Diwali 2026 date in India: Sunday, 8 November

How the date is calculated

The Hindu calendar tracks months by the moon: a lunar month runs new-moon to new-moon, roughly 29.5 days, and Diwali always falls on Amavasya (new moon) of the month of Kartik — the darkest night of that lunar month, which is the whole reason for lighting diyas. To pin down the exact Gregorian day, panchang calculations do two things: first, they compute precisely when the Amavasya tithi begins and ends using the moon's real ecliptic longitude relative to the sun (not a fixed 29.5-day average, since the moon's actual orbital speed varies slightly through the month); second, they check which day that tithi overlaps with Pradosh Kaal — the roughly two-hour twilight window straddling sunset, when Lakshmi Puja is traditionally performed.

For 2026, Amavasya begins at 11:27 AM on November 8 and runs until 12:31 PM on November 9. Since Pradosh Kaal on November 8 (roughly 5:31 PM to 8:09 PM) falls entirely inside that Amavasya window, November 8 is the day the tithi is "active" at sunset — so that's the day Lakshmi Puja is performed and the day Diwali is observed.

Why some sites say November 9

You may see a small number of Western holiday calendars list Diwali 2026 as November 9. That happens when a calendar anchors the date to whichever day the Amavasya tithi is active at a fixed clock reference — like midnight — rather than at sunset. Since Amavasya is still active past midnight into November 9 (until 12:31 PM), a midnight-anchored method can land a day later. Panchang authorities including DrikPanchang, and the overwhelming majority of Indian households and priests, use the Pradosh Kaal (sunset-anchored) method — which is what puts Lakshmi Puja, and the date on this page, on November 8.

Why the date jumps by weeks — or a whole month

Twelve lunar months add up to about 354 days — roughly 11 days short of a full solar year. Left alone, that drift would push Diwali about 11 days earlier every year until it eventually cycled through every season, the way Ramadan does on the purely lunar Islamic calendar. The Hindu calendar avoids that by periodically inserting an extra leap month, Adhik Maas, about once every 32–33 months. That's why Diwali usually moves roughly 11 days earlier each year, then suddenly jumps about 18–19 days later whenever a leap month resets the drift — exactly what happens between 2025 (October 20–21) and 2026 (November 8).

Diwali 2026 calendar: all five days

The Diwali 2026 date in India marks the middle of a five-day festival. Dhanteras 2026 opens it on 6 November and Bhai Dooj closes it on 11 November.

Diwali dates, year by year

Dates cross-checked against DrikPanchang and panchang calendar sources for New Delhi, India. Years beyond 2026 may shift by a day depending on which panchang method is used.