply roli and akshat tilak to the idols. 8. Light the ghee diya and incense. Perform the aarti — the Lakshmi Aarti ("Jai Lakshmi Mata") is the most widely sung. 9. Chant the Lakshmi Chalisa or Shri Sukta (Rig Veda, a 15-verse hymn to Lakshmi) for additional blessings. 10. Place the account books before Lakshmi and pray for prosperity in the coming year (this is the Chopda Puja practiced especially in Gujarat). 11. Distribute prasad to family members and neighbours. 12. Light diyas in every room of the house, at the entrance, on window ledges, near the Tulsi plant, and along the boundary wall. The light should be continuous throughout the night, welcoming Lakshmi into every corner of the home.

Day 1 — Dhanteras: Friday, November 6, 2026 (Kartik Krishna Trayodashi). Dhanteras, also called Dhantrayodashi or Dhanvantari Trayodashi, opens the five-day Diwali festival. "Dhan" means wealth and "teras" means the thirteenth day (tithi). On this day, Lord Dhanvantari (the divine physician, an avatar of Vishnu) emerged from the churning of the cosmic ocean (Samudra Manthan) carrying the pot of amrita (elixir of immortality). Dhanteras is the most auspicious day of the year to purchase gold, silver, new utensils, and household appliances — buying metal on this day is believed to multiply wealth throughout the coming year. Yama (the god of death) is also worshipped on this day to ward off untimely death; devotees light a diya facing south (the direction of Yama's realm) at dusk. Dhanteras Puja Muhurat (New Delhi) is typically at dusk, around 18:00–20:00 on November 6 — check a city-specific panchang.

Day 2 — Naraka Chaturdashi: Saturday, November 7, 2026 (Kartik Krishna Chaturdashi). Also called Chhoti Diwali, Kali Chaudas (in Gujarat), or Narak Nivaran Chaturdashi, this day commemorates Lord Krishna's victory over the demon king Narakasura. The Bhagavata Purana describes how Narakasura had imprisoned 16,000 women and stolen the earrings of Aditi (mother of the gods). Krishna — assisted by his wife Satyabhama — killed Narakasura at dawn. The tradition of waking before sunrise on this day, applying oil on the body ("abhyanga snan"), and then bathing represents the cleansing of all sins. In South India, firecrackers are burst in the early morning hours to celebrate Narakasura's defeat. In many households, small Diwali pujas and the lighting of 14 diyas (Chaudas diyas) are performed on this night.

Day 3 — Diwali: Sunday, November 8, 2026 (Kartik Amavasya). The main day of Diwali — the darkest night of the lunar fortnight, the new moon of Kartik. This is the night of the grand Lakshmi-Ganesh puja, the lighting of thousands of diyas, the exchange of sweets (mithai) and dry fruits with family and neighbours, and the bursting of firecrackers. The theological significance of lighting lamps on the darkest night is profound: the individual household becomes a beacon, pushing back the darkness with the light of devotion. Homes are decorated with rangoli at the doorstep — intricate geometric patterns in white rice flour and coloured powders, often incorporating lotus designs, Lakshmi's feet, and swastikas. Traditional diyas (clay oil lamps) are preferable to electric lights for the puja, as the flame symbolises divine presence. See the separate section on Lakshmi Puja Vidhi and Muhurat for 2026.

Day 4 — Govardhan Puja: Tuesday, November 10, 2026 (Kartik Shukla Pratipada). Also called Annakut (mountain of food) or Padwa in Maharashtra, this day celebrates Lord Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill to protect the villagers and cattle of Vrindavan from Indra's devastating rain. The Bhagavata Purana narrates how Krishna held the hill aloft on his little finger for seven days and nights. On this day, devotees prepare a "mountain" of food (Annakut) — sometimes hundreds of dishes — and offer it to Lord Krishna at temples. The prasad (blessed food) is then distributed among devotees. In Mathura and Vrindavan, the Govardhan parikrama (circumambulation of Govardhan Hill) draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims on this day. In Maharashtra, Padwa is the day when husbands present gifts to their wives. The new Hindu financial year (Kartik Shukla Pratipada) begins on this day in many business communities.

Day 5 — Bhai Dooj: Wednesday, November 11, 2026 (Kartik Shukla Dwitiya). Bhai Dooj (also called Yama Dwitiya or Bhai Tika) celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters, bookending the Diwali season in the same spirit as Raksha Bandhan. According to tradition, on this day the sun god's daughter Yamuna invited her brother Yama (the god of death) to her home, welcomed him with a tilak, and prayed for his long life — and Yama in turn blessed her with the boon that any brother who receives a tilak from his sister on this day will be protected from death. The ceremony: sisters apply a tilak on their brothers' foreheads using kumkum and rice grains, light a diya, and pray for the brother's long life, health, and prosperity. Brothers offer gifts and pledge protection to their sisters. Unlike Raksha Bandhan (where sisters tie a rakhi on brothers' wrists), Bhai Dooj centres on the sisters hosting the brothers.

The aesthetic and sensory richness of Diwali lies in its intertwined traditions, many of which are practiced across regional and community boundaries.

Diyas (clay oil lamps): The iconic image of Diwali is the diya — a small clay lamp filled with mustard oil or ghee, with a cotton wick. Thousands of diyas lit on doorsteps, window ledges, and rooftops transform neighbourhoods into luminous landscapes. The diya has deep symbolic resonance: the clay body represents the human form, the oil represents spiritual effort (sadhaná), the wick represents the individual soul, and the flame represents divine light (atman merging with Brahman). Making or buying diyas and then painting and filling them with ghee in the days before Diwali is a traditional family activity. Ideally, diyas are lit at dusk and kept burning through the night.

Rangoli: At the entrance of homes, women (and increasingly the whole family) create rangoli — intricate patterns drawn on the ground using white rice flour (or powdered limestone), with coloured powders (colour rangoli), flower petals, or coloured rice filling in the designs. Traditional Diwali rangoli features lotus flowers (Lakshmi's seat), Lakshmi's footprints (a path leading into the home), swastikas (a sign of auspiciousness), and geometric patterns like stars and mandalas. The rangoli invites Lakshmi across the threshold and adds to the festive beauty of the home.

Diwali Sweets (Mithai): The preparation and exchange of traditional sweets is central to Diwali. Families gift boxes of homemade or shop-bought mithai to relatives, friends, and neighbours. Traditional Diwali sweets include: Laddoo (gram flour besan or boondi laddoos, motichoor laddoos), Barfi (milk-based, often with pistachios or cashews), Gulab Jamun, Jalebi, Kheer (rice pudding), Halwa (semolina or carrot), Chakli and Chakki (savory snacks in many regions), and regional specialties like Karanji (Maharashtra), Chakkli (Karnataka), Sutarfeni (Gujarat/Maharashtra), and Besan ki Chakki (Rajasthan). In many homes, the women of the household spend days before Diwali preparing these sweets from scratch — a tradition of culinary love that is itself a form of worship.

Firecrackers: The tradition of bursting firecrackers on Diwali — particularly on Naraka Chaturdashi (to celebrate the defeat of Narakasura) and on the main Diwali night — dates back centuries and is symbolic of driving away evil and celebrating joy. However, increasing awareness of air quality concerns, especially in North Indian cities where Diwali firecrackers compound post-monsoon agricultural burning, has led to judicial interventions and community-level shifts toward "green Diwali" observances using low-emission firecrackers or forgoing them altogether. Many households and housing societies now celebrate Diwali with only diyas, light decorations, and flower garlands. The spiritual heart of Diwali — the puja, the diyas, the family gathering, the exchange of sweets — is entirely independent of firecrackers.

Cleaning and Decorating: In the two weeks before Diwali, a thorough cleaning of the entire home — walls, ceiling fans, behind furniture, storage rooms — is a widespread tradition. This is both practical (a clean home is welcoming) and symbolic (removing the old and making space for Lakshmi's blessings). Homes are then freshly whitewashed or painted (in many villages), hung with mango leaf torans (door decorations), string lights, and paper lanterns.

Diwali is one of the few truly pan-Indian festivals, celebrated across all states, communities, and diaspora populations, though the emphasis and specific customs vary by region.

North India (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh): Diwali in the heartland of the Rama legend focuses on the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya — the city of Ayodhya itself marks Diwali with a spectacular display of lakhs of diyas along the Saryu River ghats, which in recent years has set world records for the largest display of oil lamps. The Ramlila performances that run through Navratri and conclude with Dussehra give way to Diwali preparations. In Varanasi, Dev Deepawali (the Diwali of the gods) is observed on Kartik Purnima (the full moon, 15 days after Diwali), when the entire riverfront is ablaze with diyas.

Gujarat: For Gujarat, Diwali marks the start of the new financial year (Samvat 2083 begins on Govardhan Puja day). The Chopda Pujan (worship of account books) is an essential Diwali ritual for every business community. Gujarati communities also observe Kali Chaudas (Naraka Chaturdashi) with special rituals. In Surat and Ahmedabad, the city streets are famously decorated with elaborate light installations weeks before Diwali.

Maharashtra: The Maharashtra tradition emphasizes Naraka Chaturdashi (abhyanga snan and early morning rituals) and Padwa (the fourth day, celebrating the wife-husband bond). Maharashtrian households prepare Faral — a specific selection of Diwali snacks including Chakli, Karanji, Shankarpali, Besan Laddoo, and Chivda — during the weeks before Diwali.

Bengal: Diwali in Bengal is celebrated as Kali Puja on the Amavasya night rather than Lakshmi Puja. Goddess Kali — the fierce, dark, and powerful form of the Divine Mother — is worshipped with elaborate rituals at home altars and large community pandals. The festival draws Bengal's community together in a celebration distinct in character from the North Indian emphasis on Lakshmi, centering instead on Kali's liberating power. Diyas and lights are still lit, and the night is festive, but the presiding deity and the ritual focus are uniquely Kali.

South India (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala): In South India, Diwali is primarily associated with Naraka Chaturdashi. The oil bath before sunrise, firecrackers at dawn, and new clothes are the hallmarks of the South Indian Diwali. In Karnataka, Lakshmi Puja is also performed on the Amavasya night, giving the state a blend of North and South observances. In Kerala, Diwali is observed more quietly; it is not among the state's major festivals, though Keralites in other parts of India fully participate.

Punjab and the Sikh tradition: Diwali coincides with Bandi Chhor Divas for Sikhs — the day in 1619 CE when Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji was released from the Gwalior Fort along with 52 other political prisoners. The Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) in Amritsar is lit with thousands of lights, and the celebration is one of the most spectacular in the world. Punjabi Hindus celebrate Diwali with equal enthusiasm, combining the Sikh and Hindu observances in a shared festive atmosphere.

For the Hindu diaspora across North America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Gulf countries, Diwali 2026 on Sunday, November 8 falls on a weekend — making it one of the most accessible Diwali celebrations in recent years for families who may otherwise observe on a working week.

Purchasing Diwali samagri (puja items): Most Indian grocery stores in major diaspora cities stock puja items, diyas, and sweets in the weeks before Diwali. For fresh flowers, jasmine, marigolds, and roses work as substitutes where lotus flowers are unavailable. Gangajal (holy Ganges water) is available in Indian grocery stores or can be replaced with pure water for the Kalash. Sendha namak (rock salt) and sabudana for fasting dishes are available in Indian and South Asian grocery stores.

Diwali sweets abroad: Indian mithai shops in diaspora cities stock traditional Diwali sweets (laddoo, barfi, gulab jamun, chakli) in the weeks before Diwali. Sending a Diwali sweet box to relatives in India via gifting services has become a popular digital-era tradition. Several Indian e-commerce platforms offer Diwali gift deliveries across India.

Community celebrations: Hindu temples and cultural associations across North America and the UK organize public Diwali celebrations around the festival date, including lakshmi puja, diya decoration workshops, cultural performances, and shared festive meals. Indian Student Associations at universities also organise Diwali programs that are often open to the public.

Eco-conscious Diwali: Many diaspora households have moved toward a firecracker-free Diwali, citing air quality, local noise ordinances, and a desire to focus on the spiritual and aesthetic essence of the festival — light, puja, food, and family. LED diya strings and decorative lights are widely available and work well for outdoor decoration alongside traditional clay diyas indoors.

Time zones and muhurat: The Lakshmi Puja Muhurat of 17:54–19:50 IST on November 8 corresponds to 7:24–9:20 AM Pacific Time (US West Coast), 10:24 AM–12:20 PM Eastern Time (US East Coast), and 12:24–14:20 UTC. Diaspora families who want to perform puja at the muhurat corresponding to the precise astrological window in IST should schedule it at those times. Alternatively, many families perform the puja at local sunset time, which is fully acceptable — the muhurat window is a guide, not a hard requirement; sincere devotion with proper ritual at any auspicious time of Diwali night is meritorious.