Hindu festivals · Dhantrayodashi, Dhanvantari Jayanti

Dhanteras 2026: date and puja muhurat

Dhanteras is the Trayodashi (thirteenth day) of Krishna paksha in Kartik (Ashwin in amanta calendars) and the first day of Diwali. It is linked with Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, and with Lakshmi and Kubera.

Next date: Friday, 6 Nov 2026

Dhanteras timings

Detail	2026	2027
Date	Friday, 6 Nov 2026	Wednesday, 27 Oct 2027
Krishna Trayodashi tithi begins	6 Nov, 10:31 am	27 Oct, 1:04 am
Krishna Trayodashi tithi ends	7 Nov, 10:48 am	27 Oct, 10:50 pm
Dhanteras puja (pradosh kaal)	5:35 pm to 7:59 pm	5:41 pm to 8:05 pm

All times are IST. Tithi times hold for all of India; sunrise, sunset, moonrise and the muhurat windows are for Nagpur, in the North and Central Indian (purnimanta) tradition, and shift by a few minutes in other cities.

How it is commonly observed

Many families buy gold, silver, utensils or something new for the home, as a sign of welcome to prosperity.
A Lakshmi and Kubera puja is done in the evening, in pradosh kaal.
A lamp for Yama (Yama deepam) is lit outside the home facing south in many families.

Where regions differ

In Maharashtra the day before, Vasu Baras, honours the cow and calf. Among doctors of Ayurveda the day is Dhanvantari Jayanti.

All the regional calendars on this site that list it give the same date in 2026.

How the date is worked out

The rule: the day when the tithi runs during pradosh kaal, the 144 minutes after sunset. When two days qualify, the one where the tithi covers more of that window; when none does, the day the tithi begins. The Sun and Moon positions are computed for each year (sidereal, Lahiri ayanamsa), so the dates are not copied from a printed list.

Questions about Dhanteras

When is Dhanteras in 2026?

Dhanteras 2026 is on Friday, 6 Nov 2026, and in 2027 on Wednesday, 27 Oct 2027. The dates are worked out for Nagpur in the North and Central Indian tradition; the table above gives the tithi and muhurat times.

When should I buy gold on Dhanteras?

Many people buy during Trayodashi and in the evening puja window; others buy any time on the day. The table gives the Trayodashi times and pradosh kaal for Nagpur.

Is Dhanteras the same as Dhanvantari Jayanti?

They fall on the same Trayodashi. Dhanteras is the household festival of wealth, and Dhanvantari Jayanti remembers the physician of the gods.

Why does another calendar show a different date?

A tithi begins and ends at the same moment all over India, but the festival day depends on the part of the day the tradition looks at (sunrise, midday, evening or midnight) and on the sunrise of the city. A panchang for another city or tradition can therefore differ by a day. Follow the one your family uses.