Diwali 2026 Date and Muhurat: Lakshmi Puja Timing for India, USA, UK and Canada

Every October in Mumbai, somewhere around the third forwarded message about "exact Diwali muhurat timing", someone finally asks the building WhatsApp group: "Confirm please - which day is actual Lakshmi Puja this year?" The question comes up every year, not because the answer is complicated, but because Diwali follows the lunar calendar and the muhurat depends on your own city's sunset. So here is the Diwali 2026 date and muhurat in plain terms, for India and for families abroad.

Diwali 2026 Date and Muhurat: The Key Dates

The main Lakshmi Puja day falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026, on Kartik Amavasya. According to drikpanchang.com, Amavasya tithi begins at 11:27 AM IST on 8 November and ends at 12:31 PM IST on 9 November, so the evening of the 8th is the Diwali night.

The five days of the festival are:

• Friday, 6 November - Dhanteras: buying gold, silver or new utensils; worship of Dhanvantari.
• Saturday, 7 November - Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali): Krishna's victory over Narakasura.
• Sunday, 8 November - Lakshmi Puja / Diwali: the main night, when Lakshmi is welcomed with diyas, rangoli and puja.
• Tuesday, 10 November - Govardhan Puja: Krishna lifting Govardhan hill; Annakut in many temples.
• Wednesday, 11 November - Bhai Dooj: the bond between brothers and sisters.

These are drikpanchang's New Delhi dates. In the UK and North America the last two days fall a day earlier - Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November - because Amavasya runs into the morning of 9 November in India.

For what each day means, see Diwali 2026: The Five Days, Explained.

Lakshmi Puja Muhurat 2026 by City

The Lakshmi puja muhurat 2026 is calculated from Pradosh Kaal - the period after sunset - combined with a stable lagna (Vrishabha) while Amavasya prevails. Because sunset differs by city, so does the window. Drikpanchang lists these timings for 8 November 2026:

Mumbai's window is later than Delhi's because the sun sets later on the west coast. For any other city, look up drikpanchang for your own location rather than converting India's time - a muhurat is local, not a single clock time.

Diwali 2026 USA Date and Timing

The Diwali 2026 USA date is the same: Sunday, 8 November. A family in New York would perform Lakshmi Puja between 5:04 PM and 6:52 PM Eastern. Remember that US clocks go back on 1 November, so any IST conversion you worked out in October will be an hour off by Diwali. Families on the West Coast should check their own city; sunset, and so the muhurat, falls at a different local time.

Diwali 2026 UK and Canada Timing

For Diwali 2026 UK and Canada timing, the date is also Sunday, 8 November. In London the muhurat is 4:35 PM to 6:12 PM GMT (British clocks go back on 25 October). Canadian families in Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary should check drikpanchang for their own city, since each has a different sunset time. A Sunday Diwali is good news on both sides of the Atlantic - no one has to rush home from work for the puja. Our UK and Canada pages explain how families there arrange live pujas.

Does the Puja Have to Be Exactly on Time?

Starting within the muhurat is considered ideal. In practice, household Lakshmi Pujas usually take 30 to 60 minutes, and families juggling work or time zones sometimes start a little late and still consider the puja complete. Sincerity and correct conduct carry real weight - the muhurat is guidance, not a pass-or-fail test.

Preparing for Lakshmi Puja at Home

Whatever your city, the preparation looks much the same. Clean the house in the days before - traditionally Lakshmi is said to enter a clean, well-lit home. Draw a rangoli at the entrance and line the doorway and windows with diyas. Set up a small altar with an image or idol of Lakshmi and Ganesha on a red or yellow cloth, a kalash with water and mango leaves, and a thali with roli, rice, flowers, sweets, a few coins and a diya. Many business families in Gujarat and Maharashtra also place their account books on the altar for chopda puja. After the puja, keep a diya burning through the night if it's safe to do so, and share the prasad with family and neighbours. Families abroad often do exactly the same, just with an eye on the smoke alarm.

Ghar Baithe Puja Kaise Karayein This Diwali?

Ghar baithe puja kaise karayein - "how do I get a puja done from home?" - is a question that spikes every Diwali. For most families in India, the answer is still the traditional one: the family gathers, lights the diyas and performs Lakshmi Puja together, sometimes with a family pandit visiting for the evening. That remains the most common and entirely valid way to celebrate.

It gets harder when your usual pandit is booked solid all Diwali week, when you've just moved to a new city, or when you live abroad. For these families, an offering made in their name at a temple, joined live and followed by prasad, has become a practical addition to the home puja rather than a replacement. At DevPravas, a popular Diwali choice is a Chadhava offering in your family's name and gotra, and the Festival Care Plan covers Diwali alongside other festivals; ask a coordinator what's available for your date. The full puja catalog lists every ceremony, and families abroad can see how timing works on our NRI page.

FAQ: Diwali 2026

Related Reading

If you're planning ahead, London Diwali Prep Starts Now offers a week-by-week plan that works beyond the UK. To see how Diwali fits into the rest of the year, check our Hindu Festival Calendar 2026.

Book Your Diwali Offering

Whether you're lighting diyas in Mumbai or joining a live stream from New York, knowing the Diwali 2026 date and muhurat for your city is the first step. Message us on WhatsApp to confirm your city's timing and arrange an offering in your family's name, or book directly at book.html.