Festival · 2026
Diwali (Deepavali) 2026 — Sunday, 8 November 2026
Diwali, the festival of lights, is kept on the new moon of Kartika with rows of lamps, Lakshmi Puja in the evening and a night shared with family.
In 2026
Sunday, 8 November 2026
- Tithi
- Amavasya: 8 Nov, 11:28 AM – 9 Nov, 12:32 PM
- Lunar month
- Kartika (purnimanta) / Ashvin (amanta)
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:38 AM / 5:31 PM
| Lakshmi Puja muhurat | 5:54 PM – 7:50 PM |
|---|---|
| Pradosh kaal | 5:31 PM – 8:08 PM |
| Vrishabha lagna | 5:54 PM – 7:50 PM |
| Nishita kaal | 11:38 PM – 9 Nov, 12:31 AM |
Rule: Kartika Amavasya (Ashvin in the amanta reckoning) prevailing at pradosh; if it covers pradosh on both days for at least one ghati (24 min), the second day. Lakshmi Puja is in pradosh during the fixed Vrishabha lagna.
In 2027
Friday, 29 October 2027
- Tithi
- Amavasya: 28 Oct, 8:48 PM – 29 Oct, 7:06 PM
- Lunar month
- Kartika (purnimanta) / Ashvin (amanta)
- Sunrise / sunset
- 6:30 AM / 5:38 PM
| Lakshmi Puja muhurat | 6:35 PM – 7:06 PM |
|---|---|
| Pradosh kaal | 5:38 PM – 8:13 PM |
| Vrishabha lagna | 6:35 PM – 8:30 PM |
Rule: Kartika Amavasya (Ashvin in the amanta reckoning) prevailing at pradosh; if it covers pradosh on both days for at least one ghati (24 min), the second day. Lakshmi Puja is in pradosh during the fixed Vrishabha lagna.
Times follow New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset. In other cities the muhurat shifts by some minutes, and occasionally the day by one. Full festival calendar
What is Diwali (Deepavali)?
Diwali, or Deepavali, meaning a row of lamps, is the best-known Hindu festival and the heart of a five-day season that runs from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj. It falls on Amavasya, the new moon, of Kartika by the northern purnimanta count (Ashvin in the amanta count). On the darkest night of the month, homes, streets and temples are lit with diyas, and Lakshmi and Ganesha are worshipped in the evening.
In the north, Diwali recalls Rama’s return to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile and the defeat of Ravana; the people of Ayodhya are said to have lit lamps all along his way. Tradition also holds that Lakshmi emerged from the churning of the ocean on this day, and that she visits clean, lamp-lit homes on this night. In the south, the morning before celebrates Krishna’s victory over Narakasura.
Diwali is shared well beyond Hindu homes: Jains mark the nirvana of Mahavira, Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, and many Buddhists in Nepal and India light lamps too. For families it is a time of homecoming, new clothes, sweets exchanged with neighbours and old quarrels set aside. In many business communities it also marks the start of a new accounting year.
How it is observed
- In the weeks before, homes are cleaned, repaired and painted, and unused things are given away.
- Rangoli is drawn at the entrance, and diyas are placed on doorsteps, windows and rooftops.
- Lakshmi Puja is done in the evening muhurat with Ganesha, a kalash, coins, and offerings of kheel, batashe and sweets.
- Traders worship new account books, known as chopda pujan or bahi-khata puja, in the same muhurat.
- Some families keep a lamp burning through the night, and Kali worshippers and those in tantric traditions pray at nishita kaal, around midnight.
- Sweets and gifts are exchanged with relatives and neighbours, and people visit one another.
- Many families now choose fewer firecrackers, or none, out of care for clean air, animals and elderly neighbours.
How the date is fixed
Diwali is Kartika Amavasya (Ashvin in the amanta reckoning). Our engine keeps it on the day Amavasya prevails during pradosh, the evening period that begins at sunset. If Amavasya covers pradosh on both days by at least one ghati (24 minutes), the second day is taken. The Lakshmi Puja muhurat is the overlap of pradosh, the fixed Vrishabha lagna and the Amavasya tithi. Nishita kaal, the midnight muhurta, is also given for those who worship at night.
Where practice differs
In Bengal, Odisha and Assam the same night is Kali Puja. In Gujarat, Diwali closes the year and the next day is the new year, while in Tamil Nadu and much of the south Deepavali is celebrated mainly on the morning of Naraka Chaturdashi with an oil bath before sunrise. In Nepal it is part of Tihar, when crows, dogs and cows are honoured on successive days. Month names differ between the amanta and purnimanta reckonings, but the new moon is the same night everywhere.
Dates and times are computed by our own engine (sunrise, tithi and kalas for New Delhi, Lahiri ayanamsa). In another city, or in an almanac of another tradition, the day can differ by one — follow your family’s tradition.
Questions people ask
What is the best time for Lakshmi Puja on Diwali?
Tradition prefers the evening window where pradosh, the fixed Vrishabha lagna and Amavasya overlap. That muhurat for this year is shown above.
Why is Diwali sometimes listed on two different days?
Amavasya can touch the evening on two consecutive days. If it covers pradosh on both days by at least one ghati, the second day is taken, and calendars that apply the rule differently may show another day.
What is nishita kaal on Diwali?
It is the muhurta around midnight. Kali worshippers and those who follow tantric traditions pray in this window.