Diwali 2026: Date, Five-Day Calendar and Lakshmi Puja Muhurat

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026, the night of Kartik Amavasya, the new moon of the month of Kartik. The main Lakshmi Puja is performed during pradosh kaal, the twilight window shortly after sunset, which for Delhi runs from 5:31 PM to 8:09 PM on 8 November, with the puja muhurat from 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM IST. The full festival spans five days, from Dhanteras on Friday, 6 November to Bhai Dooj on Wednesday, 11 November 2026.

Diwali 2026 at a Glance

Diwali, also called Deepavali, meaning a row of lamps, is the biggest festival in the Hindu calendar. It celebrates the victory of light over darkness and the welcoming of Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, into a clean and brightly lit home. In 2026 the festival arrives noticeably later than usual, in the second week of November, and there is a clear astronomical reason for it, explained below.

Event	Date and timing (2026)
Diwali / Lakshmi Puja	Sunday, 8 November 2026
Amavasya tithi	Begins around 11:27 AM on 8 November and prevails through the night
Lakshmi Puja muhurat	5:54 PM to 7:50 PM IST for Delhi, within pradosh kaal (5:31 to 8:09 PM); varies by city
Nishita kaal (midnight worship, Kali Puja)	Approximately 11:39 PM on 8 November to 12:31 AM on 9 November IST

Timings shift by several minutes from city to city because they are calculated from local sunset. Check the exact window for your location on our daily panchang before you begin the puja.

Why Is Diwali So Late in 2026?

If you have been wondering why Diwali is in November this year when it usually falls in October, the answer is Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of 2026. The Hindu lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year. To keep festivals aligned with the seasons, an extra month called Adhik Maas, also known as Purushottam Maas or Mal Maas, is inserted roughly once every three years.

In 2026, Adhik Maas falls from mid May to mid June, as a second Jyeshtha month. Because this extra month sits before the festival season, every major festival from Guru Purnima onwards shifts later by roughly 18 to 20 days. That is why Navratri and Dussehra also arrive late in 2026, and why Diwali lands on 8 November, about 18 days after its 2025 date. Nothing is wrong with the calendar; this is the self-correcting design of the Hindu lunisolar system working exactly as intended.

Diwali 2026: Five-Day Calendar

Diwali is not a single day but a sequence of five festivals, each with its own deity, story and rituals.

Day	Date	Festival	What it means
Day 1	Friday, 6 November 2026	Dhanteras	Worship of Lord Dhanvantari, Kubera and Lakshmi; buying gold, silver or utensils invites prosperity
Day 2	Saturday, 7 November 2026	Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali)	Marks Lord Krishna's victory over the demon Narakasura; Choti Diwali lamps are lit this evening, though panchangs list Naraka Chaturdashi itself on 8 November, with the dawn abhyanga snan from 5:40 to 6:41 AM that morning
Day 3	Sunday, 8 November 2026	Diwali / Lakshmi Puja	The main night; Lakshmi and Ganesha are worshipped after sunset in a lamp-lit home
Day 4	Tuesday, 10 November 2026	Govardhan Puja / Annakut	Honours Krishna lifting Govardhan hill; a mountain of food offerings is prepared
Day 5	Wednesday, 11 November 2026	Bhai Dooj	Sisters pray for their brothers' long life; the tilak ceremony seals the bond

How Each of the Five Days Is Observed

Day 1: Dhanteras, Friday, 6 November

Dhanteras, short for Dhanatrayodashi, opens the festival on the thirteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight. It is the birthday of Lord Dhanvantari, the divine physician who emerged from the churning of the ocean carrying the pot of amrit, the nectar of immortality. Families clean the house, buy gold, silver or new utensils, and light the first lamps of the season. In the evening, a special lamp called the Yamadeep is placed outside the home for Yama, the lord of death, praying for protection of the family. For the full muhurat, shopping guide and puja steps, read our detailed post on Dhanteras 2026.

Day 2: Naraka Chaturdashi or Choti Diwali, Saturday, 7 November

Naraka Chaturdashi commemorates Lord Krishna, together with Satyabhama, destroying the demon king Narakasura and freeing sixteen thousand captive princesses. In North India this day is celebrated as Choti Diwali, or small Diwali, with a few lamps lit in the evening as a gentle prelude to the main night. The defining ritual is the abhyanga snan, a bath taken before sunrise after applying oil to the body, which is believed to wash away sin and negativity. In 2026 the Chaturdashi tithi begins on the morning of 7 November and continues until late morning on 8 November, so the abhyanga snan actually falls at dawn on Sunday, 8 November, roughly between 5:40 AM and 6:41 AM depending on your city's sunrise.

Day 3: Diwali and Lakshmi Puja, Sunday, 8 November

The heart of the festival. On Amavasya night, the darkest night of the month, homes are lit with rows of diyas, oil lamps, and Goddess Lakshmi is invited in with a formal puja alongside Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. The puja is performed during pradosh kaal, the period beginning at sunset, when the sthir lagna, a fixed zodiac sign rising on the horizon, is considered ideal because it helps Lakshmi's blessings become sthir, meaning stable and lasting, in the home. For Delhi the puja muhurat is 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM IST, within pradosh kaal (5:31 to 8:09 PM); your city's exact window is on the panchang page. A complete step-by-step guide with the full samagri list is in our Lakshmi Puja vidhi post.

Day 4: Govardhan Puja and Annakut, Tuesday, 10 November

Govardhan Puja honours the episode where young Krishna lifted Govardhan hill on his little finger to shelter the people of Vraj from Indra's furious rains, teaching that devotion and nature's gifts matter more than pride. Families build a small hillock of cow dung or food symbolising the mountain, and temples prepare Annakut, literally a mountain of food, with dozens or even hundreds of vegetarian dishes offered to Krishna. The pratahkala puja muhurat for Delhi is 6:40 to 8:50 AM on 10 November. In Gujarat this day is also celebrated as Bestu Varas, the new year.

Day 5: Bhai Dooj, Wednesday, 11 November

The festival closes with Bhai Dooj, also called Yama Dwitiya. Sisters apply a tilak, a sacred mark, on their brothers' foreheads, pray for their long life, and brothers give gifts in return. Tradition holds that Yama visited his sister Yamuna on this day and blessed all brothers who receive their sister's tilak. The recommended tilak time is the aparahna window, early afternoon, roughly 1:10 PM to 3:20 PM IST on 11 November. Note that because the Dwitiya tithi begins on the afternoon of 10 November, some families observe Bhai Dooj on 10 November; most sources, including Drik Panchang, observe it on Wednesday, 11 November.

Regional Differences: One Festival, Many Traditions

Diwali is celebrated across India, but not identically everywhere.

• North India: The main event is Lakshmi Puja on Amavasya night, linked to Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile, when the city was lit with lamps to welcome him.
• South India: Deepavali is anchored on Naraka Chaturdashi rather than Amavasya. The celebration begins with the pre-dawn oil bath, new clothes and crackers in the morning. In 2026 that oil bath falls at dawn on Sunday, 8 November, so North and South largely celebrate on the same date this year.
• West Bengal, Odisha and Assam: The same Amavasya night is devoted to Goddess Kali. Kali Puja is performed at nishita kaal, the midnight hour, approximately 11:39 PM to 12:31 AM in 2026.
• Gujarat: Diwali marks the end of the year; Chopda Pujan, the worship of new account books, is performed, and the day after Diwali is the Gujarati new year.
• Maharashtra: The festival stretches from Vasu Baras before Dhanteras to Bhau Beej, with special emphasis on the abhyanga snan and the festive faral snacks.

In Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, Diwali also opens the countdown to Chhath Puja, the great sun worship festival that begins about a week later with Nahay Khay on 13 November.

The Significance of Lakshmi Puja on Amavasya

It may seem surprising that the goddess of light and wealth is worshipped on the darkest night of the month. That is precisely the point. Tradition says Lakshmi emerged from the cosmic ocean on this night, and that she roams the earth after sunset looking for homes that are clean, welcoming and lit. The lamps are not decoration; they are an invitation. The puja is always paired with Ganesha because wealth without wisdom is considered incomplete, so Ganesha is worshipped first at every Diwali altar.

Many families choose to have the Diwali Lakshmi Puja performed by a purohit, a trained priest, so that the sankalp, the formal statement of intent, the mantras and the offerings are done correctly within the muhurat. If you would like that support this year, you can request a verified purohit through Purohit and have an experienced priest conduct the puja at your home in cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai.

Preparing for Diwali 2026

• Start cleaning early. Deep cleaning and small repairs are traditionally finished before Dhanteras, since Lakshmi is said to favour clean, well-kept homes.
• Plan purchases for Dhanteras. Gold, silver, utensils and even a new broom are bought on 6 November; see the Dhanteras buying guide.
• Gather puja samagri in advance. The complete checklist of items for Lakshmi Puja is in the vidhi and samagri guide.
• Note your city's muhurat. Sunset differs by up to an hour across India, so confirm your local pradosh kaal on the panchang.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the date of Diwali in 2026?

Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Lakshmi Puja is performed that evening during pradosh kaal, on the night of Kartik Amavasya.

Why is Diwali late in 2026?

Because 2026 has an Adhik Maas, an extra lunar month inserted between mid May and mid June to realign the lunar and solar calendars. This pushes all festivals after it about 18 to 20 days later, moving Diwali from its usual late October slot to 8 November.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat on Diwali 2026?

The Lakshmi Puja muhurat for Delhi is 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM IST on 8 November 2026, within pradosh kaal (5:31 to 8:09 PM). The window shifts by several minutes in other cities because it depends on local sunset, so check your city's panchang for the exact timing.

What are the five days of Diwali 2026?

Dhanteras on Friday 6 November, Naraka Chaturdashi or Choti Diwali on Saturday 7 November, Lakshmi Puja on Sunday 8 November, Govardhan Puja on Tuesday 10 November, and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November 2026.

Is Deepavali in South India on a different day in 2026?

South India anchors Deepavali on Naraka Chaturdashi with the pre-dawn oil bath. In 2026 that bath falls at dawn on Sunday, 8 November, so both North and South India largely celebrate on the same date this year.

When is Bhai Dooj in 2026?

Bhai Dooj is on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, with the tilak muhurat in the early afternoon, roughly 1:10 to 3:20 PM. Because the Dwitiya tithi begins on the afternoon of 10 November, some families observe it on 10 November, but most sources, including Drik Panchang, list 11 November.

Can Lakshmi Puja be done at midnight?

Yes. Nishita kaal, the midnight window from about 11:39 PM on 8 November to 12:31 AM on 9 November, is used by some traditions, and it is the principal time for Kali Puja in Bengal. For most households, pradosh kaal after sunset remains the recommended time.

Which deities are worshipped on Diwali night?

Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha are worshipped together, with Ganesha honoured first. Many families also worship Saraswati, Kubera, and their account books or instruments of livelihood during the same puja.