Diwali 2026 puja date and time at a glance: Dhanteras puja is on Friday 6 November and Lakshmi Puja, the main Diwali puja, is on Sunday 8 November, the day NSE and BSE hold their special Muhurat trading session. In New Delhi, Drik Panchang lists the Dhanteras puja muhurat as 6:02 pm to 7:57 pm and the Lakshmi Puja muhurat as 5:54 pm to 7:50 pm. Start times across the 12 cities below are more than an hour apart, because a muhurat follows local sunset.
This page gives the dates for the five days of Diwali, the timings for 12 cities, the reason the puja falls on 6 and 8 November rather than a day later, and why different websites show different times for the same puja. Every timing comes from a named panchang page that I read on 3 November 2026; the sources are listed at the end.
Diwali 2026 puja dates at a glance
| Day | Date | Festival or puja | Puja time (New Delhi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 6 November | Dhanteras (Dhantrayodashi), Dhanvantari Trayodashi, Yama Deepam | 6:02 pm to 7:57 pm |
| Sat | 7 November | Kali Chaudas, Hanuman Puja | Not covered on this page |
| Sun | 8 November | Lakshmi Puja (Diwali), Kali Puja, Narak Chaturdashi | 5:54 pm to 7:50 pm |
| Mon | 9 November | Diwali Snan, Diwali Devpuja | Not covered on this page |
| Tue | 10 November | Govardhan Puja, Annakut, Bali Pratipada | Not covered on this page |
| Wed | 11 November | Bhai Dooj (Bhaiya Dooj) | Not covered on this page |
Two official records back the Diwali date. The 2026 list of gazetted holidays for central government offices in Uttarakhand, issued under the DoPT order of 3 July 2025, shows Diwali (Deepavali) on Sunday 8 November. NSE’s 2026 holiday circular lists Diwali Laxmi Pujan on Sunday 8 November (with a Muhurat trading session) and marks Tuesday 10 November as a trading holiday for Diwali-Balipratipada. That 10 November date matches Drik Panchang’s date for Govardhan Puja. A few websites list Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj a day earlier, so if your family follows a regional or community calendar, check it against your local panchang.
Dhanteras and Lakshmi Puja timings in New Delhi
| Item | Dhanteras (Fri 6 Nov) | Lakshmi Puja (Sun 8 Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| Tithi | Trayodashi: 10:30 am on 6 Nov to 10:47 am on 7 Nov | Amavasya: 11:27 am on 8 Nov to 12:31 pm on 9 Nov |
| Pradosh Kaal (evening window) | 5:33 pm to 8:09 pm | 5:31 pm to 8:09 pm |
| Puja muhurat (Vrishabha Kaal) | 6:02 pm to 7:57 pm | 5:54 pm to 7:50 pm |
| Late-night option | None listed on Drik’s page | Mahanishita Kaal: 11:39 pm to 12:31 am (9 Nov) |
Drik Panchang says the puja should be done in Pradosh Kaal, the evening window that starts after sunset and lasts about 2 hours 24 minutes, and that the best slice of it is the Vrishabha (Sthir) Lagna, which mostly overlaps Pradosh Kaal during Diwali. The muhurat in the table is that slice. Drik also says its times are location-based, so choose your own city before noting a time down.
About the late-night Mahanishita Kaal window: Drik Panchang says it is best suited to the Tantrik community and practising pandits, and it proposes the Pradosh Kaal muhurat for common people.
Why Dhanteras puja is on 6 November, not 7 November
Drik Panchang says its Dhanteras muhurat is the Pradosh Kaal and Sthir Lagna window while Trayodashi is prevailing. Trayodashi begins at 10:30 am on Friday 6 November, so it is already running when Pradosh Kaal starts at 5:33 pm that evening. It ends at 10:47 am on Saturday 7 November, before the next evening’s Pradosh Kaal begins. So the evening puja falls on Friday. That is my reading of Drik’s published figures, and it matches the date every source I checked gives.
Many families also buy gold or silver on Dhanteras. If you are weighing gold ETFs, digital gold and physical gold, our Dhanteras gold comparison sets out how each one works, what it costs and where the risks sit, so you can decide before the day rather than at the counter.
Why Lakshmi Puja is on 8 November, not 9 November
Amavasya begins at 11:27 am on Sunday 8 November and ends at 12:31 pm on Monday 9 November. Sunday evening’s Pradosh Kaal (5:31 pm to 8:09 pm) sits inside it. Monday evening’s does not, because Amavasya has ended by midday. Because the tithi spans two calendar days, you will see some searches and posts mention both 8 and 9 November. Drik Panchang lists Monday 9 November for Diwali Snan and Diwali Devpuja, which are separate observances from Lakshmi Puja.
Diwali 2026 puja timings by city
| City | Dhanteras puja, Fri 6 Nov | Lakshmi Puja, Sun 8 Nov |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | 6:02 pm to 7:57 pm | 5:54 pm to 7:50 pm |
| Noida | 6:01 pm to 7:57 pm | 5:54 pm to 7:49 pm |
| Gurgaon | 6:03 pm to 7:59 pm | 5:55 pm to 7:51 pm |
| Chandigarh | 6:00 pm to 7:54 pm | 5:52 pm to 7:46 pm |
| Jaipur | 6:11 pm to 8:07 pm | 6:03 pm to 7:59 pm |
| Ahmedabad | 6:30 pm to 8:28 pm | 6:22 pm to 8:20 pm |
| Mumbai | 6:35 pm to 8:35 pm | 6:27 pm to 8:27 pm |
| Pune | 6:32 pm to 8:31 pm | 6:24 pm to 8:24 pm |
| Hyderabad | 6:15 pm to 8:13 pm | 6:07 pm to 8:08 pm |
| Bengaluru | 6:25 pm to 8:20 pm | 6:17 pm to 8:20 pm |
| Chennai | 6:14 pm to 8:10 pm | 6:07 pm to 8:09 pm |
| Kolkata | 5:28 pm to 7:26 pm | 5:20 pm to 7:18 pm |
The spread is real. Kolkata, in the east, has the earliest Lakshmi Puja muhurat in the table (5:20 pm), and Mumbai, in the west, has the latest (6:27 pm). Noida and Gurgaon sit within a few minutes of Delhi. For a town that is not listed, open Drik Panchang’s Lakshmi Puja page or its Dhanteras page and choose your city at the top; the time is recalculated for that location.
Why different websites show different puja timings
Search for “Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026” and you will find start times anywhere from about 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The dates agree: every page I read puts Dhanteras on 6 November and Lakshmi Puja on 8 November. The times differ for three reasons I could check.
| Source | Location stated | Dhanteras puja | Lakshmi Puja |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drik Panchang | New Delhi | 6:02 pm to 7:57 pm | 5:54 pm to 7:50 pm |
| Dekho Panchang | Delhi | 5:49 pm to 7:15 pm | 5:48 pm to 7:14 pm |
| SmartPuja (page updated 13 Dec 2025) | New Delhi | 5:42 pm to 7:38 pm | 5:32 pm to 7:28 pm |
| Shubh Panchang | Surat, Gujarat | 6:37 pm to 8:37 pm | 6:29 pm to 8:29 pm |
- The city. Shubh Panchang states that its times are for Surat, Gujarat. A Surat time set beside a Delhi time will differ by tens of minutes, as the city table above shows (Delhi 5:54 pm, Mumbai 6:27 pm).
- How the window is defined. Drik Panchang’s muhurat is the Vrishabha Lagna slice inside a Pradosh Kaal of about 2 hours 24 minutes. Dekho Panchang defines Pradosh Kaal as running from sunset to roughly 96 minutes later, so its window is shorter and ends earlier.
- How old the page is and which tithi data it uses. SmartPuja’s page was last updated on 13 December 2025. It gives Trayodashi as 12:21 am to 10:48 pm on 6 November and Amavasya as ending at 9:47 pm on 8 November. Drik Panchang shows Trayodashi from 10:30 am on 6 November to 10:47 am on 7 November, and Amavasya ending at 12:31 pm on 9 November. Shubh Panchang’s Trayodashi times match Drik’s exactly. I used Drik Panchang as the main source for that reason, and because it publishes a time for each city.
How to choose your puja time
- Find your city in the table and note the Lakshmi Puja window. If your town is not listed, use the nearest city or open Drik Panchang’s page for your own location.
- Treat that window as your target and the wider Pradosh Kaal (5:31 pm to 8:09 pm in Delhi) as the evening period it sits in.
- If you plan to trade in the Muhurat session, note that NSE’s equity trading ends at 3:30 pm, well before the earliest evening puja window in the table (5:20 pm in Kolkata).
- If your family priest or temple gives a time, follow that, not a website. Then check the source pages once more on the day.
Diwali 2026 puja date and time: common questions
What is the date of Diwali 2026?
Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) is on Sunday 8 November 2026. A central government gazetted holiday list for 2026 (issued under the DoPT order) and NSE’s 2026 holiday circular both show Diwali on 8 November.
What is the Dhanteras 2026 date and puja time?
Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November 2026. In New Delhi, Drik Panchang lists the puja muhurat as 6:02 pm to 7:57 pm. Start times in other cities range from 5:28 pm in Kolkata to 6:35 pm in Mumbai.
What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat on Diwali 2026?
In New Delhi, Drik Panchang lists the Lakshmi Puja muhurat as 5:54 pm to 7:50 pm on Sunday 8 November 2026. It is 6:27 pm to 8:27 pm in Mumbai, 6:17 pm to 8:20 pm in Bengaluru and 5:20 pm to 7:18 pm in Kolkata.
Is Diwali on 8 or 9 November 2026?
Lakshmi Puja is on 8 November. Amavasya runs from 11:27 am on 8 November to 12:31 pm on 9 November, and the evening puja window on 8 November falls inside it. Drik Panchang lists 9 November for Diwali Snan and Diwali Devpuja, which are separate observances.
When are Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj in 2026?
Drik Panchang lists Govardhan Puja on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November 2026. NSE has marked 10 November as a trading holiday for Diwali-Balipratipada. A few websites list these a day earlier, so check your local panchang.
Sources and method
- Drik Panchang, Dhanteras puja timings, Lakshmi Puja timings and 2026 Diwali puja calendar, all for New Delhi plus the “Muhurat in other cities” lists, read on 3 November 2026.
- Shubh Panchang, Dhanteras 2026 and Diwali 2026 (times stated for Surat, Gujarat).
- Dekho Panchang, Dhanteras 2026 and Diwali 2026 (Delhi).
- SmartPuja, Dhanteras 2026 and Diwali 2026 (New Delhi; pages last updated 13 December 2025).
- List of gazetted holidays 2026 for central government offices (Uttarakhand), issued under DoPT OM F.No.12/2/2023-JCA dated 3 July 2025.
- NSE trading holidays for 2026 (circular NSE/DS/71968, 23 December 2025), for 8 November (Diwali Laxmi Pujan) and 10 November (Diwali-Balipratipada).
Method: I copied each time from the page itself on 3 November 2026 and compared the dates and tithi windows across sources. The city table is Drik Panchang’s own list. The reasoning on why the puja falls on 6 and 8 November is my reading of Drik’s tithi and Pradosh Kaal figures. Panchang sites can revise timings, so check the source pages again on the day. This page is a guide to published timings and is not religious or astrological advice.
One more Diwali-week question: if a bonus or gift voucher arrives from your employer, whether it is taxable depends on its form and amount. Our explainer on whether your Diwali bonus is taxable sets out the rules.
