Dhanteras 2026 and Diwali 2026: Date, Puja Muhurat, Gold-Buying Time and Lakshmi–Kubera Puja Vidhi

By Rocky Jamwal, Vedic Siddhanta | Updated for 2026 on 29 October 2026. Timings computed for New Delhi (Lahiri ayanāṃśa) and checked against Drik Panchang.

Dhanteras 2026 falls on Friday, 6 November 2026, and Diwali Lakshmi Puja on Sunday, 8 November 2026. This guide gives the exact Dhanteras puja muhurat, the best time to buy gold and silver, city-wise Lakshmi Puja timings for 12 Indian cities, the five-day Diwali 2026 calendar, the step-by-step Dhanteras puja vidhi with mantras (Yama Deepdaan, Dhanvantari, Kubera and Lakshmi), and what the planets say about this year’s Diwali.

Diwali 2026 calendar: all five days

In 2026 Naraka Chaturdaśī (Roop Chaudas) and Lakshmi Puja fall on the same day, and Monday 9 November is a gap day before Govardhan Puja. Some office holiday lists show Govardhan Puja on 9 November; the panchang sunrise rule places it on 10 November.

Tithi timings for Diwali 2026 (IST)

Dhanteras and Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026: city-wise

Both pujas are done in a sthira (fixed) lagna. Taurus (Vṛṣabha) rises in the early evening during Pradoṣa kāla, the period after sunset, and tradition says Lakshmi stays in a home where she is worshipped in a fixed sign. The windows below are the Vṛṣabha lagna for each city.

For a city not listed, follow the timing of the nearest city on the list; the window moves by a few minutes with longitude.

Late-night options on Diwali (New Delhi): Niśītha kāla 11:39 PM – 12:32 AM, and Siṃha (Leo) lagna 12:25 AM – 2:42 AM on 9 November, mainly for Tantric and Kālī worship.

Best time to buy gold and silver on Dhanteras 2026

Buying on Dhanteras is traditionally done while Trayodaśī tithi lasts: from 10:31 AM on Friday 6 November to 10:48 AM on Saturday 7 November 2026. Within that period, choose a favourable chaughaḍiyā. The slots below are for New Delhi.

Ravi Puṣya Yoga, Sunday 1 November 2026: the Moon is in Puṣya from 5:40 AM on 1 November to 4:31 AM on 2 November, and Puṣya on a Sunday forms Ravi Puṣya Yoga. Puṣya’s deity is Bṛhaspati, the significator of gold, so this is the strongest pre-Diwali day for buying gold, property and vehicles.

Gold price this Dhanteras: what to expect

On 29 October 2026, 24-carat gold was about ₹1,43,950 per 10 grams and 22-carat about ₹1,31,950, roughly 5% below the October high of ₹1,50,980. Spot gold was near $4,040 an ounce, well below its January 2026 record, after US interest-rate rises.

In our month-wise gold price prediction for November 2026 to October 2027, November is read as a festival bounce followed by renewed pressure, and the likely low of the coming year falls between mid-December 2026 and mid-January 2027. For Dhanteras this means: buy a small, auspicious amount (a coin or a utensil) for the ritual, and keep larger investment purchases for the weaker weeks that follow.

The planets on Diwali 2026: an unusual sky

At Lakshmi Puja on 8 November 2026, three planets are debilitated and three are retrograde. This is uncommon for Diwali and gives the festival a reflective, inward character.

What this means in practice: this is a Diwali for puja, charity (dāna), clearing old debts and honouring ancestors rather than heavy spending on credit. Buy gold and silver for ritual and savings, and postpone large jewellery or luxury purchases until after Venus turns direct on 14 November and enters its own sign Libra on 22 November.

Why Dhanteras is celebrated

Dhanteras (Dhana Trayodaśī, धनत्रयोदशी) is the first day of Diwali. It falls on the thirteenth lunar day (trayodaśī) of the dark fortnight of Kārtika in the Pūrṇimānta calendar (Āśvina in the Amānta calendar). Dhana means wealth and teras means thirteenth. The day is also called Dhanvantari Trayodaśī, because Lord Dhanvantari, the deity of Āyurveda and a form of Lord Viṣṇu, emerged on this day from the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan) holding the pot of amṛta. Goddess Lakshmi also rose from the ocean with treasures and jewels during the same churning.

On this day Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Dhanvantari and Lord Kubera are worshipped in a fixed lagna in the evening. Buying gold, silver or new utensils is considered auspicious, because these metals signify prosperity (vaibhava). Dhanteras is not only about money: it is equally about the health and well-being of the household, which Dhanvantari and the Aṣṭa-Lakshmī bring together.

The story of Yama Deepdaan

King Hima’s sixteen-year-old son was destined to die of a snakebite on the fourth day of his marriage, the day of Dhanteras. His young wife refused to let him sleep. She heaped her ornaments and gold and silver coins at the door of their room, lit many lamps and kept him awake with stories and songs. When Yama came disguised as a serpent, the glitter of the lamps and metals dazzled him; he sat on the heap of coins listening to the stories, and at dawn he left without taking the prince.

That is why Dhanteras evening begins with a lamp for Yama (Yama Deepdaan), offered for the protection of the family.

Dhanteras puja vidhi 2026: step by step

Step 1: Yama Deepdaan (after sunset, 5:32 PM onwards in New Delhi)

1. Take a small wooden stool (chauki) and draw a svastika on it with roli.
2. Place one or thirteen earthen lamps on it, fill them with sesame oil and light them.
3. Put a cowrie shell with a hole into the lamp.
4. Sprinkle water (Gaṅgājala or clean water) around the lamp three times.
5. Apply a roli tilak to the lamp and place a few grains of raw whole rice on it.
6. Offer a little sugar, a one-rupee coin and flowers.
7. Bow to the lamp and apply tilak to family members.
8. Place the lamp outside the main door, on the right side, with its flame facing south (the direction of Yama).

Then recite this mantra and pray for the well-being of the family:

मृत्युना पाशदण्डाभ्यां कालेन श्यामया सह ।
त्रयोदश्यां दीपदानात् सूर्यजः प्रीयतां मम ॥

Mṛtyunā pāśa-daṇḍābhyāṃ kālena śyāmayā saha, trayodaśyāṃ dīpa-dānāt sūryajaḥ prīyatāṃ mama.

“By this offering of a lamp on Trayodaśī, may the son of the Sun (Yama), with Death, the noose and the staff, Time and his consort Śyāmā, be pleased with me.”

Step 2: Dhanvantari puja

After the Yama lamp, sit in the puja room and worship Lord Dhanvantari for the health of the family. Bathe and anoint his image, apply vermilion and offer nine kinds of grain. Recite his mantra at least 108 times:

ॐ धं धन्वन्तरये नमः ॥
Om Dhaṃ Dhanvantaraye Namaḥ

or the longer Dhanvantari mantra:

Om Namo Bhagavate Mahā-Sudarśanāya Vāsudevāya Dhanvantaraye, Amṛta-kalaśa-hastāya Sarva-bhaya-vināśāya Sarva-roga-nivāraṇāya, Trailokya-pataye Trailokya-nidhaye, Śrī Mahāviṣṇu-svarūpāya Śrī Dhanvantari-svarūpāya, Śrī Śrī Śrī Auṣadha-cakra Nārāyaṇāya Svāhā.

Meaning: We bow to Lord Dhanvantari, a form of Sudarśana Vāsudeva, who holds the pot of the nectar of immortality, removes all fear and disease, and protects the three worlds. Like Lord Viṣṇu, he heals body and soul.

At the end, say: “O Lord Dhanvantari, I offer this recitation at your lotus feet. Please give us good health.”

Step 3: Ganesh puja

Gather the family in the evening. Bathe Lord Ganesha’s image, anoint it with sandalwood paste, offer a red cloth and fresh flowers, and do the five-fold worship (pañcopacāra): lamp, incense, scent, flowers and sweets (naivedya). Then chant:

वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ ।
निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥

Vakratuṇḍa mahākāya sūryakoṭi samaprabha, nirvighnaṃ kuru me deva sarvakāryeṣu sarvadā.

“O Lord with the curved trunk and mighty body, radiant as a million suns, please remove all obstacles from all my work, always.”

Step 4: Kubera puja

Offer flowers, incense, fruit, sweets and a lamp to Lord Kubera, the treasurer of the gods, and chant:

Om Yakṣāya Kuberāya Vaiśravaṇāya Dhana-dhānyādhipataye, Dhana-dhānya-samṛddhiṃ me dehi dāpaya svāhā.

“O Kubera, lord of the Yakṣas, grant me wealth and abundance.”

Step 5: Lakshmi puja in the fixed lagna (6:02 PM – 7:57 PM in New Delhi)

1. Spread a new cloth on a raised platform and place a handful of grain in the centre.
2. Place a kalaśa half-filled with water and Gaṅgājala, with a betel nut, a flower, a coin, rice grains and mango leaves.
3. Draw a lotus in turmeric over the grain and place the image of Goddess Lakshmi on it.
4. Light a lamp and offer flowers, turmeric and vermilion to Lakshmi, Ganesha and the kalaśa.
5. Bathe the image with pañcāmṛta (milk, curd, ghee, sugar and honey), then offer sandalwood, saffron, perfume, vermilion, turmeric, gulāl and abīr.
6. Chant the Lakshmi mantra 108 times, then pray with folded hands for prosperity, happiness and well-being.

Om Śrīṃ Hrīṃ Śrīṃ Kamale Kamalālaye Prasīda Prasīda, Om Śrīṃ Hrīṃ Śrīṃ Mahālakṣmyai Namaḥ.

Diwali Lakshmi Puja 2026 (Sunday 8 November)

The main Lakshmi–Ganesh puja of Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026, when Amāvasyā prevails during Pradoṣa kāla. In New Delhi the muhurat is 5:54 PM – 7:50 PM; see the city-wise table above. Business owners worship their account books (bahī-khātā) and start new ledgers in the same window.

For the complete Diwali Lakshmi puja procedure, with the Śrī Sūkta and the meaning of each ritual, read our detailed guide: How to worship Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali.

What to buy and what to avoid on Dhanteras

Auspicious purchases

• Gold or silver coins, ideally with an image of Lakshmi–Ganesh
• Silver, brass or copper utensils (bring them home filled, never empty)
• A new broom (jhāḍū), which removes poverty in folk tradition
• Whole coriander seeds (dhaniyā), offered to Lakshmi and later sown
• Gomatī chakra, cowrie shells and a Shree Yantra for puja
• New account books for business

Traditionally avoided

• Sharp objects such as knives and scissors, and items of iron, glass or black colour
• Lending or borrowing money on Dhanteras
• Buying during Kāla or Roga chaughaḍiyā (see the table above)
• Leaving the house dark after sunset: keep at least one lamp burning at the main door

Frequently asked questions

When is Dhanteras in 2026?

Dhanteras 2026 is on Friday, 6 November 2026. Trayodaśī tithi runs from 10:31 AM on 6 November to 10:48 AM on 7 November.

What is the Dhanteras puja muhurat in 2026?

In New Delhi the Dhanteras puja muhurat is 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM on 6 November 2026, when Sthira Vṛṣabha lagna rises in Pradoṣa kāla. Mumbai 6:36–8:35 PM, Kolkata 5:28–7:26 PM, Chennai 6:15–8:17 PM, Bengaluru 6:25–8:27 PM.

What is the best time to buy gold on Dhanteras 2026?

Any time during Trayodaśī, from 10:31 AM on 6 November to 10:48 AM on 7 November 2026. In New Delhi the best slots are 12:05–1:27 PM (Śubha), 4:10–5:32 PM (Cala), 6:02–7:57 PM (fixed lagna) and 8:49–10:27 PM (Lābha).

When is Diwali Lakshmi Puja in 2026?

Diwali Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The muhurat in New Delhi is 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM; Amāvasyā runs from 11:28 AM on 8 November to 12:32 PM on 9 November.

Is Choti Diwali on 7 or 8 November 2026?

Choti Diwali lamps are lit on the evening of Saturday 7 November. The Naraka Chaturdaśī bath (abhyaṅga snāna) is before sunrise on Sunday 8 November, the same day as Lakshmi Puja.

When are Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj in 2026?

Govardhan Puja is on Tuesday 10 November 2026 and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November 2026.

Is it a good time to buy gold this Dhanteras?

For tradition, yes: buy a small amount on Dhanteras or on Ravi Puṣya (1 November). In our astrological gold forecast the bigger buying opportunity is mid-December 2026 to mid-January 2027. This is not financial advice.

Which lamp is lit for Yama on Dhanteras?

An earthen lamp with sesame oil, placed outside the main door with its flame facing south, after sunset on Dhanteras. It is offered for the protection of the family from untimely death.

Sources

• Tithis, sunset, lagna windows and chaughaḍiyā: computed with the Swiss Ephemeris (Lahiri ayanāṃśa) for each city; New Delhi values checked against Drik Panchang.
• City-wise Lakshmi Puja cross-check: HinduTone.
• Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj dates: AjmerAstro.
• Gold rates, 29 October 2026: HDFC Sky.
• Samudra Manthan and Dhanvantari: Bhāgavata Purāṇa (Canto 8) and Viṣṇu Purāṇa.

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