Diwali Calendar 2026
Full five-day Diwali schedule — Dhanteras, Lakshmi Puja, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj — with muhurat timing for each day.
Diwali 2026: key date
Lakshmi Puja: Sunday, 8 Nov — Amavasya 11:28 AM, Nov 08 → 12:32 PM, Nov 09.
Computed for New Delhi, India; Diwali is chosen by the tithi in the evening (Pradosh Kaal), so the day can differ by city. Muhurat times are in the card below; use the Choghadiya and Panchang pages for other windows in your city, and follow your family priest.
Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026
Sun, 8 Nov · Amavasya 11:28 AM, Nov 08 → 12:32 PM, Nov 09 · computed for New Delhi, India
- Lakshmi Puja muhurat
- 05:54 PM to 07:50 PM
- Pradosh Kaal while Vrishabha (Sthir) lagna prevails — the best time.
- Pradosh Kaal
- 05:31 PM to 08:08 PM
- The first fifth of the night after sunset.
- Mahanishita Kaal
- 11:38 PM to 12:31 AM
- Around midnight — the alternative for those who follow Mahanishita puja.
Rule (Drik Panchang): Lakshmi Puja is done in Pradosh Kaal, best while the fixed (Sthir) Vrishabha lagna prevails, with Amavasya present. Times shift by city; they are for New Delhi, India.
The five days of Diwali
Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj — what each day means and how it is observed.
DAY 1 · KARTIK KRISHNA TRAYODASHI
Dhanteras
Also called Dhantrayodashi · Dhanvantari, Lakshmi and Kubera
Fri, 6 Nov — Trayodashi runs 10:31 AM, Nov 06 → 10:48 AM, Nov 07
Opens the five days. Dhan means wealth, and the day honours Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods and source of Ayurveda, alongside Lakshmi and Kubera — so health is honoured as the first form of wealth.
- Clean the house and light lamps at the entrance at dusk
- Buy something new — traditionally gold, silver or a metal utensil
- Worship Dhanvantari, Lakshmi and Kubera in the evening
- Light a lamp facing south for Yama (Yama Deepam) in the evening, as many families do
DAY 2 · KARTIK KRISHNA CHATURDASHI
Naraka Chaturdashi
Also called Choti Diwali, Roop Chaudas, Kali Chaudas · Krishna, Kali
Sun, 8 Nov — Chaturdashi runs 10:48 AM, Nov 07 → 11:28 AM, Nov 08
Remembers Krishna's victory over the demon Narakasura, freeing the people he had imprisoned. In South India this is the main festival day of Diwali; in the north it is 'Choti Diwali', the little Diwali, and in Bengal and parts of the west it is associated with Kali worship. The date is the day whose pre-dawn hours (between moonrise and sunrise) fall in Krishna Chaturdashi, so it can be the same day as Lakshmi Puja or the day before. The night worship on Chaturdashi (Kali Chaudas) is a separate observance that can fall a day earlier, and some sources publish that date as Naraka Chaturdashi.
- Take the early-morning oil bath (abhyanga snan) between moonrise and sunrise
- Light lamps in the evening
- Worship Krishna or Kali according to family and regional custom
DAY 3 · KARTIK KRISHNA AMAVASYA
Lakshmi Puja (Diwali)
Also called Deepavali, Amavasya · Lakshmi and Ganesha
Sun, 8 Nov — Amavasya runs 11:28 AM, Nov 08 → 12:32 PM, Nov 09
The main day. On the new-moon night, homes are lit with rows of lamps (deepa-avali) and Goddess Lakshmi is invited in for prosperity, with Ganesha worshipped first to clear obstacles.
- Clean and decorate the home; draw rangoli at the door
- Perform Lakshmi–Ganesha Puja in the evening during Pradosh Kaal
- Light diyas in every room, at the door and the courtyard
- Share sweets and gifts with family, friends and neighbours
- Merchants worship their account books (Chopda Pujan) — especially in Gujarat
DAY 4 · KARTIK SHUKLA PRATIPADA
Govardhan Puja
Also called Annakut, Bali Pratipada, Bestu Varas · Krishna
Mon, 9 Nov — Pratipada runs 12:32 PM, Nov 09 → 02:00 PM, Nov 10
Bestu Varas (Gujarati New Year): Tue, 10 Nov — Kartik Shukla Pratipada at sunrise (Pratipada runs 12:32 PM, Nov 09 → 02:00 PM, Nov 10). Many Gujarati calendars list Mon, 9 Nov instead — the day after Lakshmi Puja, because Pratipada begins that day. Both are observed; follow your family or community panchang.
Remembers Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan to shelter the people of Vraja from Indra's storm. Temples offer an 'Annakut' — a mountain of food — to the deity. The same tithi is celebrated as Bali Pratipada in parts of India and as the Gujarati New Year (Bestu Varas).
- Make a small hill of cow dung or food to represent Govardhan and worship it
- Offer a large spread of vegetarian dishes (Annakut) to Krishna
- In Gujarat, greet family and friends with 'Saal Mubarak' for the new year
DAY 5 · KARTIK SHUKLA DWITIYA
Bhai Dooj
Also called Bhau Beej, Yama Dwitiya · Yama and Yamuna
Tue, 10 Nov — Dwitiya runs 02:00 PM, Nov 10 → 03:53 PM, Nov 11
Closes the five days with the bond between brothers and sisters. In tradition the river goddess Yamuna welcomed her brother Yama on this day and he blessed all brothers who visit their sisters.
- Sisters apply a tilak on their brothers' foreheads and pray for their long life
- Brothers give gifts and a meal is shared together
Why is Diwali celebrated?
Rama's return to Ayodhya
For much of north India, Diwali is the day Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after fourteen years in exile and his victory over Ravana. The people of Ayodhya are said to have welcomed him by lighting rows of lamps on a new-moon night, and the lamps have been lit every year since.
The night of Lakshmi
Diwali night is also the night of Goddess Lakshmi, who according to tradition emerged from the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan). Families clean and light their homes to invite her in, which is why the festival is so closely tied to prosperity, new accounts and new beginnings in business.
Krishna and Narakasura
In South India the main day is the one before: Krishna's defeat of the tyrant Narakasura. The oil bath before sunrise and the morning lamps celebrate freedom from that fear.
Other traditions that mark these days
Jains observe Diwali as the day Lord Mahavira attained nirvana. Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, remembering Guru Hargobind's release. In West Bengal, Odisha and Assam the new-moon night is devoted to Kali Puja. The common thread across all of them is the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.
How is Diwali celebrated?
Preparing the home
In the days before Dhanteras, homes are cleaned, whitewashed or repainted and decluttered — the new-moon night is for welcoming Lakshmi into a clean house. Doorways are hung with marigold and mango-leaf toran, and rangoli is drawn at the entrance.
Lakshmi Puja
The evening puja is done during Pradosh Kaal, the period after sunset, on the day when Amavasya is present in the evening. An image or idols of Lakshmi and Ganesha are placed on a clean cloth with a kalash, coins, flowers, sweets and fruit; a lamp is lit and the puja is finished with an aarti. Many families keep a ghee lamp burning through the night. Exact muhurat times depend on your city, so use the Choghadiya or Panchang page for your location, and follow your family priest where you have one.
Lamps, sweets and gifts
Clay diyas are lit in every room, on windowsills and at the gate. Families exchange sweets and gifts, visit relatives and share meals. Many buy new clothes and household goods, and traders begin new account books on this day.
Fireworks and the environment
Crackers have long been part of Diwali, but many cities restrict or ban them because of air-quality and safety concerns. Check local rules before buying; a Diwali of lamps, rangoli and sweets needs no fireworks at all.
How different regions celebrate
Gujarat: Diwali is followed by Bestu Varas, the Gujarati New Year, and businesses do Chopda Pujan on the night of Lakshmi Puja.
Maharashtra: the days begin with Vasu Baras and the pre-dawn abhyanga snan is a beloved tradition.
West Bengal, Odisha, Assam: Kali Puja on the new-moon night.
South India: the main day is Naraka Chaturdashi, with an early-morning oil bath and new clothes.
Punjab and Sikh communities: Bandi Chhor Divas, with lamps at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Diwali 2026: frequently asked questions
When is Diwali 2026?
Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) 2026 is on Sunday, 8 Nov. The Amavasya tithi runs from 11:28 AM, Nov 08 to 12:32 PM, Nov 09 (computed for New Delhi); the puja is done in the evening (Pradosh Kaal) when Amavasya is present. The five-day festival runs from Dhanteras on Fri, 6 Nov to Bhai Dooj on Tue, 10 Nov.
When is Choti Diwali (Naraka Chaturdashi) in 2026?
Naraka Chaturdashi 2026 is on Sunday, 8 Nov — the day whose pre-dawn hours fall in Krishna Chaturdashi (the tithi runs 10:48 AM, Nov 07 to 11:28 AM, Nov 08, computed for New Delhi). This year it falls on the same day as Lakshmi Puja. Some calendars list the evening of the previous day (Kali Chaudas) as Choti Diwali, so you may see a day earlier elsewhere.
When is Gujarati New Year (Bestu Varas) in 2026?
By the Pratipada-at-sunrise rule (Drik Panchang) Bestu Varas 2026 is Tuesday, 10 Nov (Pratipada 12:32 PM, Nov 09 to 02:00 PM, Nov 10, computed for New Delhi). Many Gujarati calendars instead list Monday, 9 Nov, the day after Lakshmi Puja, because Pratipada begins that day. Both are observed; follow your family or community panchang.
What are the five days of Diwali?
Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali), Lakshmi Puja (the main Diwali day), Govardhan Puja (Annakut) and Bhai Dooj. Regional traditions add or shift some of these, for example Vasu Baras before Dhanteras in Maharashtra.
Are Choti Diwali and Diwali on the same day?
Sometimes. Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali) is the day whose pre-dawn hours fall in Krishna Chaturdashi, and Lakshmi Puja is the day whose evening falls in Amavasya. Depending on when the tithis begin and end, these can be the same day or consecutive days. Kali Chaudas, the night worship on Chaturdashi, is a different observance and can fall a day earlier, so some calendars list an earlier date as Choti Diwali.
Why do we celebrate Diwali?
Different communities remember different events: Rama's return to Ayodhya, the birth of Goddess Lakshmi, Krishna's victory over Narakasura, Mahavira's nirvana for Jains and Bandi Chhor Divas for Sikhs. All express the victory of light over darkness.
Which puja is done on Diwali?
Lakshmi–Ganesha Puja in the evening during Pradosh Kaal, with lamps and sweets. In eastern India, Kali Puja is done on the same night.
Is Diwali the same day in every state?
The main day is the same in most of India, but Diwali is chosen by the tithi at sunset and Amavasya can cover two evenings or begin late in the day, so a few regions observe it a day apart. Check the Amavasya start and end times for your city.
October 2026
Five days of Diwali · Ashwin – Kartik
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Festivals of 2026 — Month by Month
Every festival, Ekadashi, Sankashti, Purnima and Amavasya date for the year — tap a month to expand it.
November 2026· 4 dates⌄
Dhanteras
November 6, 2026
Festival · Kartik, Krishna Paksha, Trayodashi · Friday
Diwali / Lakshmi Puja
November 8, 2026
Festival · Kartik, Krishna Paksha, Amavasya · Sunday
Govardhan Puja
November 9, 2026
Festival · Kartik, Shukla Paksha, Pratipada · Monday
Bhai Dooj
November 10, 2026
Festival · Kartik, Shukla Paksha, Dwitiya · Tuesday