Labh Pancham 2026: Date, Muhurat and Business Reopening Guide

Labh Pancham 2026 falls on Saturday, 14 November 2026, and the main morning muhurat for puja and reopening the shop runs roughly from 6:50 AM to 10:30 AM in Gujarat, depending on your city. Below you will find city-wise muhurat timings, the day’s choghadiya, what the day means for Gujarati traders, a simple chopda pujan and reopening routine, and a practical first-day-back checklist for your business.

Updated October 2026. Timings verified on Drik Panchang; always confirm with your family pandit or local panchang.

Labh Pancham 2026: Quick Answer

Detail	2026
Date	Saturday, 14 November 2026
Tithi	Kartik Shukla Panchami
Panchami tithi begins	8:42 PM, Friday 13 November 2026
Panchami tithi ends	11:23 PM, Saturday 14 November 2026
Morning (Pratahkala) puja muhurat, Ahmedabad	6:52 AM to 10:33 AM
Morning puja muhurat, New Delhi	6:43 AM to 10:18 AM
Other names	Saubhagya Panchami, Labh Panchami, Gyan Panchami

Source: Drik Panchang, Labh Panchami 2026. Muhurat windows shift by a few minutes from city to city because sunrise differs, so check the timing for your own location.

Labh Pancham Muhurat 2026 by City

The morning muhurat is tied to sunrise, so cities further west in Gujarat start a little later. Here are the Pratahkala (morning) Labh Panchami puja windows listed by Drik Panchang for 14 November 2026:

City	Morning puja muhurat	Duration
Ahmedabad	6:52 AM to 10:33 AM	3 hrs 41 min
Surat	6:49 AM to 10:31 AM	about 3 hrs 43 min
Rajkot	6:58 AM to 10:40 AM	3 hrs 42 min
Mumbai	6:45 AM to 10:30 AM	3 hrs 45 min
New Delhi	6:43 AM to 10:18 AM	3 hrs 35 min

For Vadodara, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh or any other town, the window will be close to the nearest city above, but a few minutes either way. If your family follows a specific panchang (many Gujarati households use a printed Gujarati panchang or the local temple’s calendar), go with that.

Day Choghadiya for 14 November 2026 (Ahmedabad)

Many Gujarati businesses pick a good choghadiya rather than only the morning muhurat, especially if they open the shop later in the day. These are the day choghadiya slots for Ahmedabad from Drik Panchang’s choghadiya page. Sunrise is at 6:52 AM and sunset at 5:56 PM.

Choghadiya	Time	Nature
Kaal	6:52 AM to 8:15 AM	Inauspicious
Shubh	8:15 AM to 9:38 AM	Good
Rog	9:38 AM to 11:01 AM	Inauspicious
Udveg	11:01 AM to 12:24 PM	Inauspicious
Char	12:24 PM to 1:47 PM	Neutral
Labh	1:47 PM to 3:10 PM	Gain, auspicious
Amrit	3:10 PM to 4:33 PM	Best, auspicious
Kaal	4:33 PM to 5:56 PM	Inauspicious

You will notice that the Pratahkala muhurat and the choghadiya table do not line up neatly: the muhurat window covers early morning, while the best choghadiya slots on this Saturday fall at 8:15 AM (Shubh) and in the afternoon (Labh and Amrit). Families differ on which system they follow. A common practical approach is to do the puja in the Shubh choghadiya between 8:15 AM and 9:38 AM, which sits inside the morning muhurat in Ahmedabad, and then open for customers. Drik Panchang also marks Rahu Kaal and other periods on its page; check those if your family avoids them.

What Labh Pancham Means for Gujarati Traders

“Labh” means profit or benefit and “Saubhagya” means good fortune. Labh Pancham falls on the fifth day of the bright half of Kartik, a few days after Diwali, and in Gujarat it marks the close of the Diwali festivities.

In 2026 the sequence runs like this: Lakshmi Puja on Sunday 8 November, Bestu Varas (Gujarati New Year, the start of Vikram Samvat 2083) on Tuesday 10 November, Bhai Bij on Wednesday 11 November, and then Labh Pancham on Saturday 14 November. Many shops in Gujarat, from Manek Chowk jewellers to Surat textile traders and Rajkot hardware dealers, stay shut through the new year days and reopen on Labh Pancham.

Drik Panchang notes that it is considered the first working day of the Gujarati New Year for many businesspeople, who open new account ledgers by writing “Shubh” on the left and “Labh” on the right with a sathiya (swastik) in the centre of the first page. For the Jain community, the same tithi is observed as Gyan Panchami (Jnana Panchami), a day dedicated to knowledge and the sacred texts.

Labh Pancham and Bestu Varas: what is the difference?

	Bestu Varas (Nutan Varsh)	Labh Pancham
2026 date	Tuesday, 10 November	Saturday, 14 November
Tithi	Kartik Shukla Pratipada	Kartik Shukla Panchami
Main focus	New year greetings, family visits, temple darshan, “Nutan Varshabhinandan” wishes	Reopening the business, puja for profit and prosperity
For traders	Some do chopda pujan on Diwali or new year; many keep the shop shut	First formal working day for many shops and offices

Chopda Pujan and Reopening Ritual: A Simple Routine

Traditions vary between communities and families, so treat this as a common pattern rather than a rule. If your family already performed chopda pujan on Diwali night, Labh Pancham is mainly about the first entry and reopening.

What to keep ready the evening before

• New chopda or khata book (or the first printed page of your ledger if you keep accounts in software)
• Kanku (kumkum), chokha (unbroken rice), haldi, fresh flowers, a garland for the shop deity or Lakshmi-Ganesh photo
• Diya, agarbatti, a coconut, some sweets for prasad (penda, mohanthal or whatever your family prefers)
• A new pen, preferably one you will actually use at the counter
• Coins or a small cash amount to place in the cash box
• Toran or fresh marigold string for the shop door

Steps on the morning of 14 November

1. Clean and decorate. Sweep the shop, wipe the counter and shutter, hang the toran, and draw a small rangoli at the entrance if space allows.
2. Light the diya in front of Ganesh and Lakshmi.
3. Ganesh vandana first, then Lakshmi puja, offering kanku, chokha, flowers and sweets.
4. Prepare the khata. On the first page, draw the sathiya in the centre with kanku, write “Shubh” on the left and “Labh” on the right. Many families also write “Shree” at the top and the date in Vikram Samvat 2083.
5. Puja of the tools of trade. Some traders offer kanku and chokha to the weighing scale, cash box, computer or billing machine.
6. The first transaction. Make the first sale or entry of the year. Many owners make a token sale to a family member or a regular customer and record it as the first entry.
7. Distribute prasad to staff, neighbours and the first customers.

Keep the puja inside the muhurat or choghadiya you have chosen. The practical work below can happen any time during the day.

Business Reopening Checklist for Labh Pancham

The ritual starts the year. These practical steps set it up properly. Most of them take under an hour and save you weeks of headaches later.

Money and accounts

• Reconcile cash and bank. Count the cash box and match it with the Diwali week closing balance before the first new entry.
• List outstanding dues. Note which customers owe you money from before Diwali and which suppliers you owe. Send polite payment reminders on WhatsApp the same week.
• Remember the financial year has not changed. Your Vikram Samvat chopda is a new beginning, but GST returns and income tax still run on the April to March financial year. Keep your software books continuous.
• Back up your accounting data (Tally, Busy, Marg, Vyapar or any other) to an external drive or cloud folder before the year’s billing rush.

Stock and pricing

• Do a quick stock count of fast-moving items and note what sold out over Diwali.
• Update price lists for items where supplier rates changed during the festive season.
• Clear festive leftovers early with a small “Labh Pancham offer” for regular customers.
• Place orders for the wedding season, which starts soon after Dev Diwali for many trades.

Customers and team

• Send a short new-year message to your top customers. Keep it personal and avoid long forwards.
• Thank staff for the Diwali rush. If you pay a Diwali bonus or gift, make sure it is recorded.
• Update Google Business Profile hours if you had marked the shop closed for the holidays, so customers know you are open again.
• Check that your shop board, QR code standee and payment devices all work before the first customer walks in.

Planning for Samvat 2083

• Write down three targets for the year: a sales number, one new product or service, and one cost you want to cut.
• Note dates for the next big season in your trade, whether that is weddings, Uttarayan, the March closing, or summer.
• Book a half-hour with your CA to review last year’s numbers before the year-end rush.

Labh Pancham Wishes for Customers and Staff

Short, warm messages work better than heavy graphics. A few examples you can adapt in English or Gujarati:

• “Labh Pancham ni hardik shubhechha! Thank you for your trust in Samvat 2082. We reopen today and look forward to serving you in the new year.”
• “Wishing you and your family Shubh Labh on Labh Pancham. May Samvat 2083 bring growth to your business.”
• For staff: “Thank you for the hard work during Diwali. Labh Pancham ni shubhechha, and here is to a good year together.”

Send them on the morning of 14 November, not the night before. Customers will be getting dozens of forwards; a short personal line from the shop owner stands out.

Planning Around the Date: Banking, Deliveries and Staff

Labh Pancham falls on Saturday, 14 November 2026, which is the second Saturday of the month. Banks are closed on second and fourth Saturdays under RBI’s holiday rules, so do not plan to deposit cash or collect a cheque book on reopening day. Do your bank work on Friday 13 November or Monday 16 November, and keep UPI and card payments working for customers.

Transporters and courier services in Gujarat also tend to restart around Labh Pancham. If you are expecting stock, call your transporter to confirm when they will resume pickups. And if some staff travelled to their native place for Diwali, check their return dates so the shop is not short-handed on the first busy days.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Labh Pancham in 2026?

Labh Pancham is on Saturday, 14 November 2026. Panchami tithi runs from 8:42 PM on 13 November to 11:23 PM on 14 November, according to Drik Panchang.

What is the best time to reopen the shop on Labh Pancham 2026?

The morning (Pratahkala) muhurat in Ahmedabad is 6:52 AM to 10:33 AM, and the Shubh choghadiya runs from 8:15 AM to 9:38 AM. Many traders do the puja in that overlap. Labh (1:47 PM to 3:10 PM) and Amrit (3:10 PM to 4:33 PM) choghadiya are also considered good in the afternoon.

Is Labh Pancham the same as Gyan Panchami?

They fall on the same tithi. Hindu traders observe it as Labh or Saubhagya Panchami, focused on prosperity and reopening business, while the Jain community observes it as Gyan Panchami, devoted to knowledge and scriptures.

Can I do chopda pujan on Labh Pancham instead of Diwali?

Yes, many families do. Some perform chopda pujan on Diwali night or the new year, and others do it on Labh Pancham when they reopen. Follow your family or community tradition.

Does the new chopda mean a new financial year for tax?

No. The Vikram Samvat year is a traditional and religious new year. For GST and income tax, the financial year still runs from 1 April to 31 March. Rules change, so check with your CA for anything tax-related.

Why are the muhurat times different on different websites?

Muhurat depends on local sunrise and the calculation method each panchang uses. A few minutes’ difference between sources is normal. Use the timing for your own city, or follow your family pandit.

Start Samvat 2083 on the Right Foot

Labh Pancham is the day the Diwali holiday ends and the working year begins. Fix your muhurat for Saturday 14 November, prepare the khata and puja items the evening before, and then spend the rest of the day on the practical things: reconcile cash, chase old dues, update prices, back up your books and message your best customers. Shubh on the left, Labh on the right, and a clear plan in the middle.