Dhanteras 2026: Date, Puja Muhurat by City, Vidhi and Yam Deepam
Dhanteras 2026 falls on Friday, 6 November. Here are city-wise puja muhurat times, a simple puja vidhi, what to buy and how to light the Yam Deepam.
Dhanteras 2026 falls on Friday, 6 November 2026, and the main puja muhurat in New Delhi runs from 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM, inside Pradosh Kaal. This guide gives you the muhurat for 12 major cities, a simple step-by-step puja vidhi, what to buy (and what to skip), and how to light the Yam Deepam the same evening.
Key Takeaways
- Dhanteras (Dhantrayodashi) is on Friday, 6 November 2026. Trayodashi tithi runs from 10:30 AM on 6 November to 10:47 AM on 7 November.
- New Delhi puja muhurat: 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM. Pradosh Kaal: 5:33 PM to 8:09 PM. Vrishabha Kaal: 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM.
- Muhurat times shift by city: Mumbai 6:35 PM to 8:35 PM, Kolkata 5:28 PM to 7:26 PM, Bengaluru 6:25 PM to 8:20 PM.
- Yam Deepam is lit on the same evening, 6 November, during Pradosh Kaal, with a four-wick diya placed outside the main door facing south.
- If you buy gold, check for the BIS hallmark with a 6-digit HUID and keep the bill.
Updated October 2026. Times below are from Drik Panchang and are local to each city. Always confirm with your family pandit or local panchang, because small differences between panchangs are normal.
Dhanteras 2026 quick answer
If you only need the essentials, here they are in one table. All times are for New Delhi unless stated.
| Item | Date and time (2026) |
|---|---|
| Dhanteras / Dhantrayodashi | Friday, 6 November 2026 |
| Trayodashi tithi begins | 10:30 AM, 6 November |
| Trayodashi tithi ends | 10:47 AM, 7 November |
| Dhanteras puja muhurat | 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM (1 hour 56 minutes) |
| Pradosh Kaal | 5:33 PM to 8:09 PM |
| Vrishabha Kaal (sthir lagna) | 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM |
| Yam Deepam | 6 November, during Pradosh Kaal |
| Dhanvantari Trayodashi | 6 November (same day) |
Source: Drik Panchang, Dhanteras 2026 puja timings. The panchang chooses the muhurat where Pradosh Kaal and the fixed Vrishabha lagna overlap, which is why the puja window is shorter than Pradosh Kaal itself.
Where Dhanteras sits in the Diwali 2026 calendar
Dhanteras is the second day of the five-to-six-day Diwali stretch in most of North and West India. In 2026 the sequence, as listed by Drik Panchang for New Delhi, looks like this:
| Date | Day | Observance |
|---|---|---|
| 5 November | Thursday | Govatsa Dwadashi / Vasu Baras |
| 6 November | Friday | Dhanteras, Dhanvantari Trayodashi, Yam Deepam |
| 7 November | Saturday | Kali Chaudas, Hanuman Puja |
| 8 November | Sunday | Narak Chaturdashi, Lakshmi Puja, Diwali |
| 10 November | Tuesday | Govardhan Puja, Annakut, Gujarati New Year |
| 11 November | Wednesday | Bhai Dooj |
Monday, 9 November is an Amavasya carry-over day in the 2026 calendar, which is why Govardhan Puja moves to the Tuesday. For the full week with every puja time, see our Diwali 2026 calendar.
Dhanteras 2026 puja muhurat by city
Sunset changes from city to city, so Pradosh Kaal and the muhurat change with it. Kolkata, being far east, gets the earliest window. Mumbai and Pune, in the west, get the latest. Here are the Drik Panchang muhurat times for 6 November 2026:
| City | Dhanteras puja muhurat (local time) |
|---|---|
| New Delhi | 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM |
| Noida | 6:01 PM to 7:57 PM |
| Gurgaon | 6:03 PM to 7:59 PM |
| Chandigarh | 6:00 PM to 7:54 PM |
| Jaipur | 6:11 PM to 8:07 PM |
| Ahmedabad | 6:30 PM to 8:28 PM |
| Mumbai | 6:35 PM to 8:35 PM |
| Pune | 6:32 PM to 8:31 PM |
| Hyderabad | 6:15 PM to 8:13 PM |
| Bengaluru | 6:25 PM to 8:20 PM |
| Chennai | 6:14 PM to 8:10 PM |
| Kolkata | 5:28 PM to 7:26 PM |
If your city is not listed, pick the nearest big city and then confirm on the panchang with your own location set. A difference of five to ten minutes between apps is common and is not a reason to worry. What matters more is that the puja happens after sunset, in the Pradosh period, and on the Trayodashi tithi.
What if you cannot do the puja in the evening window?
Many shopkeepers are busiest on Dhanteras evening. If you run a shop, a common practice is to do a short puja at home or in the shop at the start of the muhurat, then return to the counter. Some families light the diya and offer prayers in the muhurat and do the longer aarti later. Ask your family pandit what your tradition allows rather than guessing.
Why Dhanteras is celebrated
The name comes from dhan (wealth) and teras (the thirteenth day, Trayodashi) of the Krishna Paksha in Kartik month (Ashwin in the amanta calendar used in Gujarat and Maharashtra). Two stories are tied to the day.
- Dhanvantari: According to the Puranas, Lord Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods and the deity of Ayurveda, appeared from the churning of the ocean (samudra manthan) holding a pot of amrit. That is why the day is also called Dhanvantari Trayodashi or Dhanvantari Jayanti.
- Yamraj and the young prince: A popular tale says the son of King Hima was destined to die on the fourth day of his marriage. His wife kept him awake with lamps, songs and a heap of gold and silver at the door. When Yamraj came as a serpent, he was dazzled by the light and left. The lamp for Yamraj, Yam Deepam, comes from this story.
A useful note for anyone who still links Dhanteras with National Ayurveda Day: the Government of India has fixed Ayurveda Day on 23 September every year, starting 2025, instead of tying it to Dhanteras, as reported by All India Radio News. Dhanvantari puja on Dhanteras continues as a religious observance.
Dhanteras puja vidhi at home: step by step
Practices differ by region and family. The steps below follow the common North and West Indian pattern and are kept simple enough for a first-timer.
Samagri (what to keep ready)
- A clean chowki or wooden plank with a red or yellow cloth
- Idols or pictures of Lord Dhanvantari, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha and Kuber
- Kalash with water, mango leaves and a coconut
- Roli or kumkum, haldi, chandan, akshat (whole rice)
- Flowers, preferably marigold and lotus if you can get them
- Ghee diyas, a camphor holder, agarbatti and dhoop
- Naivedya: sweets, fruits, dhaniya (coriander seeds) mixed with jaggery, and a little panchamrit
- The new item you bought today (coin, utensil or jewellery), washed or wiped clean
- A four-wick clay diya and mustard oil for Yam Deepam
Steps
- Clean the house and the entrance in the morning. Make a small rangoli at the door if that is your custom.
- Set up the chowki facing east or north before sunset. Place Ganesha first, then Lakshmi, Kuber and Dhanvantari.
- Sankalp: sit facing the altar, take water, akshat and a flower in your right hand, and state your name, gotra (if you know it) and the purpose of the puja.
- Ganesh puja: offer tilak, akshat, flowers and a sweet to Ganesha. Every puja begins here.
- Dhanvantari puja: offer tilak, flowers and naivedya, and pray for good health for the family. Some families recite the Dhanvantari mantra at this point.
- Lakshmi and Kuber puja: place the newly bought coin or utensil before them, apply tilak to it, and offer flowers, sweets and the dhaniya-jaggery mix.
- Aarti: perform the Lakshmi aarti with a ghee diya and camphor.
- Yam Deepam: light the four-wick diya and place it outside (details in the next section).
- Prasad: distribute prasad to everyone at home. Keep a little of the dhaniya; many families later sow it in a pot.
Lakshmi Puja proper happens on Diwali night. If you want the full vidhi for that evening, see our guide on Lakshmi Puja vidhi at home.
Yam Deepam 2026: how and when to light it
Yam Deepam, also called Yama Deep Daan, is a lamp offered to Yamraj, the god of death, to protect the family from untimely death. Drik Panchang lists it on Friday, 6 November 2026, during Pradosh Kaal (5:33 PM to 8:09 PM in New Delhi).
- Take a clay diya with four wicks (a chaumukha diya), or four wicks crossed in one diya.
- Fill it with mustard oil or til oil. Ghee is used for the main puja; oil is traditional for this lamp.
- Light it after the main puja, during Pradosh Kaal.
- Place it outside the main door, on the right side as you exit, with the flames facing south, the direction associated with Yamraj.
- Fold your hands and say a short prayer for the family’s long life. Do not look back at the lamp after placing it, as many families observe.
Safety matters here. A lamp at the threshold sits right where people walk, children run and dupattas trail. Put it on a steel plate or a brick, away from curtains, shoe racks and doormats, and keep a bucket of water nearby on a festival night.
What to buy on Dhanteras (and what to skip)
Buying something new on Dhanteras is believed to bring prosperity. It does not have to be expensive. The tradition values the act more than the price.
| Item | Why it is bought | Budget tip |
|---|---|---|
| Gold or silver coin | Symbol of Lakshmi and lasting wealth | A 1 g or 2 g coin or a small silver coin is enough |
| Steel, brass or copper utensil | Linked to Dhanvantari’s pot of amrit | A useful kitchen item beats a decorative one |
| Broom (jhadu) | Seen as sweeping away poverty and negativity | Costs under Rs 100 in most markets |
| Whole coriander (dhaniya) | Symbol of growth; offered and later sown | Buy a small packet |
| Gomti chakra or cowrie shells | Kept in the cash box or locker in some homes | Buy from a known puja store |
| Clay diyas and lamps | Needed for Yam Deepam and Diwali | Buying from local potters supports them directly |
Items many families avoid
- Sharp objects such as knives and scissors
- Black-coloured items, by some family customs
- Glass items, which some consider unlucky for the day
- Empty vessels: if you buy a utensil, many families fill it with water, rice or sweets before bringing it inside
These are customs, not rules. If your family does it differently, follow your family.
Buying gold safely
Jewellers see their biggest rush of the year on Dhanteras, and that is exactly when mistakes happen. Keep these checks in mind:
- Hallmark: hallmarked gold jewellery in India carries the BIS mark, the purity grade (for example 22K916) and a 6-digit alphanumeric HUID. You can check an HUID in the BIS CARE app. Read more on the BIS hallmarking page.
- Bill: ask for a proper GST invoice showing weight, purity, rate per gram, making charges and HUID.
- Making charges: compare them across two or three shops; they vary far more than the gold rate does.
- Coins from banks: bank coins are convenient but usually cannot be sold back to the bank. Check the buy-back policy before you choose.
If you are deciding between physical gold, digital gold, gold ETFs and other options, our explainer on Dhanteras gold choices compares them. This is general information, not investment advice; prices and rules change, so check with a SEBI-registered adviser before a large purchase.
Dhanteras for shop owners and small businesses
For traders, Dhanteras is both a puja day and one of the busiest sales days of the year. A few practical habits help:
- Do the puja before the rush. Many shops perform a short Lakshmi-Kuber puja at the counter at the start of the muhurat and keep a diya burning through the evening.
- Clean the cash counter and the safe in the morning, and keep a small silver coin or gomti chakra in the cash box if that is your custom.
- Keep festival staff hours sane. Plan shifts so that employees can also be home for at least part of the evening puja.
- Billing discipline: rush days produce the most errors in GST invoices, cash entries and UPI reconciliations. Reconcile the day’s sales the next morning, not after Diwali.
- Chopda Puja: in Gujarat and among many trading families, new account books are worshipped on Diwali day itself, not on Dhanteras. Keep the books ready but wait for that muhurat.
An illustrative example: a sweet shop in Indore might put up a small chowki behind the counter, do the puja at 6:10 PM, and let one family member handle the counter while the rest finish the aarti. The point is to keep the ritual without losing the evening’s sales.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Dhanteras in 2026?
Dhanteras is on Friday, 6 November 2026. Trayodashi tithi begins at 10:30 AM on 6 November and ends at 10:47 AM on 7 November, according to Drik Panchang for New Delhi.
What is the Dhanteras puja muhurat in 2026?
In New Delhi it is 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM on 6 November. Mumbai is 6:35 PM to 8:35 PM, Kolkata 5:28 PM to 7:26 PM and Bengaluru 6:25 PM to 8:20 PM. Check the city table above for others.
Can I buy gold on the morning of 7 November?
Trayodashi continues until 10:47 AM on 7 November (New Delhi), so some families treat the morning as still part of Dhanteras. The main puja and Yam Deepam, however, belong to the evening of 6 November.
When should I light the Yam Deepam?
Light it on 6 November during Pradosh Kaal, which is 5:33 PM to 8:09 PM in New Delhi. Place the four-wick diya outside the main door with the flames facing south.
Is Dhanteras still National Ayurveda Day?
No. From 2025, the Government of India fixed Ayurveda Day on 23 September every year. Dhanvantari Jayanti continues to be observed on Dhanteras as a religious occasion.
What is the cheapest thing to buy on Dhanteras?
A broom, a packet of whole coriander or a set of clay diyas. All three are traditional, useful and cost very little.
Plan your Dhanteras evening
Write down your city’s muhurat, keep the samagri ready by afternoon, and finish any gold or utensil shopping before the evening rush so you are home for the puja. Light the Yam Deepam safely at the door, and then rest up: Kali Chaudas follows on Saturday and Lakshmi Puja on Sunday, 8 November. Shubh Dhanteras.
