As homes glow with festive lights, rangoli adorns entrances, and the scent of incense fills the air, the festival of Diwali arrives — a time of joy, renewal, and welcome for prosperity. At the heart of this celebration is the special worship of Goddess Lakshmi, the divine embodiment of wealth, fortune and well-being. Known as Lakshmi Puja, this ritual invites the goddess to bless the household with abundance and peace. For 2026, devotees can observe the auspicious date and timing to perform their pujas with full awareness and devotion.
Date & Puja Shubh Muhurat
According to the calendar listing on DrikPanchang, the Lakshmi Puja for Diwali in 2026 is on Sunday, 8 November 2026 (Amavasya of Kartika for the New Delhi / NCT region).
- Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026.
- Lakshmi Puja Muhurat – 05:54 PM to 07:50 PM
Significance of Lakshmi Puja
Inviting Fortune, Welcoming Light
Lakshmi Puja is the key ritual of Diwali evening, where households symbolically and spiritually invite Goddess Lakshmi to enter and bless them. It is believed that a clean, well-lit home attracts the goddess, and her presence brings prosperity, health, and harmony.
Symbolism of Amavasya & Renewal
The puja falls on Amavasya (new-moon night) of Kartika, which in lunar tradition represents an auspicious time for introspection, cleansing and fresh beginnings. The lighting of diyas, the bursting of lamps, and the puja all point to the victory of light over darkness.
Rituals, Customs & Collective Joy
Some of the common practices on Lakshmi Puja day include:
- Thorough cleaning of the house and decorating it with lights, rangoli and flowers to welcome the goddess.
- Performing the puja in the auspicious lagna (such as around 1:26 PM for 2026 in New Delhi) with an image or idol of Goddess Lakshmi, offering sweets, fruits, lamps and prayers for abundance and peace.
- Turning the day (and night) into a celebration: sharing sweets, exchanging greetings, lighting lamps and fireworks, visiting family and friends.
- Recognising that the ritual is as much inward as outward: inviting in not only material prosperity but spiritual abundance, gratitude, kindness and light.
How to Observe on 8 November 2026
- Begin the day by cleaning the home, organising the puja space, putting up rangoli at the entrance and preparing lamps and offerings.
- Dress in clean or new traditional attire, prepare a puja plate with items such as flowers, incense, diya, sweets/fruit, kumkum & rice, and an image or murti of Goddess Lakshmi.
- Around the suggested puja time (~1:26 PM onwards for New Delhi) engage in the ritual: light the lamp, invoke the goddess, offer your items, chant “Om Mahalakshmi Namah” (or regional mantra), meditate briefly on gratitude and the year gone by.
- After the ritual, distribute prasad, light diyas around the house and outside, welcome family and guests, and share sweets and good wishes.
- Use the occasion to set intentions—for generosity, clarity, peace, removal of fear and embrace of hope. Let the light you kindle be not just external but internal.
Why This Festival Matters
In a time when the rush of life often overshadows quiet reflection, Lakshmi Puja offers a sacred pause. It’s a moment to align home, heart and intention. The date (8 November 2026) and the puja timing provide a practical anchor; the deeper meaning invites spiritual renewal, gratitude and collective joy. When we light the lamp and invite the goddess, we also invite a version of ourselves that is open, kind, hopeful and prosperous—not just materially, but in relationship and inner well-being.
May Lakshmi Puja 2026 bring into your home light that lasts, abundance that uplifts, relationships that flourish and intentions that bear fruit. Happy Diwali & Shubh Lakshmi Puja! 🪔