Diwali 2026 at a glance
Diwali — the Lakshmi Puja — is on Sunday, 8 November 2026, Kartik Amavasya. Amavasya runs from 11:27 am on 8 November to 12:31 pm on 9 November, so it holds the whole evening of the 8th. In New Delhi the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 5:54 pm to 7:50 pm — the steady Vrishabha lagna within the Pradosh Kaal, which runs from 5:31 pm to 8:09 pm. Times move by a few minutes in other cities.
The five days of Diwali 2026
| Day | Date | Observance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday, 6 November | Dhanteras — Dhanvantari, Kuber and Lakshmi; Yam Deepdaan |
| 2 | Saturday, 7 November (night) · Sunday, 8 November (dawn bath, 5:41–6:38 am) | Kali Chaudas · Narak Chaturdashi / Roop Chaudas |
| 3 | Sunday, 8 November | Diwali — Lakshmi Puja |
| 4 | Tuesday, 10 November | Govardhan Puja and Annakut — morning muhurat 6:40–8:50 am |
| 5 | Wednesday, 11 November | Bhai Dooj — tilak 1:10–3:20 pm |
How the Lakshmi Puja is done at home
- Clean the house thoroughly; Lakshmi is said to enter a clean, lit home. Draw a rangoli at the door and light lamps through the house at dusk.
- On a raised seat with a red cloth, place Ganesha on Lakshmi’s left, with a kalash of water, a coconut and mango leaves.
- Take the sankalp, then worship Ganesha first.
- Worship Lakshmi with kumkum, flowers (lotus if you can), akshat, sweets, kheel-batashe and a lamp of ghee. Place coins, account books or the cash box before her.
- Chant Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah 108 times, or read the Shri Suktam.
- Close with the aarti, and keep one lamp burning through the night.
Why Diwali is kept
It marks Rama’s return to Ayodhya after fourteen years, lit by the lamps of the city; the night Lakshmi emerged from the churning of the ocean; and, for many, the start of the new year in the accounts. All three meet in the one image of the day: lamps lit against the darkest night of the month.
Having the Lakshmi Puja done in Ujjain
For a family that wants the Lakshmi Puja performed in full by pandits, with the sankalp in their name and gotra — or cannot be home for Diwali — see Maa Lakshmi Puja. It is a prayer for prosperity and a steady household; it promises no result.