Diwali 2026: Date, Lakshmi Puja Muhurat and the Five Days of the Festival

Sunday, November 8, 2026. That is the night of Lakshmi Puja, the main day of Diwali, held on the Amavasya (new moon) of the month of Kartika. India's 2026 list of central government holidays also places Diwali (Deepavali) on Sunday, November 8. Sources: Drik Panchang, Wikipedia, BankBazaar and NoBroker (DoPT holiday list).

Day 1, Dhanteras: Friday, November 6. Day 2, Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali): many calendars give Saturday, November 7, while Drik Panchang (New Delhi) puts it on Sunday, November 8. Day 3, Lakshmi Puja: Sunday, November 8. Day 4, Govardhan Puja (Annakut): Monday, November 9 in many listings, Tuesday, November 10 per Drik Panchang New Delhi. Day 5, Bhai Dooj: Tuesday, November 10 or Wednesday, November 11 per Drik Panchang. The split comes from the timing of the new moon (see next question): follow your family's or temple's panchang. Sources: Drik Panchang, Goodreturns, DekhoPanchang.

Because the Amavasya tithi (the lunar day of the new moon) starts in the late morning of November 8 and ends around midday on November 9 in India (about 11:27 AM and 12:31 PM IST, per Goodreturns). Lakshmi Puja needs Amavasya at dusk, so it is clearly November 8. But festivals that follow the tithi in force at sunrise slide: on the morning of November 9 it is still Amavasya, so some panchangs (including Drik Panchang for New Delhi) push Govardhan Puja to November 10 and Bhai Dooj to November 11, while others keep the compact sequence of November 9 and 10. Dates also shift with time zone in the diaspora. Sources: Goodreturns, Drik Panchang, DekhoPanchang.

For New Delhi, the window most often cited, attributed to Drik Panchang, is 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM IST on Sunday, November 8 (about 1 hour 56 minutes), inside Pradosh Kaal (about 5:31 PM to 8:09 PM). Other almanacs give slightly different windows (for example 5:32 PM to 7:28 PM, or 5:47 PM to 7:13 PM), because they use different methods. The muhurat depends on local sunset, so it changes by city: in London, New York or Toronto, use a panchang set to your own location. Sources: Goodreturns (citing Drik Panchang), SmartPuja, DekhoPanchang.

Diwali (from Sanskrit Deepavali, "row of lights") celebrates the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. For many Hindus it marks Rama's return to Ayodhya with Sita and Lakshmana after defeating Ravana, and it is the main night of worship of Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity. Naraka Chaturdashi recalls Krishna's victory over the demon Narakasura, and in eastern India the new-moon night is devoted to Kali. Source: Wikipedia.

Yes, with their own meaning. Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, which commemorates the release of Guru Hargobind from Mughal imprisonment; in 2026 it is listed on Sunday, November 8, with the Golden Temple in Amritsar lit up. Jains mark the nirvana of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara. Newar Buddhists in Nepal also worship Lakshmi during the festival. Sources: Wikipedia, Faith Victoria, RE Online.

Homes are cleaned and lit with diyas (clay oil lamps), candles and lanterns, and doorways are decorated with rangoli patterns. Families perform Lakshmi Puja in the evening, exchange sweets (mithai) and gifts, wear new clothes and visit relatives, and many places have fireworks. Dhanteras is a traditional day to buy gold, silver or kitchenware, and on Bhai Dooj sisters pray for their brothers' well-being. Source: Wikipedia.

In India, yes: Diwali (Deepavali) is a compulsory central government holiday, listed on Sunday, November 8, 2026; the DoPT order lets states that celebrate a day earlier observe it on Naraka Chaturdashi instead. It is also an official holiday in Nepal, Fiji, Guyana, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Singapore has gazetted Monday, November 9 as the replacement holiday since Deepavali falls on a Sunday; Malaysia also gives the Monday in most states. Sources: NoBroker, Wikipedia, Singapore Government Gazette.

Not nationally. In the US it is not a federal holiday, but California made Diwali a state holiday with AB 268, signed on October 7, 2025 and in force from January 1, 2026: public schools and community colleges may close, and state employees can take the day off. Pennsylvania and Connecticut recognized it before. In the UK Diwali is not a bank holiday; London's free Diwali on the Square in Trafalgar Square takes place on Sunday, October 25, 2026 (1 PM to 7 PM). Sources: Indiaspora, Spectrum News, Wikipedia, Greater London Authority.

New York State law, signed by Governor Hochul in November 2023, makes Diwali a public school holiday in New York City. In 2026, however, Diwali falls on a Sunday, and the 2026-27 calendar published by the teachers' union (UFT) lists no closure between November 6 and 9; the next listed closure is Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11. Check the Department of Education calendar for any update. Sources: NY1, UFT.

In October 2025: Lakshmi Puja was on Monday, October 20 in most of India (some calendars gave October 21), and NYC public schools closed on October 20. Diwali moves every year because it follows the lunisolar Hindu calendar; it usually falls between mid-October and mid-November. Sources: Wikipedia, Time Out New York.

"Happy Diwali" is the most common greeting in English. In Hindi you can say "Shubh Deepavali" or "Diwali ki shubhkamnayein" (best wishes for Diwali); in Tamil, "Deepavali Nalvazhthukkal". For Sikh friends, "Happy Bandi Chhor Divas" is appropriate. Greetings are often paired with wishes for prosperity in the new year, since for many communities Diwali also opens a new financial year.

Yes. Deepavali was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 10, 2025, at the committee session held at the Red Fort in New Delhi. It is India's 16th element on the list, alongside the Kumbh Mela, Durga Puja, Garba and Yoga. Sources: All India Radio (newsonair.gov.in), Drishti IAS.