November 8, 2026: Diwali Date, Five Day Schedule and City Muhurat

Family preparing Lakshmi Puja for Diwali

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, November 8, 2026, the day of Kartik Amavasya, the new moon of the Hindu month of Kartik. It lands in November this year, consistent with Diwali’s usual October or November window. A five-day festival surrounds this main day, starting with Dhanteras and closing with Bhai Dooj.

TL;DR:

  • Lakshmi Puja is performed after sunset during Pradosh Kaal, with timing varying by city based on local sunset and moon phases.
  • The five-day festival begins on Dhanteras on November 6, 2026, and culminates with Bhai Dooj on November 10, with regional emphasis shifting among days.
  • Diwali’s date depends on the lunar calendar and the exact moment of the new moon in Kartik, which causes its Gregorian date to shift yearly.
  • Confirming the precise muhurat for your city is essential, using reliable panchang sources or temple notices, as timings can differ by several minutes.
  • Travelers should activate prepaid eSIM data plans for real-time updates and to avoid connectivity issues during festival travel abroad.
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Table of Contents

Confirmed Date and General Puja Timing

The main day of Diwali 2026, Lakshmi Puja, is confirmed for Sunday, November 8, 2026, marking Amavasya in the lunar month of Kartik. Lakshmi Puja is traditionally performed after sunset, within Pradosh Kaal, the period just after dusk. The exact window shifts city by city based on local sunset and tithi overlap, so a muhurat calculated for one location should not be reused for another.

  • Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evening, after sunset, during Pradosh Kaal.
  • Muhurat timing depends on local sunset and moon-phase overlap, not a fixed clock time.
  • Sunday closures vary: some businesses follow normal Sunday hours regardless of the festival.

Public-holiday observance and business closures vary by country and employer, so checking a local calendar matters more than assuming a blanket shutdown.

The Five-Day Diwali Calendar for 2026

The festival runs across five linked days, each with its own ritual focus. Regional traditions place different weight on each day, and some communities use alternate names.

  • Dhanteras: Friday, November 6, 2026, marking the start of the festival with purchases of gold or utensils.
  • Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali): Saturday, November 7, 2026, a day of cleaning and small celebrations.
  • Lakshmi Puja (main Diwali): Sunday, November 8, 2026, the principal day of worship and lights.
  • Govardhan Puja (Bestu Varas): Monday, November 9, 2026, observed as a new year in parts of Gujarat.
  • Bhai Dooj: Tuesday, November 10, 2026, celebrating the bond between siblings.

This five-day sequence from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj is the common structure, though some regions shift emphasis toward different days within it.

Why Diwali’s Date Changes Every Year

Diwali is anchored to Kartik Amavasya, the new moon of the lunar month of Kartik, not to a fixed spot on the Gregorian calendar. Because Diwali follows the Hindu lunar calendar, its Gregorian date shifts from year to year, generally landing somewhere in October or November. The underlying unit is the tithi, a lunar day measured by the angle between the sun and moon, and panchang calculations use ephemeris data to pin down exactly when each new moon falls for a given location.

  • Diwali always coincides with Amavasya, the new moon tithi of Kartik.
  • Tithis are measured by moon-sun angle, not by a calendar date.
  • Ephemeris-based panchang tools calculate the exact moment of each new moon.

Pro Tip: Bookmark a trusted panchang site or almanac now so you are not scrambling for next year’s date in October.

Regional Differences in How Diwali Is Observed

North Indian communities generally center the festival on Lakshmi Puja, while Bengali households often mark the same night with Kali Puja instead. Tamil communities frequently celebrate Deepavali a day earlier, tied to Naraka Chaturdashi, and Jain communities mark the period with their own observances tied to spiritual renewal.

  • Common rituals include lighting diyas, drawing rangoli patterns, and setting off fireworks.
  • Lakshmi and Ganesha puja are widely performed to invite prosperity and remove obstacles.
  • Sweets and gifts are exchanged among family, neighbors, and colleagues.

Public-holiday status is not uniform. Some countries grant a formal holiday, others leave it to regional or employer discretion, so confirming local practice ahead of the date avoids surprises.

How to Find Your City’s Lakshmi Puja Muhurat

Getting the exact puja window right requires three inputs: the city name, its local sunset time, and the tithi overlap for that location. Muhurat calculations depend on city-level panchang data, since sunset and Amavasya timing shift with longitude and latitude.

  1. Identify the specific city where the puja will take place.
  2. Consult a reputable panchang source or local temple notice for that city.
  3. Confirm the muhurat window overlaps with Pradosh Kaal, the post-sunset period.
  4. Cross-check with a local temple or community calendar before finalizing plans.

Pro Tip: A muhurat published for one city, even one close by, can be off by several minutes once sunset and tithi are recalculated for your exact location.

Reliable inputs come from temple-issued notices, established panchang calculators, and astronomical ephemeris data rather than secondhand timing shared informally.

Three sources converging on local puja timing

Staying Connected During Diwali Travel

Many families travel during Diwali week, whether returning home, visiting temples, or joining celebrations abroad, and a working local data connection matters for checking muhurat updates, temple schedules, and last-minute venue changes. Panchang timing is location-specific, so pulling it up on the move often means relying on mobile data rather than a saved page from home.

  • Checking real-time temple notices and panchang updates requires local internet access.
  • Group travel logistics, from ride bookings to venue confirmations, run on mobile data.
  • A data-only eSIM activates digitally, skipping the need for a physical SIM swap while traveling.

For trips to India during the festival, our guide to choosing an eSIM for India travel covers plan selection and activation steps, and our mobile data checklist for travelers walks through what to set up before departure.

What Matters Most When Planning Around These Dates

The single date matters less than the local details around it. Confirm your city’s Lakshmi Puja muhurat before locking in ceremony plans, since a window published for a different location can mislead rather than help. Book travel and accommodation early, using resources like the Baytown TX Family Vacation Travel Guide since Diwali week draws heavy demand in cities with large celebrations, and expect some shops, offices, and transit services to run on reduced hours even where no formal holiday applies. Lean on local temple notices and community calendars over generic date lists, and keep a working data connection active so schedule changes reach you in real time rather than after the fact.

— Daniel

A Practical Connectivity Option for Festival Travel

Prepaid, data-only eSIM plans offering instant delivery by email and no physical SIM are available for travelers heading abroad during Diwali season. Coverage spans individual countries and multi-region bundles, so whether a trip lands in Dubai, Rome, or across several countries in one journey, a plan can be matched to the route before departure.

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FAQ

What are the 5 days of Diwali 2027?

The specific Gregorian dates depend on each year’s lunar calendar calculations, which shift the window annually. The five-day structure itself stays consistent: Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali), Lakshmi Puja (main Diwali), Govardhan Puja, and Bhai Dooj, in that order.

What should I wear for Diwali?

Diwali is typically marked with new or festive traditional clothing, such as sarees, kurtas, or lehengas in bright colors, though dress customs vary widely by region and family. There is no single required outfit, and many people simply choose clean, festive attire for puja and gatherings.

What does the word “Deepavali” mean?

“Deepavali” translates roughly to “row of lighted lamps,” referring to the diyas lit throughout homes and streets during the festival. “Diwali” is a shortened, commonly used form of the same word.

Do Muslims celebrate Diwali?

Diwali is primarily a Hindu, Jain, and Sikh festival, with some Buddhist communities also observing it, rather than an Islamic one. In religiously diverse regions, some Muslim neighbors and friends may join in community celebrations such as lighting displays or shared meals without it being a religious observance for them.

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