Diwali 2026
Sunday, 8 November 2026
Sunday
Updated:
Diwali 2026 — Key Details
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November. Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Delhi is 5:54 to 7:50 PM IST — the pradosh kaal window after sunset while Amavasya tithi prevails (11:27 AM on 8 Nov to 12:31 PM on 9 Nov). The five-day festival runs from Dhanteras on Friday, 6 November to Bhai Dooj on Wednesday, 11 November.
Diwali 2026 — Day-by-Day Calendar
| Day | Date | Tithi | Devi / Observance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 Nov 2026 (Friday) | Trayodashi (from 10:30 AM) | Dhanteras — Dhanvantari and Lakshmi–Kubera Puja; buying gold, silver, or utensils; Delhi puja muhurat 6:02 – 7:57 PM |
| 2 | 7 Nov 2026 (Saturday) | Chaturdashi (from 10:47 AM) | Naraka Chaturdashi / Choti Diwali, Kali Chaudas, Hanuman Puja — first diyas lit in the evening |
| 3 | 8 Nov 2026 (Sunday) | Amavasya (from 11:27 AM) | Abhyang Snan before sunrise (5:38 – 6:40 AM); main Diwali night — Ganesha then Lakshmi Puja in pradosh kaal (Delhi 5:54 – 7:50 PM), diyas, rangoli, sweets |
| 4 | 10 Nov 2026 (Tuesday) | Pratipada (ends 2:00 PM) | Govardhan Puja / Annakut — food-mountain offering to Krishna; morning muhurat 6:40 – 8:50 AM; some panchangs observe it on 9 Nov |
| 5 | 11 Nov 2026 (Wednesday) | Dwitiya (ends 3:53 PM) | Bhai Dooj / Yama Dwitiya — sisters apply tika and share a meal with brothers; aparahna muhurat about 1:10 – 3:20 PM; some panchangs observe it on 10 Nov |
Muhurat & Date Notes for 2026
Lakshmi Puja 2026 is on Sunday, 8 November because Amavasya tithi (11:27 AM on 8 Nov to 12:31 PM on 9 Nov) covers pradosh kaal — the roughly two-hour window after sunset — only on the 8th. The Delhi muhurat is 5:54 – 7:50 PM IST, where pradosh kaal (5:31 – 8:09 PM) overlaps the stable Vrishabha lagna; the window shifts with local sunset, so Mumbai gets 6:27 – 8:27 PM and Kolkata 5:20 – 7:18 PM, and some panchangs publish a slightly later Delhi window (about 6:29 – 8:29 PM) from a different pradosh calculation. Monday, 9 November is a gap day — Amavasya runs till 12:31 PM and several states list it as the Diwali public holiday, but no major observance falls on it in the Drik reckoning. Panchangs split on the last two days: Pratipada begins 12:31 PM on 9 Nov and ends 2:00 PM on 10 Nov, so calendars that require Pratipada in the morning place Govardhan Puja on Tuesday, 10 November (muhurat 6:40 – 8:50 AM), while others observe it on 9 November; likewise Bhai Dooj falls on Wednesday, 11 November (Dwitiya till 3:53 PM, tilak in aparahna) in the Drik reckoning but on 10 November in some panchangs — follow your family or community panchang. Diwali sits unusually late in 2026 because an extra lunar month (Adhika Jyeshtha, 17 May – 15 June 2026) pushed Kartik Amavasya about 19 days beyond its 2025 date of 20 October.
Diwali 2026 — Significance & Celebration
Diwali commemorates Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and his defeat of Ravana. The citizens lit rows of clay lamps to guide him home — a tradition alive for over 2,500 years. On Kartik Amavasya, when the sky is darkest, Goddess Lakshmi performs her annual tour of the mortal realm, visiting clean, well-lit homes and bestowing wealth. For traders, Diwali marks the start of the Hindu New Year (Vikram Samvat), making Lakshmi Puja a business ritual as much as a spiritual one. In South India the day commemorates Krishna's victory over Narakasura (Naraka Chaturdashi). In Gujarat and Maharashtra, the day after Diwali (Govardhan Puja / Bestu Varas) marks the new year. The festival thus carries layered meanings across regions, all centred on one theme: light prevailing over darkness.
The 5-day Diwali sequence begins with Dhanteras (2 days before), when Dhanvantari — the god of medicine — emerged from the primordial ocean carrying amrita, the nectar of immortality. Buying gold or silver on Dhanteras invites Lakshmi's blessing on household wealth. Day 2 is Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali): Krishna slew the demon Narakasura at dawn, freeing 16,100 women from captivity. Devotees wake before sunrise, apply oil, and bathe ritually. Day 3 is the main Diwali night — Lakshmi Puja during pradosh kaal when the goddess tours the earth. Day 4 is Govardhan Puja: Krishna lifted the Govardhan mountain for 7 days to shelter the people of Vrindavan from Indra's wrath. Indra, humbled, accepted Krishna's supremacy. Day 5 is Bhai Dooj — sisters apply tika on brothers' foreheads and pray for their long life.
How to Celebrate Diwali in 2026
- 1Clean the home thoroughly in the week before Diwali — Lakshmi enters only clean, tidy homes
- 2Draw rangoli at the entrance with colored powder, marigold petals, or rice flour
- 3Light clay diyas with mustard oil or ghee starting from Dhanteras evening
- 4Install Lakshmi and Ganesha idols on a red cloth; offer lotus flowers, marigolds, sweets, and coins
- 5Perform Lakshmi Puja during pradosh kaal — begin with Ganesha Puja, then Lakshmi
- 6Read or listen to Lakshmi Puja Katha and sing Mahalaxmi Aarti
- 7Light sparklers after puja; distribute sweets and gifts to neighbors
Traditional Foods
Vedic Astrology & Diwali
Kartik Amavasya falls when the Sun transits Libra — its sign of debilitation (neecha). The symbolic ritual of lighting diyas compensates for weakened solar energy and invites Venus-ruled Lakshmi's abundance. Those in Venus mahadasha or antardasha benefit most from sincere Lakshmi Puja. The new moon (Amavasya) is traditionally associated with ancestors; performing a lamp ritual on this day is also believed to give peace to departed souls. For wealth questions specifically, a janampatri reads the 2nd house (accumulated wealth and savings) and the 11th house (income and gains), their lords, and the running dasha — Lakshmi Puja night is the traditional moment to review which of these areas the coming year activates in your own chart, so money decisions are timed with that context rather than taken on impulse.
Dr. Meenakshi Sharma
PhD in Vedic Astrology • 20+ Years Experience
Distinguished Vedic astrologer specializing in natal chart analysis, predictive astrology, and Vedic remedial measures. Trusted by thousands for accurate Astrology interpretations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) 2026 is on Sunday, 8 November. Amavasya tithi begins at 11:27 AM on 8 November and ends at 12:31 PM on 9 November, so the puja evening falls on the 8th across India. The full five-day festival runs from Dhanteras on 6 November to Bhai Dooj on 11 November.
For Delhi, 5:54 to 7:50 PM IST — the overlap of pradosh kaal (after sunset) with the stable Vrishabha lagna. Mumbai: 6:27 – 8:27 PM; Kolkata: 5:20 – 7:18 PM. Some panchangs list a slightly later Delhi window of about 6:29 – 8:29 PM, so check the panchang for your own city before fixing the puja time.
Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday, 8 November 2026 — Amavasya prevails during that evening's pradosh kaal, which is what fixes the puja night. Amavasya continues until 12:31 PM on 9 November and several states have declared 9 November the public holiday, which is why some calendars show both days.
Because 2026 has an extra lunar month — Adhika Jyeshtha, from 17 May to 15 June — inserted to realign the lunar and solar calendars. Every festival after it shifts about two to three weeks later, so Kartik Amavasya lands on 8 November 2026 versus 20 October in 2025, near the late end of Diwali's mid-October-to-mid-November range.
Dhanteras: Friday, 6 November. Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali): Saturday, 7 November. Lakshmi Puja (main Diwali): Sunday, 8 November. Govardhan Puja: Tuesday, 10 November (9 November in some panchangs). Bhai Dooj: Wednesday, 11 November (10 November in some panchangs). 9 November is a gap day in the Drik reckoning.
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Janampatri (Birth Chart Report)
What does Diwali 2026 mean for YOUR chart? A janampatri maps all nine planets from your exact birth details and shows which festival days matter most for you.