Diwali 2026

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, November 8, 2026.

Diwali (दीवाली) — also called Deepavali — is the festival of lights, celebrated on Kartika Amavasya, the new moon night of the Kartika month. It is the most widely observed Hindu festival in the world, marking the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil.

Date & Tithi

Diwali 2026: November 8, 2026 (Sunday)

Tithi: Kartika Amavasya (new moon)
Month: Kartika
Paksha: Krishna (waning moon, 15th day)

The new moon night of Kartika is considered the darkest night of the autumn, which is why lamps are lit in every home — to invite Lakshmi and drive out darkness.

Lakshmi Puja Muhurta 2026

Lakshmi puja on Diwali is performed during Pradosh Kaal — the period just after sunset — when the Amavasya tithi and Pradosh window overlap. This is the primary muhurta for the main Diwali puja.

General guidance for 2026:

Pradosh window: Approximately 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM local time
Nishanath Muhurta (midnight): For Tantric Lakshmi puja traditions
Avoid: The inauspicious Chaturdashi period that precedes Amavasya

Get exact muhurta for your city — Diwali puja timing varies by location based on actual sunset and tithi transition times.

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The 5-Day Diwali Festival

Diwali is not a single day — it is a five-day festival, each day with its own name and rituals.

Day 1 — Dhanteras (November 6, 2026)

Dhan (wealth) + Teras (13th tithi). Dhanteras falls on Kartika Krishna Trayodashi.

Significance: Birth of Dhanvantari (divine physician) from the churning of the cosmic ocean. Also associated with Lakshmi and Yama.
Traditions: Purchase of gold, silver, or new utensils. Deepdan (lamp lighting) at dusk to Yama. Coriander seeds placed on the puja plate.
Puja: Lakshmi-Kubera puja in the evening.

Day 2 — Naraka Chaturdashi / Choti Diwali (November 7, 2026)

Significance: Lord Krishna's victory over the demon Narakasura. Also called Roop Chaudas (beauty fourteenth).

Traditions: Pre-dawn ritual bath with sesame oil and ubtan (herbal paste). In Maharashtra and Goa, an effigy of Narakasura is burned at dawn. Lamp lighting in the evening.

Day 3 — Diwali / Lakshmi Puja (November 8, 2026)

The main day. Lakshmi puja is performed at home in the Pradosh window.

Puja sequence: Clean and decorate home → draw rangoli → light diyas → invoke Lakshmi with flowers and sweets → distribute prasad
Key elements: Red lotus, marigolds, rice, sweets (especially kheel and batasha), coins
Fireworks: The night sky is lit with crackers and sparklers

Day 4 — Govardhan Puja / Padwa (November 9, 2026)

North India: Govardhan Puja — commemorating Krishna's lifting of Govardhan hill to protect villagers from Indra's wrath. Cow dung Govardhan mounds are made and worshipped.
Maharashtra/Gujarat: Diwali Padwa — the Hindu New Year begins. Husbands give gifts to wives. The Vikram Samvat calendar turns.

Day 5 — Bhai Dooj / Yama Dwitiya (November 10, 2026)

Sisters apply tilak on brothers' foreheads and pray for their longevity. Brothers give gifts. A celebration of the sibling bond, similar to Raksha Bandhan.

Lakshmi Puja — Puja Vidhi

Setup

Facing: East or North
Seat: Spread a red cloth on the puja space
Idols/images: Lakshmi flanked by Ganesha (placed first on the right)
Items: Kumkum, haldi, flowers (lotus preferred), coins, new utensils, sweets

Sequence

Ganesh puja first — always invoke Ganesha before Lakshmi
Invoke Lakshmi — with camphor flame (aarti), flowers, and Lakshmi mantra
Lakshmi mantra: Om Shreem Mahalakshmiyei Namaha
Perform aarti — with clockwise movement of the lamp
Distribute prasad — sweets, especially kheel and batasha

What Not to Do

Do not sleep early — Lakshmi visits homes where lights burn through the night
Do not sweep after sunset — sweeping after dusk is considered sweeping away prosperity
Do not purchase iron, oil, or broom on this day

Significance

The Ramayana Connection

The most widely told story behind Diwali is Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and his defeat of the demon king Ravana. The people of Ayodhya lit lamps (diyas) to welcome him home. The Ramayana places this event on Kartika Amavasya.

The Mahabharata Connection

The Pandavas returned from their 12-year forest exile and 1-year incognito period on this night. Citizens lit lamps to celebrate their homecoming.

Goddess Lakshmi

Lakshmi is said to tour the earth on Diwali night, entering only homes that are clean, lit, and welcoming. Gambling (chaupar) is played on Diwali because Lakshmi is also associated with fortune and luck — though this is more tradition than religious prescription.

Regional Traditions

North India (UP, Rajasthan, Delhi)

The classic Diwali — Lakshmi puja, fireworks, rangoli, and sweets. Gambling is traditionally practiced on Diwali night (believed to bring luck). Markets are elaborately decorated from Dhanteras onward.

Maharashtra

Naraka Chaturdashi takes center stage — with the pre-dawn Abhyanga Snan (oil bath) being the most distinctive tradition. Faral (Diwali snack platter) is distributed to neighbors and family. New Year (Padwa) is celebrated with the husband gifting the wife a sari.

Gujarat

Diwali marks the Hindu New Year (Vikram Samvat). Account books (chopda) are worshipped and new financial ledgers are opened. The New Year celebration the following day is a major community event.

Bengal

Lakshmi puja is observed a week before Diwali (on Kojagori Purnima). On Diwali itself, Kali puja is performed — Goddess Kali rather than Lakshmi is the focus. The dark night of Diwali is considered the night Kali manifests.

South India

Tamil Nadu: Naraka Chaturdashi (Kali Chaudas) is the primary celebration. Pre-dawn oil bath followed by new clothes. Andhra Pradesh & Telangana: Lakshmi puja in the evening, followed by fireworks. Karnataka: Similar to North India, with Lakshmi puja and Bali Padyami (Govardhan Puja equivalent).

Diwali 2026 vs. Other Years

| Year | Diwali Date | |------|-------------| | 2024 | November 1 | | 2025 | October 20 | | 2026 | November 8 | | 2027 | October 29 |

Track Diwali timings, Lakshmi puja muhurta, and all festival dates with KAAL — the modern Hindu calendar app with precise panchang timings for your location.