Festivals · Kartika Amavasya
Diwali 2026 and 2027: date and Lakshmi Puja time
The date of Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) for 2026 and 2027, the Amavasya rule that fixes it, and the evening window for the puja, computed for New Delhi.
In short
Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, 8 November 2026, and Diwali 2027 on Friday, 29 October 2027, by Astrojar's Panchang engine for New Delhi. Diwali's main day, Lakshmi Puja, is the Amavasya (new moon day) of Kartika in the purnimanta calendar, which is Ashvina in the amanta calendar. The puja is done in the evening, so the Amavasya must run through pradosh, the first part of the night after sunset.
Diwali dates for 2026 and 2027
| Year | Date | Tithi (New Delhi, IST) | Lunar month | Lakshmi Puja (pradosh with Taurus rising) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, 8 November 2026 | Amavasya: 11:28 am, 8 Nov to 12:31 pm, 9 Nov | Kartika (purnimanta), Ashvina (amanta) | 5:54 pm to 7:50 pm (Amavasya in pradosh: 5:31 pm to 8:08 pm) |
| 2027 | Friday, 29 October 2027 | Amavasya: 8:48 pm, 28 Oct to 7:06 pm, 29 Oct | Kartika (purnimanta), Ashvina (amanta) | 6:35 pm to 7:06 pm (Amavasya in pradosh: 5:38 pm to 7:06 pm) |
Times are for New Delhi, in IST, from Astrojar's Panchang engine. Lunar months are given both ways: amanta (the month ends at the new moon, as in the south and west) and purnimanta (it ends at the full moon, as in the north).
How the date of Diwali is fixed
The day is the one on which Amavasya covers pradosh. Pradosh here is the first 3 of the night's 15 muhurtas after sunset (a fifth of the night). The puja is done in pradosh, and many panchangs prefer the part of it when Taurus (Vrishabha), a fixed sign, is rising.
| Year | Day | Pradosh (the evening after sunset) that day | Amavasya covers it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, 8 November 2026 | 5:31 pm to 8:08 pm | All of it ← the festival day |
| 2026 | Monday, 9 November 2026 | 5:30 pm to 8:08 pm | No |
| 2026 | Tuesday, 10 November 2026 | 5:30 pm to 8:08 pm | No |
| 2027 | Thursday, 28 October 2027 | 5:39 pm to 8:13 pm | No |
| 2027 | Friday, 29 October 2027 | 5:38 pm to 8:13 pm | 88 of 155 min ← the festival day |
| 2027 | Saturday, 30 October 2027 | 5:37 pm to 8:12 pm | No |
The same check on the neighbouring days shows why they were not taken.
Lakshmi Puja time and the rising sign
The rising sign changes about every two hours; Astrojar's engine computes each sign's start and end for the day and place. 2026: pradosh with Amavasya runs 5:31 pm to 8:08 pm; Taurus rises 5:54 pm to 7:50 pm inside it. 2027: pradosh with Amavasya runs 5:38 pm to 7:06 pm; Taurus rises 6:35 pm to 7:06 pm inside it.
Why Diwali can differ by place and tradition
Kali Puja in Bengal and Assam falls on the same Amavasya but is done at midnight, so its time differs. Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj are separate days, each with its own tithi; they are not covered on this page.
Sunrise, sunset and moonrise change with the city, so the windows here move for other places. Astrojar's daily Panchang gives them for where you are.
Questions about Diwali
When is Diwali in 2026?
Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, 8 November 2026 (New Delhi). Lakshmi Puja in pradosh while Amavasya lasts, 5:31 pm to 8:08 pm, best from 5:54 pm to 7:50 pm while Taurus rises.
When is Diwali in 2027?
Diwali 2027 is on Friday, 29 October 2027 (New Delhi). Lakshmi Puja in pradosh while Amavasya lasts, 5:38 pm to 7:06 pm, best from 6:35 pm to 7:06 pm while Taurus rises.
What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat?
Lakshmi Puja is done in pradosh, the first fifth of the night after sunset, while Amavasya lasts. Many panchangs pick the part of pradosh when Taurus (Vrishabha), a fixed sign, is rising, which tradition holds keeps Lakshmi in the home; Astrojar's engine computes when each sign rises.
Is Diwali always on Amavasya?
Yes. Diwali's main day, Lakshmi Puja, is always the Amavasya of Kartika (purnimanta), the same Amavasya the amanta calendar calls Ashvina. Which civil date it falls on depends on when that Amavasya runs through the evening.
Why do some calendars give a different date for Diwali?
A panchang is worked out for one place. Where the tithi begins or ends close to the part of the day the rule looks at, a city east or west of New Delhi can land on the other side of the boundary. Calendars also differ in tradition (amanta or purnimanta, Smarta or Vaishnava) and in the ephemeris they use.
Sources
- Dates, tithi start and end times, sunrise, sunset, moonrise, Nishita muhurta, Vijaya muhurta, Abhijit muhurta and the rising sign (udaya lagna): Astrojar's Panchang engine (Lahiri ayanamsa), for New Delhi (28.61° N, 77.21° E, IST), computed on 21 October 2026. The tithi and nakshatra end times were checked against the Swiss Ephemeris and agree to within a minute.
- Which part of the day a festival's tithi must cover: Nirnaya Sindhu (Kamalakara Bhatta) and Dharma Sindhu (Kashinatha Upadhyaya), the chapters on the festivals month by month.
This is the traditional reading of the classical texts, given for learning and reflection. It is not a prediction for you, and not medical, legal or financial advice.
Diwali times for your city
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