Diwali 2026: Lakshmi Puja Muhurat, Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj Dates & Vidhi
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Delhi is 05:55 PM to 07:51 PM — the overlap of pradosh kaal with the fixed (sthir) Vrishabha lagna, with Amavasya running throughout.
Every timing here is computed from our own Vedic panchang; check any of it on the free daily Panchang.
संक्षेप में: दीपावली 2026 रविवार, 8 नवम्बर को है। दिल्ली में लक्ष्मी पूजा का मुहूर्त सायं 05:55 से 07:51 तक है — प्रदोष काल और स्थिर वृषभ लग्न का मेल, जिसमें अमावस्या भी चल रही है। कार्तिक अमावस्या 8 नवम्बर प्रातः 11:29 से 9 नवम्बर दोपहर 12:32 तक है; 9 को सूर्योदय पर अमावस्या होने के बावजूद लक्ष्मी पूजा प्रदोष में होती है, इसलिए दीपावली 8 नवम्बर को ही है। पाँच दिनों का पर्व शुक्रवार, 6 नवम्बर को धनतेरस से आरम्भ होता है। पूरा लेख हिंदी में पढ़ें →
Why Diwali is the 8th and not the 9th
This is the question that splits calendars, so here is the arithmetic. Kartik Amavasya begins at 11:29 AM on Sunday 8 November and ends at 12:32 PM on Monday 9 November. Amavasya therefore holds sunrise on the 9th — which is why some listings say the 9th.
But Lakshmi Puja is not decided by sunrise. It is done in pradosh kaal, the period after sunset, and it requires Amavasya to be running then. On 8 November sunset is 05:31 PM and Amavasya is running — it covers the entire evening. By sunset on the 9th, Amavasya has been over for five hours and Pratipada has begun. So the Lakshmi Puja, and Diwali, is the 8th.
Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026
| Diwali / Lakshmi Puja | Sunday, 8 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Lakshmi Puja muhurat (Delhi) | 05:55 PM – 07:51 PM |
| Pradosh kaal | 05:31 PM – 07:55 PM |
| Vrishabha (sthir) lagna | 05:55 PM – 07:51 PM |
| Amavasya | 8 Nov 11:29 AM – 9 Nov 12:32 PM |
The muhurat is the intersection of pradosh and the fixed Vrishabha lagna — a fixed sign is preferred so that what is invoked stays. Both move with your city; get yours on the Muhurat finder.
Diwali 2026: the five days
| Festival | Date | Tithi |
|---|---|---|
| Dhanteras | Friday, 6 November | Kartik Krishna Trayodashi |
| Narak Chaturdashi / Choti Diwali | Sunday, 8 November | Chaturdashi at sunrise |
| Diwali · Lakshmi Puja | Sunday, 8 November | Amavasya in pradosh |
| Govardhan Puja | Tuesday, 10 November | Kartik Shukla Pratipada |
| Bhai Dooj | Wednesday, 11 November | Kartik Shukla Dwitiya |
Why Dhanteras is Friday 6 November. Trayodashi runs from 10:31 AM on Friday 6 November to 10:49 AM on Saturday 7 November. It still holds sunrise on the 7th, but Dhanteras puja is done in pradosh, after sunset — the same rule that puts Lakshmi Puja on the 8th — and Trayodashi is running at sunset only on the 6th.
⚠️ Choti Diwali and Diwali share one day in 2026. Chaturdashi holds sunrise on 8 November and Amavasya takes over from 11:29 AM, so the abhyanga snan of Narak Chaturdashi is done that morning and the Lakshmi Puja that same evening. There is no separate day between them this year.
Lakshmi Puja vidhi
- Clean the whole house — the cleaning is part of the rite, not preparation for it.
- At the muhurat, spread a red cloth on a chowki and place Lakshmi and Ganesha together, Ganesha on Lakshmi’s right.
- Place a kalash of water with a coin, supari, akshat and a coconut on mango leaves.
- Light an odd number of ghee or oil lamps; keep one burning through the night at the main door.
- Offer red flowers, kumkum, akshat, batasha, kheel, sweets and the season’s fruit.
- Worship the account books or the tools of your work, then recite the Lakshmi aarti and the Shri Suktam.
- After the puja light lamps at the threshold, in the courtyard and at the tulsi, and keep the house lit rather than dark.
Mantras for Lakshmi Puja
ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं श्रीं कमले कमलालये प्रसीद प्रसीद।
ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः॥
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः॥
Book a Lakshmi or Kuber puja for Diwali 2026
Performed by pandits in your name, with sankalp, a recorded video, photographs and prasad couriered to you:
- Kuber Lakshmi Puja & Yagya — from ₹11,000
- Kuber Puja on Dhanteras — from ₹11,000
- Kanak Dhara Yagya Puja — from ₹5,100
The full list is in the online puja store.
Diwali 2026: FAQs
When is Diwali in 2026?
Diwali 2026 is Sunday, 8 November. Amavasya runs from 11:29 AM on the 8th to 12:32 PM on the 9th, and Lakshmi Puja is done in pradosh on the 8th.
What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat for 2026?
05:55 PM to 07:51 PM in Delhi — where pradosh kaal overlaps the fixed Vrishabha lagna, with Amavasya running throughout. It shifts with your city.
Why do some calendars say 9 November?
Because Amavasya holds sunrise on the 9th. But Lakshmi Puja follows pradosh, not sunrise, and by sunset on the 9th Amavasya is already over. That is why the puja is on the 8th.
When are Dhanteras, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj in 2026?
Dhanteras is Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj Wednesday 11 November 2026.
Whether this Diwali brings what you are hoping for depends on your own chart and the dasha you are running. Start with a free Kundli, get the detailed ₹49 Kundli report, or talk to an astrologer.
More: Navratri 2026 · Ganesh Chaturthi 2026.
Note: dates and timings are computed from our own Vedic panchang for Delhi and follow the Purnimanta lunar month used in North India. Confirm with your local panchang or a learned pandit.
