Diwali 2026 Dates: Dhanteras to Chhath, and Why the Days Shift

Every year the same question goes around family WhatsApp groups: is Diwali on this day or the next? The confusion is not careless; Hindu festivals follow the lunar tithi, not the calendar date, and a tithi can start in the middle of a day. Below are the 2026 dates for the full Diwali-to-Chhath stretch (New Delhi times), plus the rule that decides each one, so you can explain it the next time someone asks.

Diwali 2026 dates at a glance

Festival	Date (2026)	Tithi window (IST)	Rule used
Dhanteras	Fri, 6 Nov	Trayodashi: 6 Nov 10:31 – 7 Nov 10:48	Pradosh kaal (after sunset)
Narak Chaturdashi	Sun, 8 Nov	Chaturdashi: 7 Nov 10:48 – 8 Nov 11:28	Before dawn (Abhyang Snan)
Diwali / Lakshmi Puja	Sun, 8 Nov	Amavasya: 8 Nov 11:28 – 9 Nov 12:32	Pradosh kaal
Govardhan Puja	Tue, 10 Nov	Pratipada: 9 Nov 12:32 – 10 Nov 14:00	Tithi at sunrise
Bhai Dooj	Wed, 11 Nov	Dwitiya: 10 Nov 14:00 – 11 Nov 15:53	Aparahna (afternoon)
Chhath Puja (main day)	Sun, 15 Nov	Shashthi: 14 Nov 23:24 – 16 Nov 02:01	Tithi at sunrise

Times are for New Delhi. Sunrise and sunset shift by city, which can occasionally move a festival by a day. You can check any year and city on this Hindu festival calendar with tithi times.

Why Narak Chaturdashi and Diwali fall on the same day this year

Narak Chaturdashi is observed with the Abhyang Snan (oil bath) before sunrise, so it needs Chaturdashi to be running at dawn. In 2026 Chaturdashi runs from late morning on 7 Nov to late morning on 8 Nov, so the dawn that matters is 8 Nov. Amavasya then begins at 11:28 the same day and is in force through the evening, so Lakshmi Puja also lands on 8 Nov. Two observances, one date. That's not an error in the calendar; it happens every few years.

Why Govardhan Puja skips a day

Amavasya ends at 12:32 on 9 Nov, after sunrise. Govardhan Puja follows the "tithi at sunrise" rule, so 9 Nov still counts as an Amavasya day and the puja moves to 10 Nov, when Pratipada is present at dawn. That's why there is a gap day between Diwali and Govardhan this year.

The four rules, in plain words

• Tithi at sunrise (udaya tithi): whichever tithi is running at sunrise "owns" the day. Used for most vrats and Chhath.
• Pradosh kaal: the tithi must be present for roughly 2.5 hours after sunset. Used for Dhanteras and Lakshmi Puja because the worship happens in the evening.
• Aparahna: the afternoon portion of the day. Used for Bhai Dooj tilak.
• Pre-dawn: used where the ritual is a bath or puja before sunrise.

Picking a good time within the day

Once you know the date, families often want a specific window for buying gold on Dhanteras or starting Lakshmi Puja. Two quick tools for that are the day's Choghadiya (Labh, Amrit and Shubh are the favourable slots) and avoiding Rahu Kaal. Neither replaces your family pandit's muhurat, but both make a reasonable starting point if you're planning around work hours.

Chhath: four days, not one

The date above (15 Nov) is the Shashthi evening arghya, the main day. Chhath is actually a four-day observance: Nahay Khay on Chaturthi, Kharna on Panchami, the Sandhya Arghya on Shashthi evening, and the Usha Arghya at sunrise the next morning. If you're travelling home for it, plan from 13 Nov to 16 Nov.

Dates are calculated with Swiss Ephemeris (Lahiri ayanamsa) for New Delhi. Regional traditions differ, so follow your own family's practice where it varies.