Diwali 2026 Date: Lakshmi Puja on 8 November — Muhurat, Dhanteras, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj

Festival dates at a glance

Why Diwali sometimes seems to fall on two days

Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evening, after sunset, in a window called pradosh (about two hours and twenty-four minutes from sunset). The rule is that Amavasya must be present during that window. In 2026 Amavasya begins late morning on 8 November and ends at about noon on 9 November. It is therefore present at sunset on the 8th, and gone by sunset on the 9th — so the puja belongs to 8 November. When two days look possible, the tithi start and end times above are what settle it.

Lakshmi Puja pradosh window by city

Sunset differs across India, so the window moves. These are calculated for 8 November 2026:

What each day of the festival is for

• Dhanteras: Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, and Lakshmi are worshipped. Buying a metal utensil, gold or silver is the custom, and a lamp is lit at the entrance in the evening (Yama Deepam).
• Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali): remembers the defeat of the demon Naraka. An early-morning oil bath (abhyanga snan) is customary, with small lamps lit before dawn or in the evening.
• Diwali (Lakshmi Puja): Lakshmi and Ganesha are worshipped after sunset, with rows of lamps and rangoli; business families perform Chopda Pujan, opening fresh account books.
• Govardhan Puja / Annakut: a mountain of food is offered in memory of Krishna lifting Govardhan. In Gujarat the same day is the new year (Bestu Varas).
• Bhai Dooj: sisters apply tilak to their brothers and pray for their wellbeing; brothers give a gift in return.

Buying on Dhanteras: a practical note

• Buy hallmarked gold or silver and keep the bill; the purchase itself matters less than the intention.
• A small coin, a silver utensil or a kitchen item meets the custom — you do not need a large purchase for the day to be observed.
• The auspicious time to buy is the day of Trayodashi, from morning through the evening pradosh; if your plans fall on another day, many families simply buy on the next convenient day.

A note on Mercury and Venus

Both planets are retrograde in Tula during Diwali week. That is not a reason to skip the puja — worship is not governed by it — but it is a good reason to keep receipts and read paperwork twice on any large purchase. See Mercury retrograde 24 October – 13 November.

A simple Lakshmi Puja checklist

• Clean the house and set up the puja space by afternoon.
• Place the Lakshmi–Ganesha image or idol on a clean cloth facing east or north.
• Light the diya at sunset; begin the puja inside your city's pradosh window.
• Offer flowers, sweets and rice, and recite your family's Lakshmi mantra or aarti.
• Keep the diya lit through the evening and the household accounts closed for the night.