Diwali 2026: 8 or 9 November? Lakshmi Puja on 8 November, 5:54 to 7:50 PM

Astha Sangrah Editorial Team

Published 1 November 20263 min read

3 min read

A family doing Lakshmi-Ganesh puja at a chowki at dusk, surrounded by rows of diyas and rangoli

Diwali and Lakshmi Puja are on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The most auspicious muhurat for the Lakshmi-Ganesh puja is 5:54 to 7:50 PM (New Delhi).

Diwali, Lakshmi Puja: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Lakshmi Puja muhurat: 5:54 to 7:50 PM
Pradosh Kaal: 5:31 to 8:09 PM
Amavasya tithi: 11:27 AM, 8 November to 12:31 PM, 9 November
Mahanishita Kaal: 11:39 PM to 12:31 AM
Narak Chaturdashi, Abhyang Snan: 8 November, 5:41 to 6:38 AM

8 or 9 November: which is right

Amavasya spans two days, from 11:27 AM on 8 November to 12:31 PM on 9 November, which is why the question comes up. Lakshmi Puja is done on the evening when Amavasya holds during Pradosh, the period after sunset. On 8 November the whole Pradosh, 5:31 to 8:09 PM, falls in Amavasya, while on 9 November Amavasya ends at 12:31 PM and the evening belongs to Pratipada. So Diwali is on 8 November; there is no Lakshmi Puja on the evening of the 9th.

Choti Diwali and Diwali on one day

Chaturdashi lasts until 11:27 AM on 8 November, so that morning is also Narak Chaturdashi. This year, then, the abhyang snan with oil and ubtan is before sunrise, between 5:41 and 6:38 AM, and Lakshmi Puja is that evening. Kali Chaudas and Hanuman Puja are a day earlier, on the night of 7 November, since Chaturdashi holds that night.

The evening, in order

Before sunset (5:31 PM), finish cleaning, the rangoli and preparing the puja place.
In the north-east, spread a red cloth on a chowki and seat Ganesh and Lakshmi, with a kalash of water beside them.
In the 5:54 to 7:50 PM muhurat, worship Ganesh first, then Lakshmi, Kuber and the account books, and offer kheel-batashe and sweets.
After the puja, place lamps first at the puja place, then by the tulsi, in the kitchen, near the water source and at the main door.
In many homes an akhand lamp burns before Lakshmi through the night.

Lakshmi mantra

Om Mahalakshmyai Namah

ॐ महालक्ष्म्यै नमः॥

Mahanishita Kaal and Kali Puja

The heart of Diwali night, 11:39 PM to 12:31 AM, is called Mahanishita Kaal. In Bengal, Assam and Odisha this is the night of Kali Puja, and those doing sadhana chant at this hour. Traders in Gujarat and Maharashtra perform Chopda Puja and Sharda Puja the same day, worshipping their new account books and pens.

What 9 November is for

The morning of 9 November is Kartik Amavasya, a day for holy baths and charity, until Amavasya ends at 12:31 PM. Govardhan Puja is not that day but on 10 November, since Pratipada holds at sunrise on the 10th. So this year there is a one-day gap between Diwali and Govardhan Puja.

Your questions

What if I miss the muhurat?

5:54 to 7:50 PM is the best window, since it combines Pradosh with the fixed Vrishabha lagna. If you miss it, Pradosh lasts until 8:09 PM and Amavasya runs all night, so you can still do the puja later with devotion.

Can Lakshmi Puja be done on the evening of 9 November?

No. Amavasya ends at 12:31 PM on 9 November, so that evening is Pratipada. Do the Lakshmi Puja on the evening of 8 November.

When should a shop or office puja be done?

Most traders do it after the home puja, in the same Pradosh window. If you want to do it during the day, ask your pandit for an auspicious choghadiya after Amavasya begins at 11:27 AM.

Dates and times checked against Drik Panchang and our own panchang, for New Delhi.