Diwali muhurat
Diwali 2026
Sunday, 8 November 2026
The five-day festival of lights peaks with Lakshmi-Ganesh puja on the main Amavasya night. Below is the full five-day calendar, the auspicious puja window, the samagri (materials) list, the step-by-step vidhi, the traditional mantras, and dedicated guides for family living abroad.
Auspicious muhurat
The exact muhurat depends on your city's sunset, so there is no single fixed time here. Check the precise window for your city below.
Check your city's muhurat →Days around this festival
Friday, 6 November 2026
Dhanteras
Saturday, 7 November 2026
Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali)
Sunday, 8 November 2026
Diwali
Monday, 9 November 2026
Govardhan Puja
Tuesday, 10 November 2026
Bhai Dooj
Diwali: significance, vidhi and mantras
Diwali marks Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya after fourteen years in exile. Ayodhya's residents lit rows of lamps to welcome him home, and every household still follows that tradition. On this night Lakshmi and Ganesh are worshipped for wealth, prosperity, and peace in the year ahead. Lighting a lamp stands for light over darkness, and good over evil. For traders, Diwali is also when new account books open, since the day is treated as a turn from darkness to light and from loss to gain.
Puja Samagri (materials): a Lakshmi-Ganesh idol or framed image, a wooden chowki, red or yellow cloth, a kalash, mango leaves, a whole coconut, akshat (unbroken rice), roli/kumkum, turmeric, sandal paste, sindoor, at least 11 or 21 clay diyas, ghee, cotton wicks, incense sticks, camphor, flowers (lotus if possible), fruits, sweets (especially batasha and kheel/puffed rice), paan-supari, cloves, cardamom, Gangajal, coins for dakshina, a puja thali, and a silver coin or a new banknote for the tijori (safe).
Puja Vidhi (step-by-step): bathe in the evening and wear clean clothes. Clean the puja spot and spread a red cloth on the chowki. Place the idols in this order (from the worshipper): Ganesh on the left, Lakshmi on the right. Install the kalash with water, akshat, a coin, mango leaves and a coconut on top. Light the diyas and incense. Invoke Ganesh first, then Lakshmi. Offer tilak, akshat, flowers, and naivedya (sweets). Also worship account books, jewellery, and the tijori. Perform aarti with the whole family and distribute prasad.
Main mantras (chant at least 11 times each):
Ganesh mantra: Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha. Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Karyeshu Sarvada.
Lakshmi mantra: Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Kamale Kamalalaye Praseed Praseed, Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah.
Mahalakshmi Beej mantra (for wealth): Om Hreem Shreem Lakshmibhyo Namah. Chanting this on a mala of kamalgatta (lotus seeds) is considered especially effective.
How the muhurat is worked out: Pradosh, Sthir Lagna, Choghadiya
Lakshmi Puja is traditionally held during Pradosh Kaal, the roughly two-hour window right after sunset when a fixed ascendant (usually Vrishabh / Taurus) rises. Puja performed in a fixed ascendant is believed to seat Lakshmi permanently in the home.
In Delhi and nearby regions, Pradosh Kaal on November 8, 2026 runs approximately 5:30 PM to 8:10 PM, with the Vrishabh sthir lagna around 6:00 PM to 7:55 PM. That window shifts by minutes depending on your local sunset, so check the exact muhurat for your city on the muhurat page.
Mahanishith Kaal (roughly 11:40 PM to 12:30 AM) is also considered special for the night, best suited to tantric practice and sadhaks. For ordinary household puja, Pradosh Kaal is the recommended window.
Choghadiya: within Pradosh Kaal, pick a Shubh, Labh or Amrit Choghadiya. Avoid Rahu Kaal. All of this appears together for your city on the muhurat page.
Timing abroad, by time zone
Diwali 2026 for Indo-Caribbean Families: Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. Puja timing for Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname, home to Indo-Caribbean communities since 19th-century indentured migration.
Diwali 2026 in South Africa: Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. Puja timing for Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, home to a South African Indian community with roots since the 1860s.
Diwali 2026 in Spain and Portugal: Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon Puja Timing
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. Puja timing for Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon, two countries on different time zones despite sharing a border.
Diwali 2026 in Switzerland and Austria: Zurich, Geneva and Vienna Puja Timing
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. CET puja windows for Zurich, Geneva and Vienna.
Diwali 2026 in New Zealand: Auckland and Wellington Puja Timing
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8 in New Zealand. Puja timing for Auckland and Wellington, and why NZ is already a day ahead of the US.
Diwali 2026 in Scandinavia: Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen and Helsinki
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. Puja timing for Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen and Helsinki, where early sunset shifts the window earlier in the evening.
Diwali 2026 in Singapore and Hong Kong
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. Puja timing for Singapore, a public holiday there, and Hong Kong, where it is not.
Diwali 2026 in Ireland: Dublin Puja Time
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. How to work out the Lakshmi Puja window in Dublin for Ireland's small but growing Indian community.
Diwali 2026 in Japan and South Korea: Fitting Puja Around a Work Day
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. Puja timing for Tokyo, Osaka and Seoul, where Diwali is not a public holiday, for the tech-worker diaspora community.
Diwali 2026 in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. CET puja windows for Amsterdam, Brussels and Luxembourg City.
Diwali 2026 in East Africa: Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. Puja timing for Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam, home to a largely Gujarati Indian diaspora community.
Diwali 2026 in Fiji, Mauritius and Reunion
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. Local puja timing for Fiji, Mauritius and Reunion, home to century-old Indian diaspora communities.
Diwali 2026 in the Gulf: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha Puja Timing
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. Puja timing for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha, and how the Gulf's mixed weekend structure affects that Sunday.
Diwali 2026 in Canada: Lakshmi Puja Time for Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8 across Canada. How to work out the local Lakshmi Puja window for Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.
Diwali 2026 in the UK: Date and Puja Time
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8 in the UK. How to work out your local Lakshmi Puja timing for a UK city rather than converting an Indian clock time.
Diwali 2026 in the USA: Dates and Lakshmi Puja Muhurat in ET/CT/MT/PT
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8 across US time zones. How to work out your local Lakshmi Puja muhurat rather than converting an IST time directly.
Diwali 2026 in CET: Dates for Germany, the Netherlands and the Rest of the EU
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8 across Central European Time. How to work out your local Lakshmi Puja window for a CET city.
Diwali 2026: Auspicious Lakshmi Puja Muhurat
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8. An approximate Pradosh Kaal window for Lakshmi Puja, and how to check the exact time for your city.
Diwali 2026 in Australia and Singapore
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8 in most of Asia-Pacific, though Australia sits far enough ahead of India that some panchangs shift the local date by a day. Here is how to check which applies to you.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
When is Diwali 2026? +
Diwali 2026 falls on November 8 (Sunday). It is the third and main day of the five-day festival, which runs from Dhanteras (November 6) through Bhai Dooj (November 10).
What is the auspicious Lakshmi Puja muhurat? +
In Delhi, Pradosh Kaal runs roughly 5:30 PM to 8:10 PM and the Vrishabh sthir lagna is around 6:00 PM to 7:55 PM. Check the exact window for your city on the muhurat page, since it shifts with local sunset.
How should the idols be placed on the chowki? +
From the worshipper looking at the altar, place Ganesh on the left and Lakshmi on the right, Ganesh is always to Lakshmi's right (which is your left). Put the kalash between them and the lamp in front. The worshipper should face east or north.
Is lotus flower necessary for the puja? +
Lotus is Lakshmi's favourite flower, so offer it if available. If not, red rose, jasmine or seasonal flowers are fine. A kamalgatta (lotus seed) mala is also considered especially auspicious for chanting the Lakshmi mantra.
Does the Diwali date change every year? +
Yes, Diwali falls on Kartik Amavasya, a lunar-calendar date, so it lands on a different Gregorian date each year. It typically falls in late October or the first half of November.
How should people living abroad time their puja? +
Rather than converting the IST time directly, work out Pradosh Kaal from your own city's sunset. Detailed guides for the USA, UK, EU, Australia and the Gulf are linked in the diaspora section below.
When is the account books puja (Chopda Pujan) done? +
Traders perform Chopda Pujan on the evening of Diwali, alongside the Lakshmi-Ganesh puja. New account books are inscribed with a swastika, Om, and "Shri Ganeshaya Namah" before being worshipped. This marks the start of the new Vikram Samvat year.