Festival muhurat
Diwali 2026 Lakshmi Puja Muhurat
Lakshmi Puja for Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The muhurat in New Delhi is 5:54 pm – 7:50 pm. See Pradosh Kaal, Vrishabha Kaal, Amavasya times, the Nishita muhurat and timings for 15 cities.
Diwali · in New Delhi
Sunday, 8 November 2026
Lakshmi Puja muhurat
5:54 pm – 7:50 pm
1 hr 56 min
- Pradosh Kaal
- 5:31 pm – 8:09 pm
- Vrishabha Kaal (fixed lagna)
- 5:54 pm – 7:50 pm
- Amavasya begins
- 11:28 am
- Amavasya ends
- 12:32 pm, 9 Nov
Mahanishita Kaal (midnight puja)
Nishita puja (midnight)
11:39 pm – 12:31 am, 9 Nov
52 min
- Nishita Kaal
- 11:39 pm – 12:31 am, 9 Nov
- Simha Kaal (fixed lagna)
- 12:25 am – 2:42 am, 9 Nov
Timings in other cities
| City | Date | Lakshmi Puja muhurat |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:54 pm – 7:50 pm |
| Mumbai | Sun, 8 Nov | 6:27 pm – 8:27 pm |
| Kolkata | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:20 pm – 7:19 pm |
| Chennai | Sun, 8 Nov | 6:07 pm – 8:09 pm |
| Bengaluru | Sun, 8 Nov | 6:18 pm – 8:20 pm |
| Hyderabad | Sun, 8 Nov | 6:08 pm – 8:08 pm |
| Pune | Sun, 8 Nov | 6:24 pm – 8:25 pm |
| Ahmedabad | Sun, 8 Nov | 6:22 pm – 8:21 pm |
| Jaipur | Sun, 8 Nov | 6:03 pm – 8:00 pm |
| Lucknow | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:43 pm – 7:39 pm |
| Chandigarh | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:52 pm – 7:47 pm |
| Patna | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:28 pm – 7:25 pm |
| Varanasi | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:37 pm – 7:34 pm |
| Ranchi | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:31 pm – 7:29 pm |
| Bhopal | Sun, 8 Nov | 6:03 pm – 8:01 pm |
Each city's timings come from its own sunrise, sunset, moonrise and lagna, in Indian Standard Time.
Timings outside India (local time)
| City | Date | Lakshmi Puja muhurat |
|---|---|---|
| New York | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:02 pm – 6:51 pm |
| Edison, New Jersey | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:04 pm – 6:53 pm |
| Chicago | Sun, 8 Nov | 4:54 pm – 6:41 pm |
| Houston | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:51 pm – 7:46 pm |
| San Francisco | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:22 pm – 7:13 pm |
| Toronto | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:16 pm – 7:02 pm |
| London | Sun, 8 Nov | 4:34 pm – 6:12 pm |
| Dubai | Sun, 8 Nov | 5:58 pm – 7:55 pm |
| Singapore | Sun, 8 Nov | 7:19 pm – 9:14 pm |
| Sydney | Sun, 8 Nov | 8:05 pm – 9:33 pm |
Each city's timings use its own sunrise, sunset, moonrise and lagna, in local time with daylight saving where it applies. The tithi is judged by local sunrise and sunset, so the festival can fall on a different date abroad than in India.
Diwali Lakshmi Puja is done on the evening of the Amavasya (new moon) of Kartika, which is Ashwina Amavasya in the amanta calendar. The day is set by Pradosh Kaal, the first fifth of the night after sunset (about two and a half hours): Lakshmi Puja falls on the day when Amavasya prevails during Pradosh. When it does on two evenings, the second is taken only if Amavasya lasts at least one ghati (24 minutes) into it.
Within Pradosh, the best time is when a fixed (sthira) lagna is rising. Vrishabha (Taurus) is the fixed sign that rises on the Diwali evening, and a puja in a fixed lagna is believed to make Lakshmi stay in the home. So the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is the time when Pradosh Kaal, Amavasya and Vrishabha lagna all overlap; it is given above for major cities.
Nishita Kaal, the middle of the night, is kept for Kali Puja and tantric worship. The Mahanishita muhurat is Nishita Kaal while Amavasya lasts; Simha (Leo), the other fixed sign, rises close to it. Shops and offices that cannot hold the puja in the evening often use the day's auspicious Choghadiya times instead.
Times for Indian cities are Indian Standard Time; times abroad are local time. They match established panchangs to within a minute or two. For a city not listed, the nearest city is usually within a few minutes.
Festival and vrat calendars
Read in the puja
- Lakshmi Chalisa
The forty-verse prayer to Maa Lakshmi for prosperity, read on Fridays, Diwali, Dhanteras and Sharad Purnima.
Lakshmi Aarti - Ganesh Chalisa
The prayer to Lord Ganesha, remover of obstacles, read on Wednesdays, Sankashti and Ganesh Chaturthi before any new start.
Ganesh Aarti
FAQ
Diwali FAQs
When is Lakshmi Puja on Diwali 2026?
On Sunday, 8 November 2026. In New Delhi the muhurat is 5:54 pm – 7:50 pm, Pradosh Kaal is 5:31 pm – 8:09 pm, and Amavasya runs from 11:28 am to 12:32 pm, 9 Nov.
Why is Lakshmi Puja done in Vrishabha lagna?
Vrishabha (Taurus) is a fixed sign, and it is the lagna that rises during Pradosh on the Diwali evening. A Lakshmi Puja in a fixed lagna is believed to make wealth and prosperity stay in the home.
What if I cannot do the puja in Vrishabha Kaal?
A puja at any time in Pradosh Kaal while Amavasya lasts is still traditional; the Vrishabha window is simply the best part of it.
Is the muhurat the same in every city?
No. Sunset and the rising of Vrishabha depend on the place, so Mumbai and Kolkata differ by about an hour. The timings for 15 cities are given above.
When is Diwali 2026 in the USA, UK and other countries?
New York: Sunday, 8 November 2026, Lakshmi Puja muhurat 5:02 pm – 6:51 pm. London: Sunday, 8 November 2026, Lakshmi Puja muhurat 4:34 pm – 6:12 pm. Times are local. The table above lists Edison, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Toronto, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney.