Diwali 2026 Date & Lakshmi Puja Muhurat: Step-by-Step Puja Vidhi

Diwali 2026 will be celebrated on Sunday, 8 November 2026, the night of Kartik Amavasya, when homes across India light diyas to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. The most important moment of the festival is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in the evening. In this guide you will find the 2026 timing guidance, the full five-day calendar (including an unusual Choti Diwali overlap this year), a samagri list and an easy step-by-step puja vidhi that any family can follow at home.

Diwali 2026 quick answer
Diwali / Lakshmi Puja: Sunday, 8 November 2026 (Kartik Amavasya)
Lakshmi Puja muhurat (Pradosh kaal): approx. 5:50 PM to 7:50 PM, New Delhi. Sources vary by a few minutes, so check your city's panchang.
Choti Diwali (Narak Chaturdashi): also 8 November in India (7 November abroad)
Date numerology: 8/11/2026 → 29 → 11 → 2 (master number 11, Moon)

Diwali 2026 Date and the 5-Day Festival Calendar

Diwali is really a sequence of festivals. Here is how the days fall in 2026. Dates outside India can shift by one day because the tithis are calculated for local sunrise.

Festival	India	Abroad (e.g. US/UK)
Dhanteras (Dhantrayodashi)	Friday, 6 November	Check local panchang
Narak Chaturdashi / Choti Diwali	Sunday, 8 November (same day as Diwali)	Saturday, 7 November
Diwali / Lakshmi Puja	Sunday, 8 November	Check local panchang
Monday, 9 November	No main observance in most Indian calendars	Govardhan Puja abroad
Govardhan Puja / Annakut	Tuesday, 10 November	Monday, 9 November
Bhai Dooj	Wednesday, 11 November	Tuesday, 10 November

Why does Choti Diwali coincide with Diwali in India this year? Festival dates follow the lunar tithi in force at the relevant time of day, not the solar calendar. In 2026, the Chaturdashi and Amavasya tithis fall in such a way that, for Indian locations, the Narak Chaturdashi ritual (the early-morning abhyang snan, or oil bath) and Diwali's evening Lakshmi Puja land on the same date. So many families will take the abhyang snan on the morning of 8 November and do Lakshmi Puja that evening. Your family pandit may follow a slightly different local custom, which is perfectly fine.

For Dhanteras shopping and rituals, see my Dhanteras 2026 guide. For the last two days, read Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj 2026.

Lakshmi Puja Muhurat 2026: Understanding the Timing

Three time windows are traditionally considered on Diwali night:

• Pradosh kaal: the period after sunset. This is the most widely recommended window for household Lakshmi Puja. For New Delhi in 2026 it is approximately 5:50 PM to 7:50 PM.
• Sthir lagna: a fixed rising sign, usually Vrishabha (Taurus), falling within the evening. Puja in a fixed lagna is believed to make Lakshmi's presence steady and lasting. Its exact time depends on your latitude and longitude.
• Nishita kaal: the deep midnight window, preferred for Kali Puja (celebrated the same night in Bengal, Assam and Odisha) and for tantric or sadhana practices.

Because sunset in Mumbai, Chennai or Guwahati differs noticeably from Delhi, always check your own city's panchang for the exact Lakshmi Puja muhurat. If you are unsure, start your puja soon after sunset and complete the main aarti within the Pradosh period. Devotion and a clean, calm space matter far more than a few minutes either way.

Lakshmi Puja Samagri (What You Need)

• A chowki (low wooden stool) with a red cloth, and a small heap of rice or wheat for the kalash
• Idols or a picture of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi. Kubera and Saraswati are optional.
• A copper or brass kalash with water, mango leaves, a coconut and a coin inside
• Roli, haldi, kumkum, akshat (unbroken rice), sandalwood paste, flowers (lotus or marigold), a garland
• Panchamrit (milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar), kheel-batashe, sweets and seasonal fruit
• One large ghee diya for the puja (it should burn through the night if possible), plus mustard-oil or ghee diyas for the house
• Incense, camphor, betel leaves, supari, cardamom, cloves and a new account book or pen for business families

Step-by-Step Lakshmi Puja Vidhi at Home

1. Prepare the space. Clean the home (the work started on Dhanteras). Place the chowki in the north-east or north part of the room, decorate the entrance with rangoli and toran, and keep the main door open during the puja.
2. Purify yourself. Bathe, wear clean or new clothes, and sprinkle Ganga jal on yourself and the puja area.
3. Sankalp. Sit facing east or north, hold water, rice and a flower in your right hand, and state your name, gotra (if known), the date and your intention for the family's wellbeing and prosperity.
4. Kalash sthapana. Place the kalash on the grain heap to the right of the deities and invoke the sacred rivers into it.
5. Ganesh puja first. Offer tilak, durva grass, a flower and a modak or laddoo while chanting "Om Gan Ganapataye Namah".
6. Lakshmi avahan and puja. Invite the Goddess, offer panchamrit snan (to the idol or symbolically), then kumkum, haldi, a red chunari, lotus or marigold flowers, kheel-batashe and sweets. Chant "Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Kamale Kamalalaye Praseed Praseed Shreem Hreem Shreem Om Mahalakshmyai Namah", or the simpler "Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah", 108 times.
7. Kubera and bahi-khata puja. Business owners write "Shubh" and "Labh" and draw a swastika on the new account book, then pray to Kubera: "Om Yakshaya Kuberaya Vaishravanaya Dhanadhanyadhipataye Dhanadhanyasamriddhim Me Dehi Dapaya Swaha".
8. Light the diyas. Light the main ghee diya first, then carry lamps to every room, the kitchen, the tulsi plant, the water storage, and finally the main gate.
9. Aarti. Sing "Om Jai Lakshmi Mata" with the whole family, then offer camphor.
10. Kshama prarthana and prasad. Ask forgiveness for any mistakes in the ritual, distribute prasad, and touch elders' feet for blessings.

Many families keep the akhand (main) diya burning through the night and avoid sweeping the house until the next morning, as a sign of welcoming Lakshmi to stay.

The Diwali 2026 Sky: An Astrologer's View

On every Diwali Amavasya, the Sun and Moon come together in Libra, the sign where the Sun is debilitated. It is the darkest night of the year in a spiritual sense, which is why lighting a lamp means so much. In 2026 a few extra notes stand out:

• Venus, Lakshmi's own planet, is retrograde and placed in Virgo. It turns direct on 14 November. This Diwali is especially suited to gratitude for what you already have and to repairing relationships, rather than to lavish display.
• Mercury is also retrograde in Libra until 13 November. Keep conversations at family gatherings gentle, and double-check travel bookings and payments.
• Jupiter has just moved into Leo (31 October), where it sits with Ketu. This blend of wisdom and detachment strengthens prayer, mantra and charity this season.

In numerology, 8/11/2026 adds to 29 → 11, a master number, and finally to 2, ruled by the Moon. Number 2 is about home, emotion and partnership, and 11 about light and intuition. Fittingly, this Diwali also falls on a Sunday, the Sun's day. If you would like to see how this vibration meets your personal numbers, see my Diwali 2026 lucky colours and numbers by Mulank.

Diwali Do's and Don'ts

• Do light at least one diya at the main gate and one near water (tap, well or water tank).
• Do give something on this night: sweets to domestic helpers, food to the needy, or a donation to a cause you care about.
• Do choose green crackers or skip them. Your neighbours, pets and the air will thank you.
• Don't argue, lend large sums or gamble under the name of "tradition". These are not part of Lakshmi Puja.
• Don't leave the puja area dark or dirty after the puja. Keep the main lamp safe and away from curtains.

Frequently Asked Questions

Diwali 2026 kab hai?

Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, 8 November 2026 (Kartik Amavasya). Lakshmi Puja is done that evening.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026?

The Pradosh kaal muhurat for New Delhi is approximately 5:50 PM to 7:50 PM. Sources differ by a few minutes, and other cities differ more, so check your local panchang.

Is Choti Diwali on 7 or 8 November 2026?

In India, Narak Chaturdashi coincides with Diwali on 8 November 2026. In the US, UK and some other countries it is observed on 7 November.

Can I do Lakshmi Puja without a pandit?

Absolutely. The home vidhi above is simple, and sincere devotion is what matters most. Chant a short mantra, offer what you can, and do the aarti with your family.

Which direction should I face during Lakshmi Puja?

Ideally sit facing east or north, with the deities placed in the north or north-east part of the room.

Light a Lamp Within, Too

Diwali 2026 asks us to light lamps outside and inside: gratitude, forgiveness and generosity are the true invitations to Lakshmi. If you would like a personalised view of what the coming year holds for your finances and family, explore our services or book a consultation with me. Shubh Deepavali to you and your loved ones.