Diwali 2026: dates, Lakshmi Puja and your kundli

Diwali 2026 dates at a glance

Diwali (Deepavali) falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026, the Amavasya (new moon) day of the month of Kartika. The five-day festival runs roughly as follows:

Dhanteras: Friday, 6 November. Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali): Saturday, 7 November. Diwali and Lakshmi Puja: Sunday, 8 November. Govardhan Puja and Annakut: 9 or 10 November. Bhai Dooj: 10 or 11 November.

The last two differ by a day between calendars because tithis are counted from local sunrise, so check a panchang for your own city before planning them.

Why Diwali falls on the new moon

Diwali is celebrated on the darkest night of the lunar month, when the Moon is not visible. In Jyotish this is Amavasya, the day the Sun and Moon are together in the same sign. The lamps are lit precisely because the sky is dark, and the festival is seen as a time to clear the old and begin again.

The same logic explains why Diwali moves each year in the Gregorian calendar. It follows the Moon, not the date.

How the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is chosen

The traditional window for Lakshmi Puja is the Pradosh Kaal, the period after sunset, while the Amavasya tithi is in effect. Within that, many panchangs prefer a Sthira (fixed) lagna, meaning a time when a fixed sign such as Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius is rising, because the idea is that Lakshmi should remain in the home.

Sunset time and the rising sign both depend on where you are, so the exact muhurat is different in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. Use a local panchang rather than a single national time, and treat the muhurat as a tradition to honour, not a test you can fail. Gathering the family at a calm time is what matters most.

Dhanteras and what the tradition asks of you

Dhanteras falls on the Trayodashi tithi, two days before Diwali. It is associated with Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, and with Kubera and Lakshmi. Buying gold, silver or a new utensil is customary.

The custom is about welcoming prosperity, not about spending beyond your means. There is no astrological requirement to buy anything expensive, and no reading of a chart should push you into a purchase you cannot comfortably afford.

Wealth in the kundli: what to look at

If you want to use the festival as a moment to reflect on money, a kundli offers some starting points. The second house relates to savings and family resources, the eleventh to gains and income, the fifth and ninth to fortune and past good karma, and the tenth to career. The lords of these houses, and the planets in them, shape the picture.

Jupiter is the traditional significator of wealth and wisdom, and Venus of comfort and luxury. Their sign, house and dignity in your chart, and the planetary period running now, say more about your own financial themes than a general Diwali forecast can.

Using Diwali for a fresh start

Diwali is a natural point to review the year: close old accounts, settle what is pending, set an intention for the next twelve months. Traders in many communities begin a new account book with Chopda Pujan on this day.

If you would like to tie that reflection to your own chart, create a free kundli and ask Guru about your second and eleventh houses and the period you are in. For deeper background, read what a kundli is.

A note on predictions

Festival "forecasts" for each zodiac sign are generalisations, since millions of people share a moon sign. Take them lightly. Astrology is a traditional belief system and has not been scientifically validated. For investment, medical or legal decisions, consult a qualified professional.

Frequently asked questions

KEEP READING

• A first look at your kundli
• Before you create your birth chart
• Make your first question meaningful