Deepavali
Also called Diwali, Kali Puja, Bandi Chhor Divas, Lakshmi Puja
When
Sunday, 8 November 2026 in 73 days
New Delhi ยท change location
at sunrise. This observance is governed by pradosha, not by the sunrise tithi โ which is why the tithi named here is often not the one the festival is named for.
See the complete panchang for that day โ
Governed by
Why this date?
The Amavasya of Kartika (purnimanta) / Ashvina (amanta). The Lakshmi Puja is governed by PRADOSHA โ the period after sunset โ so the civil day chosen is the one whose evening carries Amavasya, which is not always the day Amavasya holds at sunrise. Southern Deepavali follows a different rule again, tied to the Naraka Chaturdashi abhyanga snana before dawn, and so can fall a day earlier.
- Computed by the panchanga engine for your location
- Follows a written selection rule, not a copied list
- The governing period is stated, and the rule is applied to it
- The written guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar
- Southern and northern Deepavali can fall on different days.
Southern Deepavali is the Naraka Chaturdashi pre-dawn bath; northern Diwali is the Amavasya-evening Lakshmi Puja. When Chaturdashi and Amavasya split across two civil days, so do the two observances.
Dates come from the calculation engine and are independent of the written guide. How we calculate โ
Dates in the coming years
Published to 2030. Later years appear as the dataset is extended and validated.
What In short
The festival of lamps, spread over up to five days: Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi, the Lakshmi Puja on Amavasya, Govardhan Puja or Bali Pratipada, and Bhai Dooj.
- Deity: Lakshmi; Kali in the east; Rama in the north
Why The reason behind it
More than one story arrives at the same night, which is a fact about the festival rather than a confusion to be resolved: Rama's return to Ayodhya after fourteen years, Krishna's killing of Narakasura, Lakshmi's emergence at the churning of the ocean, and for Sikhs Guru Hargobind's release from Gwalior. What is shared is light placed at the threshold on the darkest night of the month.
Traditional basis
Bhagavata Purana, Canto 10 โ The Narakasura narrative behind the southern pre-dawn observance.
Ramayana / Ramcharitmanas tradition โ The northern reading of the lamps as Ayodhya's welcome to Rama.
Nibandha texts on the Lakshmi-puja pradosha kala โ Establish the evening as the governing period.
How At home, step by step
- Clean the house thoroughly in the days before โ this is treated as part of the observance, not preparation for it.
- On Dhanteras, buy metal, and light a lamp at the threshold facing south for Yama.
- On Naraka Chaturdashi, take the abhyanga snana before dawn โ oil, ubtan, and a bath before sunrise.
- On Amavasya evening, in the pradosha period, perform the Lakshmi Puja: clean the puja space, place the image, offer lotus, kheel-batasha and coins.
- Light lamps at every threshold, window and water source; keep at least one burning through the night.
- Keep the door open, and do not leave the house dark.
เฅ เคถเฅเคฐเฅเค เคฎเคนเคพเคฒเคเฅเคทเฅเคฎเฅเคฏเฅ เคจเคฎเค
oแน ลrฤซแน mahฤlakแนฃmyai namaแธฅ
Salutations to Mahalakshmi.
Short bija-namah form; standard household use.
What you'll need
- Clay diyas and oil or ghee
- Lakshmi and Ganesha images
- Lotus flowers, marigold
- Kheel, batasha, and dry fruit
- Coins or a silver item for the puja
- Rangoli colours or rice flour
Fasting and breaking the fast
Not generally a fasting festival. Some households fast on Naraka Chaturdashi until the pre-dawn bath, and some keep a light fast until the Lakshmi Puja is done.
Fasting guidance here describes traditional practice. It is not medical advice โ if you are pregnant, diabetic, on medication or unwell, ask a doctor about your own circumstances.
Personal In your region
- Bengal (Bengali)
Kali Puja on the same Amavasya night โ a night-long observance of the Goddess rather than a Lakshmi Puja; Bengali Lakshmi Puja is on Kojagari Purnima instead. - Tamil Nadu (Tamil)
Deepavali is the Naraka Chaturdashi morning: the oil bath before dawn, new clothes, and the Ganga-snana greeting. It can fall a day before the northern Lakshmi Puja. - Gujarat (Gujarati)
The Amavasya is the year's last day; Bestu Varas the next morning is the Gujarati new year, and the account books are opened with Chopda Pujan. - Maharashtra (Marathi)
Four days from Vasubaras through Bali Pratipada; the faral sweets are prepared in advance. - Punjab (Punjabi)
Bandi Chhor Divas โ Guru Hargobind's release from Gwalior fort, kept with lamps at the Golden Temple.
For children
It is the darkest night of the month, so everyone lights rows of little lamps. In the north it is because Rama came home; in the south because Krishna beat a demon; in Bengal it is Kali's night. All of them are right.
Common questions
- Why is our Deepavali a day before my cousin's in Delhi?
- Because they are keeping different observances that share a name. Southern Deepavali is the Naraka Chaturdashi pre-dawn bath; northern Diwali is the Amavasya-evening Lakshmi Puja. When Chaturdashi and Amavasya split across two civil days, so do the two festivals. Neither calendar is wrong.
- When exactly should the Lakshmi Puja be done?
- In the pradosha period after sunset on the Amavasya evening. This site shows the window computed for your location โ it moves by more than an hour between Kolkata and Ahmedabad.
Not the same day
These fall nearby or share the tithi, and are often confused with this observance. They are separate, and this site dates them separately.
- Naraka Chaturdashi
- Narak Chaturdashi
- Dhanteras
- Kali Chaudas
- Govardhan Puja
- Bhai Dooj
This guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar or practising priest. The dates and times on this page come from the calculation engine and are independent of it; the explanatory text is editorial and may not reflect your family's practice. Tell us if something is wrong.