Diwali (Deepavali)

What Diwali is

Deepavali means "a row of lamps" (deepa, lamp; avali, row), and that is the heart of the festival: on the darkest night of the month of Kartik, the new moon (Amavasya), homes, temples, shops and riverbanks are lit with clay lamps. It is the biggest festival of the Hindu year in most of India, and it is also kept by Jains and Sikhs for reasons of their own. In North India it is above all the night of Lakshmi puja, when the goddess of prosperity is welcomed into a clean, lit home together with Shri Ganesh.

Diwali is not one day but a cluster of five, each with its own story and ritual. Because the festival follows the lunar calendar, its date moves between mid-October and mid-November every year.

Diwali dates in 2026 and 2027

Dates below are for New Delhi, from Drik Panchang. In another city, or in a family that follows a different calendar, a day can shift; the Panchang gives the tithi for your location.

Day	2026	2027
Dhanteras	Friday, 6 November	Wednesday, 27 October
Diwali, Lakshmi Puja	Sunday, 8 November	Friday, 29 October
Govardhan Puja	Tuesday, 10 November	Saturday, 30 October
Bhai Dooj	Wednesday, 11 November	Sunday, 31 October

In 2026 Narak Chaturdashi falls on the same day as Lakshmi Puja, and there is a gap day before Govardhan Puja. This happens when tithis begin and end at awkward times of day; the order of the days never changes, only how they line up with the calendar.

The five days of Diwali

1. Dhanteras (Kartik Krishna Trayodashi). The name comes from Dhanvantari Trayodashi: in the Puranic story of the churning of the ocean, Dhanvantari, physician of the gods, rose from the waters carrying the pot of amrit. The day honours him as well as wealth. It is customary to buy something new in metal, a utensil, a coin or jewellery, and in the evening to light a lamp facing south for Yama, the Yama-deepa, a prayer that no one in the family meets an untimely death. See our guide to what to buy on Dhanteras.
2. Narak Chaturdashi, Roop Chaudas or Chhoti Diwali (Krishna Chaturdashi). This day remembers Shri Krishna, with Satyabhama, defeating the demon Narakasura and freeing the thousands of women he held captive. Before dawn people take an abhyang snan, an oil massage followed by a bath with ubtan; in South India this pre-dawn bath, the "Ganga snanam", is the main Deepavali morning. In Gujarat the night before is Kali Chaudas, and in Bengal and Assam it is the night of Kali Puja.
3. Lakshmi Puja (Kartik Amavasya). The main night. The house is cleaned, rangoli is drawn at the door, and after sunset, in pradosh kaal, the family worships Lakshmi and Ganesh together, often with Kuber and Saraswati, and keeps a lamp burning through the night. Traders open new account books (chopda pujan) on this day.
4. Govardhan Puja and Annakut (Shukla Pratipada). The day Krishna lifted Govardhan hill to shelter the people of Braj from Indra's storm. A small hill of cow dung or food is shaped and worshipped, and temples offer annakut, a "mountain of food" of dozens of dishes. The same day is Bali Pratipada in Maharashtra and Karnataka, remembering King Bali, and the start of the new year (Bestu Varas) in Gujarat.
5. Bhai Dooj or Yama Dwitiya (Shukla Dwitiya). The story is that Yama, god of death, visited his sister Yamuna on this day, and she welcomed him with tilak and food. Sisters apply tilak to their brothers and pray for their long life. See Bhai Dooj tilak muhurat and katha.

Why Diwali is celebrated: the stories

There is no single "reason" for Diwali. Different regions emphasise different stories, and all of them share one idea: light returning after darkness.

• Shri Ram's return to Ayodhya. In North India Diwali is most widely remembered as the night Ram, Sita and Lakshmana returned to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile and the victory over Ravana, and the city lit lamps to welcome them. The festival of Dussehra, twenty days earlier, marks the victory itself.
• Lakshmi's appearance. Many traditions hold that Lakshmi emerged from the churning of the ocean and chose Vishnu as her consort; Diwali night is her night. The belief that she visits homes that are clean, lit and welcoming is why cleaning and lamps matter so much.
• Krishna and Narakasura. In much of South India, Deepavali is first of all the victory over Narakasura, remembered on Chaturdashi.
• Vishnu as Vamana and King Bali. In Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, the festival recalls the generous asura king Bali, whom Vamana sent to the underworld but allowed to return once a year.
• Kali. In Bengal, Odisha and Assam the new-moon night is given to Maa Kali rather than Lakshmi.

How Lakshmi puja is done at home

The full step-by-step method, with samagri and timings, is in our Diwali Lakshmi puja vidhi and the general Lakshmi puja vidhi. In outline:

1. Prepare the home. Cleaning begins days earlier; many families also discard broken or unused things (see Diwali cleaning customs). On the day, a rangoli is drawn at the entrance and a toran is hung.
2. Set up the altar. A raised seat with red or yellow cloth, images or idols of Lakshmi and Ganesh, a kalash of water, rice, roli, flowers, sweets, a coin and the account books if you keep any.
3. Worship in pradosh kaal. The puja is done after sunset, when the evening twilight period is running; many families prefer the sthir lagna (fixed ascendant, usually Vrishabha) within it, so that prosperity "stays". Ganesh is worshipped first, then Lakshmi, Kuber and Saraswati.
4. Mantra and aarti. Commonly used are Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah, the Mahalakshmi Ashtakam or Kanakadhara Stotram, the Lakshmi Chalisa, and finally the aarti Om Jai Lakshmi Mata and Ganesh Aarti.
5. Light the lamps. From the puja lamp, diyas are lit and placed at the door, windows, kitchen, water source, tulsi and courtyard. A ghee or sesame-oil lamp is kept burning near the altar through the night. Our diya guide covers wicks, oil and placement.

None of this needs a priest. A simple puja done with attention is complete; a family that cannot do all the steps can light a lamp, offer flowers and sweets, and recite one aarti.

Diwali across India and beyond

• Ayodhya and Varanasi: Ayodhya's Deepotsav lights the ghats of the Saryu with lakhs of diyas. In Varanasi the great lamp festival comes a fortnight later, on Dev Deepawali.
• Gujarat: Diwali is the last day of the year in the Vikram Samvat calendar used there, and the next day is the new year.
• Maharashtra: the season opens with Vasubaras (worship of the cow and calf) and includes Bali Pratipada and Bhau Beej.
• Tamil Nadu and Karnataka: Deepavali morning, with the oil bath, new clothes and sweets, is the main event.
• Bengal: Kali Puja on the new-moon night, with lamps (pradip) for the ancestors on the evening before.
• Jains keep Diwali as the day Bhagwan Mahavira attained nirvana at Pawapuri, and light lamps to mark the light of his knowledge.
• Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, the release of Guru Hargobind from Gwalior Fort, and the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar is illuminated.

Food, gifts and family

Sweets are central: kaju katli, besan and motichoor laddoos, gujiya, and in many homes homemade namkeen. Families exchange sweets and gifts with neighbours, relatives and those who work for them, and new clothes are worn on Lakshmi Puja night. For practical ideas see our Diwali gift guide.

Celebrating safely and considerately

Lamps and firecrackers mean fire, so keep diyas away from curtains and children's clothing, and keep water nearby. Many cities restrict firecrackers or allow only "green" crackers in certain hours because of air quality; follow your local rules. Loud crackers frighten pets, street animals, infants and the elderly, so a quieter Diwali of lamps and lights is increasingly common, and it loses nothing of the festival's meaning. After the festival, used diyas and puja material can be disposed of respectfully (see what to do after Diwali).

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali in 2026?

Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday, 8 November 2026 in New Delhi. The five days begin with Dhanteras on 6 November and end with Bhai Dooj on 11 November. In 2027 Diwali falls on Friday, 29 October.

Why are Lakshmi and Ganesh worshipped together on Diwali?

Ganesh is worshipped first in every Hindu ritual as the remover of obstacles, and wisdom is believed to be needed to keep wealth well. So Lakshmi (prosperity) is worshipped with Ganesh (wisdom and auspicious beginnings).

What is the right time for Lakshmi puja?

After sunset, during pradosh kaal, on the Amavasya. Many families choose the fixed (sthir) Vrishabha lagna inside that window. Exact times differ by city, so check the Panchang for your location.

Can Lakshmi puja be done without a pandit?

Yes. Most families do it themselves. Clean the home, set up the altar, worship Ganesh first and then Lakshmi with flowers, sweets and a lamp, and sing the aarti. What matters is care and sincerity, not elaborate ritual.

Why is a lamp lit for Yama on Dhanteras?

According to a Puranic story, a lamp lit facing south on Dhanteras evening protects the family from untimely death. It is called Yama-deepa or Yama-deepdaan.

Is Narak Chaturdashi the same as Chhoti Diwali?

Yes. The day before Lakshmi Puja is called Narak Chaturdashi, Roop Chaudas or Chhoti Diwali. In some years, like 2026, Chaturdashi and Amavasya fall on the same calendar day.

Do Jains and Sikhs celebrate Diwali?

Yes, for their own reasons. Jains mark the nirvana of Bhagwan Mahavira, and Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, the release of Guru Hargobind from Gwalior Fort.

How long should the Diwali lamp keep burning?

Traditionally one lamp, called the akhand deepak, is kept burning near the altar through the night. Keep it in a safe, stable place, with enough ghee or oil, away from anything that can catch fire.