8 November 2026, Sunday is the reference date for New Delhi. Every timing in this guide is for New Delhi, India (IST, UTC+5:30). It is not an all-India or worldwide timing.
New Delhi reference timing
5:54–7:50 PM IST
This is the reference puja window. Date and timing reference (checked October 27, 2026).
The dates to put in your family calendar
For New Delhi, Dhanteras falls on November 6, Naraka Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Puja on November 8, Govardhan Puja on November 10, and Bhai Dooj on November 11. Do not build the 2026 programme by assuming each observance must fall on the next civil date. Tithi-based observances can share a day or leave a gap between the main celebrations. Regional and family calendars may organise the season differently.
Why the evening matters
Lakshmi Puja is commonly planned around the evening Pradosh period and the applicable Amavasya. For New Delhi the referenced Amavasya interval runs from November 8 at 11:27 AM to November 9 at 12:31 PM IST. The recommended household window below is narrower than the whole tithi. A tithi ending on November 9 does not by itself move the main evening celebration to that date.
Prepare a calm puja space
Finish cleaning and decoration before the family gathers. Keep a lamp, wicks, oil or ghee, flowers, water, customary offerings and an aarti plate within reach. Use a clean picture or murti already available at home; an expensive new purchase is not required. Begin with the invocations customary in your household, offer prayer to Ganesha and Lakshmi according to that tradition, and share prasad after the aarti. A priest can guide a formal ceremony if that is your practice.
Make the evening workable for everyone
Plan meals and travel around the prayer rather than rushing them into the same few minutes. Give children age-appropriate tasks such as placing unlit lamps or arranging flowers. Keep flames away from clothing and decorations. When relatives join remotely, agree on a call time, but do not treat one household’s city-specific ritual window as the timing for every other location.
A correction to earlier information
Updated October 27, 2026: the earlier version of this article carried incorrect October festival dates and unsupported city timings. Those details have been replaced. The New Delhi reference date is November 8; readers in other cities should check their own local Panchang and family observance. No foreign-city timings are inferred by converting the Delhi clock.
Check the Panchang for your location
Open the CosmosPandit web app, select your city and the relevant date, and review the Panchang. Confirm the location before using the displayed information. For a particular family ritual, ask your local temple or priest if the applicable window is unclear. Converting Delhi’s clock time to another time zone does not establish a local puja muhurat.