Every year the same thing happens. You search for the Lakshmi Puja muhurat, open three websites and get three slightly different answers. For Diwali 2026 (Sunday, 8 November) one popular site lists a Delhi window starting around 5:32 PM, another around 5:47 PM, and a third something else again. None of them is necessarily wrong. This article explains the handful of reasons that cause the differences, and how to choose the time that is right for your family.
First, what is being timed?
Lakshmi Puja is performed on the evening of the Amavasya (new moon) tithi in the month of Kartik. Most families aim for Pradosh Kaal, the period after sunset, and many prefer to do the puja when a fixed (sthir) lagna, usually Vrishabha (Taurus), is rising. So a muhurat is the overlap of three things: the tithi, the Pradosh window and a favourable rising sign. Every one of them depends on a calculation choice.
Reason 1: sunset is different in every city
Pradosh Kaal starts at sunset, and sunset moves by minutes between cities. On 8 November 2026, our engine puts sunset at 5:31 PM in Delhi and 6:02 PM in Mumbai, about 31 minutes apart. A page that shows one national time, or a time for a different city than yours, can be off by a quarter of an hour or more before any other factor comes in.
Reason 2: how Pradosh is defined
Classical texts describe Pradosh as a stretch of the evening after sunset. The common modern definition is three muhurtas, about 2 h 25 min, which for Delhi gives 5:30 PM to 7:55 PM. Some almanacs use a shorter window, for instance the first couple of ghatis after sunset, and publish that as "the" muhurat. So one source may list a 1 hour 56 minute window and another a 2 hour 24 minute one on the very same evening. Both are defensible, and they simply answer slightly different questions.
Reason 3: the Vrishabha lagna window
Our Lakshmi Puja window for Delhi, 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM, is the overlap of Pradosh Kaal and the time Vrishabha is rising. The rising sign changes about every two hours and the exact minutes depend on the city's latitude and longitude. Sites that skip the lagna calculation will show the whole Pradosh window instead, and sites that use a different ayanamsa (the correction between the tropical and sidereal zodiac) can shift the Lagna by several minutes.
Reason 4: the tithi can start and end at awkward times
In 2026 the Amavasya tithi runs from 11:28 AM on 8 November to 12:32 PM on 9 November. Because it covers the evening of the 8th and not the evening of the 9th, the puja belongs on the 8th for most traditions. In other years the tithi straddles two evenings and different almanacs choose differently. That is where genuine disagreement about the date comes from.
Our numbers for four cities
| City | Sunset | Pradosh Kaal | Vrishabha lagna | Lakshmi Puja window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 5:31 PM | 5:30 PM – 7:55 PM | 5:54 PM – 7:50 PM | 5:54 PM – 7:50 PM |
| Mumbai | 6:02 PM | 6:02 PM – 8:26 PM | 6:27 PM – 8:27 PM | 6:27 PM – 8:26 PM |
| Bengaluru | 5:51 PM | 5:51 PM – 8:15 PM | 6:18 PM – 8:20 PM | 6:18 PM – 8:15 PM |
| Kolkata | 4:55 PM | 4:55 PM – 7:19 PM | 5:20 PM – 7:19 PM | 5:20 PM – 7:19 PM |
These come from the Swiss Ephemeris with the Lahiri ayanamsa, calculated for each city's own coordinates. The full Diwali 2026 page has the same table for 38 cities, including NRI cities in the US, UK, UAE and Singapore (हिन्दी).
So which time should you follow?
- Use your city. A national time is a rough guide only.
- Prefer the longer overlap. If one source gives a narrow window and another a wide one, a puja started anywhere inside the common part satisfies both.
- Follow your family's priest or tradition. Many communities have their own rule, for example Gujarati families who observe the new year on the day after Diwali, or those who prefer the Nishita (midnight) time.
- Do not stress over minutes. The intent of the tradition is a calm, auspicious evening with your family, not a stopwatch.
Related
- All 2026 festival dates and muhurat: Karwa Chauth, Dhanteras, Choti Diwali, Govardhan Puja, Bhai Dooj and Chhath.
- Daily panchang for 38 cities and today's rashifal.
- Getting married this season? See the wedding muhurat for November and December 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat on Diwali 2026 in Delhi?
On our calculation, 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM on 8 November 2026, the overlap of Pradosh Kaal and the Vrishabha lagna. Pradosh alone runs 5:30 PM to 7:55 PM.
Why do websites show different Diwali timings?
Mainly different sunset times by city, different definitions of Pradosh Kaal, whether the Vrishabha lagna is included, and the ayanamsa used for the lagna.
Is Diwali on 8 November 2026?
On our calculation the Amavasya tithi covers the evening of 8 November 2026, so Lakshmi Puja is on 8 November. Check your local panchang for regional customs.
Next step
- November 2026 birth dates · December 2026 birth dates
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