Hindu festivals · Deepavali, Lakshmi Puja

Diwali 2026: date and Lakshmi puja muhurat

Diwali, the festival of lamps, is the Amavasya (new moon) of Kartik (Ashwin in amanta calendars). The Lakshmi puja is done that evening, and the festival runs over five days, from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj.

Next date: Sunday, 8 Nov 2026

Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) timings

Detail	2026	2027
Date	Sunday, 8 Nov 2026	Friday, 29 Oct 2027
Amavasya tithi begins	8 Nov, 11:28 am	28 Oct, 8:48 pm
Amavasya tithi ends	9 Nov, 12:32 pm	29 Oct, 7:06 pm
Lakshmi puja muhurat (pradosh kaal)	5:34 pm to 7:58 pm	5:39 pm to 8:03 pm

The days of Diwali

Day	2026	2027
Dhanteras	Friday, 6 Nov 2026	Wednesday, 27 Oct 2027
Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali)	Sunday, 8 Nov 2026	Thursday, 28 Oct 2027
Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)	Sunday, 8 Nov 2026	Friday, 29 Oct 2027
Govardhan Puja	Tuesday, 10 Nov 2026	Saturday, 30 Oct 2027
Bhai Dooj	Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026	Sunday, 31 Oct 2027

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

Homes are cleaned and decorated with rangoli and lamps; many families light diyas at dusk.
Lakshmi and Ganesha are worshipped in the evening, traditionally in pradosh kaal; shops often do Chopda puja for new account books.
Sweets are shared with family, friends and neighbours.
Many families keep a lamp burning through the night.

Where regions differ

In the South the main day is often Naraka Chaturdashi (Deepavali morning oil bath). In West Bengal and Assam the Amavasya night is Kali Puja. In Gujarat the day after Diwali is the new year (Bestu Varas). Maharashtra keeps Laxmi Pujan and then Padwa and Bhau Beej.

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 Diwali

When is Diwali in 2026?

Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, 8 Nov 2026, and in 2027 on Friday, 29 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.

What is the best time for Lakshmi puja?

The common rule is pradosh kaal on the Amavasya evening, the time given in the table for Nagpur. Many panchangs narrow it to the part of pradosh with a fixed (sthir) lagna such as Vrishabha; a personal muhurat can be worked out for your city.

Why is there sometimes a gap day between Diwali and Govardhan Puja?

When Amavasya runs into the next day, Govardhan Puja waits for Pratipada at sunrise, so one day sits between the two. The day table shows each date.

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.