Dhanteras 2026 (6 Nov): Muhurat & Why a Lamp Is Lit for Yama
Dhanteras 2026 falls on Friday, 6 November 2026, opening the five-day Diwali festival. The Dhanteras Lakshmi Puja is performed during pradosh kaal, the twilight period after sunset, which for Delhi runs from 5:33 PM to 8:09 PM IST, with the most auspicious puja window, approximately 6:03 PM to 7:58 PM, falling inside it during Vrishabha lagna. Shopping for gold, silver and utensils can be done through the day once the Trayodashi tithi begins at about 10:31 AM.
What Is Dhanteras and Why Does It Matter?
Dhanteras, properly Dhanatrayodashi, is the thirteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight of Kartik. The name joins dhan, meaning wealth, with trayodashi, the thirteenth day. It is the day the Diwali lamps are first lit, the day new purchases are considered specially blessed, and the day three deities are honoured together:
- Lord Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, who emerged from the churning of the cosmic ocean holding the pot of amrit, the nectar of immortality. Dhanteras is celebrated as his birthday, and the Government of India observed it as National Ayurveda Day until 2024; since 2025 that day is marked on 23 September. Praying to Dhanvantari is a prayer for health, the first and truest wealth.
- Lord Kubera, the celestial treasurer, who guards the wealth of the universe. He is worshipped for financial stability and the wisdom to protect what one earns.
- Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, whose welcome begins on Dhanteras and culminates in the grand Lakshmi Puja on Diwali night two days later.
The message of the day is complete prosperity: health from Dhanvantari, security from Kubera, and abundance from Lakshmi.
Dhanteras 2026: Date and Puja Muhurat
| Event | Timing (2026, IST) |
|---|---|
| Dhanteras date | Friday, 6 November 2026 |
| Trayodashi tithi begins | Around 10:31 AM, 6 November |
| Trayodashi tithi ends | Around 10:48 AM, 7 November |
| Pradosh kaal (Delhi) | 5:33 PM to 8:09 PM, 6 November |
| Dhanteras puja muhurat (Delhi) | 6:03 PM to 7:58 PM, the Vrishabha lagna window inside pradosh kaal |
| Yamadeep | After sunset on 6 November, during pradosh kaal |
Two things to remember. First, the puja belongs to the evening: pradosh kaal combined with Vrishabha lagna, the fixed Taurus ascendant, is preferred because a sthir, meaning fixed, lagna is believed to make Lakshmi's presence stable in the home. Second, these times are for Delhi; sunset varies across India; our daily panchang gives your city's sunset, and your purohit can confirm the window before you light the first lamp.
What to Buy on Dhanteras and Why
Buying something new on Dhanteras is an act of welcoming Lakshmi, a gesture that wealth is entering the home. Traditional choices, in rough order of popularity:
- Gold. The classic Dhanteras purchase, from a coin to jewellery. Gold represents Lakshmi herself and is considered a purchase that never diminishes. Even a small coin honours the tradition.
- Silver. Coins, lamps, or small murtis, meaning idols, of Lakshmi and Ganesha. Silver is linked to the moon and to calm, steady prosperity.
- New utensils. The most widespread custom of all. Brass, copper or steel vessels are bought and, importantly, never brought home empty; fill the new vessel with rice, water or a sweet so that abundance enters full, not empty.
- A new broom. Surprising to many, but the broom is considered a form of Lakshmi because it removes daridra, meaning poverty and dirt, from the home. Buying one on Dhanteras is an old and respected custom.
- Gomti chakra and dhania. In many families, gomti chakra shells and whole coriander seeds are bought; the seeds are sown after Diwali as a symbol of growing wealth.
- Vehicles, property and electronics. Modern extensions of the same idea; big purchases are commonly timed to Dhanteras for auspiciousness.
What Not to Buy on Dhanteras
Tradition also marks a few purchases as inauspicious for this particular day:
- Iron and steel items bought alone, especially sharp objects like knives and scissors, which are associated with Shani and considered cutting to prosperity. Steel utensils are widely accepted today, but many families still prefer brass or copper.
- Black-coloured items, traditionally seen as absorbing rather than radiating the festival's light.
- Glass and ceramic items, linked to Rahu in astrological convention and to fragility.
- Empty vessels. If you buy utensils, bring them home with something inside.
- Anything on borrowed money, if avoidable. The spirit of the day is to celebrate earned prosperity, not to begin the new year in debt.
Treat these as tradition rather than rules to fear; the deeper point is intention. What you bring home on Dhanteras should feel like an offering to the household's wellbeing.
The Yamadeep Ritual: A Lamp for the Lord of Death
Dhanteras evening carries one uniquely moving ritual, the Yamadeep. A four-faced oil lamp, or a simple diya, is lit and placed outside the main door, facing south, the direction of Yama, the lord of death. The custom rests on a verse of the Skanda Purana: a lamp set outside the house for Yama at nightfall on this Trayodashi keeps untimely death away. The story told with it is a popular katha, not part of that verse: King Hima's son was fated to die of snakebite on the fourth night of his marriage; his bride lit lamps all around the house and kept them burning through the night, and Yama, arriving as a serpent, was so dazzled by the light that he could not enter and left. The Yamadeep is lit with a prayer that untimely death stay away from every member of the family. It is the best-known ritual in which a lamp is offered directly to Yama, and it should be done during pradosh kaal, just after sunset.
Dhanteras Puja Vidhi at Home
A simple, correct order of worship for the evening. Vidhi means procedure.
- Clean the puja space and the main entrance; draw a small rangoli and place a wooden chowki, a low platform, covered with a clean red or yellow cloth.
- Place murtis or pictures of Lakshmi, Ganesha and Dhanvantari on the chowki. A silver or bronze Kubera image, or even a symbolic key or cash box, can represent Kubera.
- Light a ghee lamp and incense. Take sankalp, the formal statement of intent: your name, your place, the date, and the prayer you are making for your family's health and prosperity.
- Begin the worship with a short prayer to Ganesha, as every Hindu puja opens with the remover of obstacles.
- Offer the new purchases of the day, the gold, silver or utensils, at the altar, with haldi, kumkum and akshata, meaning unbroken rice.
- Offer flowers, fruits, and a simple naivedya, meaning food offering, such as sweets or dry fruits. Boiled whole dhania with jaggery is a traditional Dhanteras offering in many regions.
- Chant the Dhanvantari mantra for health, and prayers to Lakshmi and Kubera. Simple recitations with devotion are enough at home.
- Perform aarti of Lakshmi and Dhanvantari, then light the Yamadeep outside the south-facing side of the main door.
- Light 13 diyas around the home if your family tradition includes it, and distribute prasad.
If you would like the puja performed with full shastra, meaning scriptural, correctness, or you are combining Dhanteras with a Lakshmi Puja for a new home or business, you can request a verified purohit and have an experienced priest conduct it at your home. Purohit serves Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Chennai.
Dhanteras in the Five-Day Diwali Arc
Dhanteras is Day 1 of the festival. Naraka Chaturdashi, or Choti Diwali, follows on Saturday 7 November, the main Diwali Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday 8 November, Govardhan Puja on Tuesday 10 November, and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November. The purchases and cleaning done on Dhanteras are preparation for the main night; the vessel bought today often becomes the kalash, the sacred water pot, of Diwali's Lakshmi Puja. For the complete step-by-step Diwali puja procedure and shopping checklist, see our Lakshmi Puja vidhi and samagri guide.
Regions also mark this day, and the one before it, in their own way:
- Maharashtra and Gujarat: Diwali opens on the Dwadashi before Dhanteras with Vasu Baras (Vagh Baras in Gujarat), when cows and calves are bathed, decorated and fed.
- Karnataka: this Trayodashi is Neeru Tumbuva Habba, the water-filling festival: bathrooms and water vessels are scrubbed, the big bathing pots are marked with turmeric and kumkum, and water is filled for the Naraka Chaturdashi oil bath.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the date of Dhanteras in 2026?
Dhanteras 2026 is on Friday, 6 November 2026. The Trayodashi tithi begins at about 10:31 AM that day and ends at about 10:48 AM on 7 November.
What is the Dhanteras puja muhurat in 2026?
The puja is performed during pradosh kaal, which for Delhi runs from 5:33 PM to 8:09 PM IST on 6 November, with the best window from 6:03 PM to 7:58 PM, the Vrishabha lagna window inside pradosh kaal. Timings vary by city, so check your local panchang.
What is the best time to buy gold on Dhanteras 2026?
Any time after the Trayodashi tithi begins, around 10:31 AM on 6 November, is considered auspicious for purchases, and the tithi extends to mid-morning on 7 November. The evening pradosh kaal is reserved for the puja itself.
Why are Dhanvantari, Kubera and Lakshmi all worshipped on Dhanteras?
Together they represent complete prosperity. Dhanvantari, the divine physician, grants health; Kubera, the treasurer of the gods, grants financial security; and Lakshmi grants abundance and grace. Dhanteras is also observed as Dhanvantari Jayanti, his birthday.
Why do people buy a broom on Dhanteras?
The broom is regarded as a form of Lakshmi because it sweeps away daridra, meaning poverty and impurity, from the home. Buying a new broom on Dhanteras symbolises removing want and making space for prosperity.
What should not be bought on Dhanteras?
Tradition advises against buying sharp iron objects, black-coloured items, glass, and empty vessels. If you buy a new utensil, bring it home filled with rice, water or a sweet rather than empty.
What is the Yamadeep and when is it lit?
The Yamadeep is a lamp offered to Yama, the lord of death, placed outside the main door facing south after sunset on Dhanteras. It is lit with a prayer for protection of the family from untimely death.
Is Dhanteras the first day of Diwali?
Yes. Dhanteras opens the five-day festival, followed by Naraka Chaturdashi on 7 November, Lakshmi Puja on 8 November, Govardhan Puja on 10 November, and Bhai Dooj on 11 November 2026.
How we verify: dates and muhurat timings in our guides are cross-checked against the panchang before publishing, and practical details - samagri, durations, dakshina ranges - reflect real bookings on Purohit.app. Traditions vary by community; your purohit's guidance prevails.
