The five days of Diwali 2026
The festival is five tithis in a row, each with its own meaning. In 2026 the dates line up with a weekend, which makes this one of the easiest Diwali weeks in years to actually spend with family.
| Day | Date | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Dhanteras | Friday, 6 November | Wealth and new purchases, the traditional day for gold, silver and utensils |
| Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali) | Saturday, 7 November | Cleansing and letting go, early-morning abhyanga snan |
| Diwali, Lakshmi Puja | Sunday, 8 November | The main night, Lakshmi Puja in the evening Pradosh Kaal |
| Govardhan Puja | Monday, 9 November | Gratitude for sustenance, Annakut offerings |
| Bhai Dooj | Tuesday, 10 November | The bond between brothers and sisters closes the festival |
Lakshmi Puja itself is done on the evening of Sunday 8 November, in the Pradosh Kaal window after sunset. The exact minutes differ city to city, so check the muhurat for your own location or the day's full panchang instead of using a time published for another city.
What the sky looks like on Diwali night
Diwali is always the Amavasya of Kartik, the darkest night of the month, which is exactly why the lamps matter. On 8 November 2026 the Sun is transiting sidereal Tula, and because Amavasya means the Moon has caught up with the Sun, the Moon stands in Tula too. Tula is Shukra's sign, balance, relationships and beauty, a fitting backdrop for a festival of light, wealth and family.
An Amavasya with both luminaries in a Shukra-ruled sign favours repairing relationships, beautifying the home and starting fresh financial habits. It is a weak night for the Moon itself, so if your own chart runs on a sensitive Moon, a quieter, more devotional Diwali will feel better than a loud one. You can see where your Moon sits in two minutes with a free kundli.
Festive rashifal for all 12 signs
A one-paragraph forecast is a flavour, not a verdict, your whole chart and running dasha always outrank it. Read yours, then open your sign's full page for the complete picture of nature, career, love and remedies.
Mesh (Aries)
Mangal gives you the energy to host, fix and finish. Channel it into the house and the ledger before the main night, not into a festive argument. A money conversation started on Dhanteras goes your way if you keep the tone soft.
Vrishabh (Taurus)
Shukra's own festival energy suits you. Comfort spending is fine, impulse gold is not, compare before you buy on Dhanteras. Family time at home beats three parties, and your patience becomes the glue of the gathering.
Mithun (Gemini)
Budh keeps your calendar overbooked this week. Pick the two gatherings that matter and actually be present at them. A sibling or cousin conversation on Bhai Dooj clears a misunderstanding that has lingered since the summer.
Kark (Cancer)
The Moon's sign feels Amavasya more than most, a quieter mood before the lamps is normal, not a bad omen. Cook, decorate, call your mother. The home you make this week becomes everyone else's favourite memory of the season.
Singh (Leo)
Surya in Tula asks you to share the stage for a week. Let someone else host the biggest night and bring your warmth as the gift. Recognition at work lands right after the break if you close pending work before the holidays.
Kanya (Virgo)
Your planning superpower peaks, lists, budgets, gift charts. Leave ten percent unplanned so the festival can surprise you. A health routine restarted after Bhai Dooj sticks better than any resolution made in January.
Tula (Libra)
Surya and the Amavasya Moon meet in your sign, this is personally your reset week of the year. Decide one thing you are leaving behind with the old lamps and one thing you are inviting in. Shukra rewards a balanced, beautiful celebration.
Vrishchik (Scorpio)
The week before your birthday month, use it to close accounts, emotional and financial. Forgive one person quietly. Intensity is your gift, pointed at renovation and research it pays, pointed at suspicion it costs you the party.
Dhanu (Sagittarius)
Guru's optimism makes you the favourite guest of the season. Travel plans around the long weekend work out, book early. Keep Dhanteras purchases practical, your tendency is to buy the biggest thing in the shop.
Makar (Capricorn)
Shani respects effort even during festivals. A few disciplined hours each morning keep targets on track while everyone else slips. Career news arrives quietly around Govardhan Puja. Let yourself actually enjoy the main night.
Kumbh (Aquarius)
Your crowd is chosen family, and this Diwali underlines it. Host the friends who have nowhere to go. A community or society role lands on your plate, take it, it builds the network your career needs in the new year.
Meen (Pisces)
The most devotional sign gets the most devotional week. Your Lakshmi Puja, done with full feeling, anchors the whole family. Guard your energy at loud gatherings and keep one evening for silence between the celebrations.
Prefer reading in Hindi? The full Hindi rashifal and kundli hub carries all twelve signs in Devanagari.
Make the muhurat yours
Generic city timings are a starting point. The lagna rising at your place, the nakshatra of the hour and your own chart decide what a muhurat is actually worth to you.
- Check the shubh muhurat for Lakshmi Puja, Dhanteras shopping or a new beginning in your own city
- See the full daily panchang, tithi, nakshatra, yoga and karana for any festive day
- Ask the AI astrologer how this Diwali week sits against your own birth chart, your first question is free
Common questions
What is the date of Diwali in 2026?
Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026, the Amavasya of the Kartik month. Lakshmi Puja is performed that evening during Pradosh Kaal, the period just after sunset. The festival runs five days, from Dhanteras on Friday 6 November to Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November.
When is Dhanteras 2026?
Dhanteras is on Friday, 6 November 2026. It opens the Diwali festival and is the traditional day for buying gold, silver, utensils and other new things for the home. Many families also begin their festive cleaning and first lamps on this evening.
What time is Lakshmi Puja on Diwali 2026?
Lakshmi Puja is done during Pradosh Kaal, the roughly two hours after local sunset, while Sthir Lagna (Vrishabh) rises. Because sunset differs by city, the exact window differs too, in Delhi it is widely listed around 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Check the muhurat for your own city rather than borrowing another city's time.
Which rashi will have the best Diwali 2026?
No honest astrologer ranks all twelve signs from one transit. Tula feels this Amavasya most personally since Surya and the Moon meet in Tula itself, and Shukra-ruled signs generally enjoy festive weeks. But your own experience depends on your full chart and running dasha, which is why a generic list means little next to your own kundli.
Is Diwali a good muhurat for buying gold or property?
Tradition treats Dhanteras and Diwali as auspicious for new purchases, and Pushya Nakshatra days before the festival are used for big-ticket buying. For a property registration or a very large purchase, match the specific day and hour against your own chart instead of relying on the festival alone. Astrology here is guidance for timing, not a guarantee of returns.
Astrology here is guidance for reflection and timing, not a guarantee. Festive forecasts are written sign by sign and cannot see your individual chart, treat them as a lens, not a law.