When Is Diwali 2026? Date, the Five Days and Staying in Touch with Family

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November 2026, when Lakshmi Puja is performed on Kartik Amavasya. The five-day festival runs from Dhanteras on Friday 6 November to Bhai Dooj around 10 to 11 November, depending on your regional calendar.

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November 2026, when Lakshmi Puja is performed on Kartik Amavasya. The five-day festival runs from Dhanteras on Friday 6 November to Bhai Dooj around 10 to 11 November, depending on your regional calendar.

Diwali 2026 date

Diwali 2026 (Lakshmi Puja) falls on Sunday 8 November 2026, on Kartik Amavasya. Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evening (Pradosh Kaal). Exact timings vary by city, so check a local panchang for your area.

The main day of Diwali is Sunday 8 November 2026. Many families plan their celebrations around the evening puja, so the exact start and end of Pradosh Kaal matters if you are joining in person or on a video call. Because timings differ from city to city, a local panchang is the reliable source for your family's location.

The five days of Diwali 2026

The five days of Diwali 2026 begin with Dhanteras on Friday 6 November and end with Bhai Dooj around 10 to 11 November, depending on the regional calendar. Naraka Chaturdashi, also called Chhoti Diwali, falls on Saturday 7 November, and Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November.

Here is how the five days line up for 2026:

1. Dhanteras: Friday 6 November 2026.
2. Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali): Saturday 7 November 2026.
3. Diwali and Lakshmi Puja: Sunday 8 November 2026.
4. Govardhan Puja: Monday 9 November 2026.
5. Bhai Dooj: around 10 to 11 November 2026, depending on the regional calendar.

If you are travelling or working abroad, the fifth day is the one to watch. Regional calendars can place Bhai Dooj a day apart, so confirm the date with your family before you plan a call.

Why the date changes every year

Diwali follows the lunar calendar, so the Gregorian date moves each year. It falls on Kartik Amavasya, the new moon in the Hindu month of Kartik, which is why the date shifts rather than staying fixed. Regional calendars can differ by a day, so two families in different regions may celebrate on slightly different dates.

Because the festival is tied to the moon rather than the Gregorian calendar, the date drifts from year to year. That is also why the five days do not always map neatly onto the same weekdays. If your family follows a regional calendar, treat their date as the one that matters for calls, gifts and travel plans.

Diwali 2027 and 2028

Diwali 2027 falls on 29 October 2027. Diwali 2028 falls on 17 October 2028. Both dates follow the same lunar rule, so they move earlier in the Gregorian year compared with 2026.

If you are planning ahead for travel or time off, these two dates are the ones to note. As with 2026, the exact puja timing on the main day varies by city, and regional calendars can differ by a day. Check a local panchang closer to the time for your family's location.

Calling and topping up family in India for Diwali

Keeping an Indian number active needs a validity recharge, and bank OTPs arrive on the Indian number. Slashtel sends direct mobile top-ups to Indian numbers (Jio, Airtel, Vi, BSNL) paid by card from abroad, delivered in minutes. That makes it straightforward to recharge an Indian number before the festival.

If you want to keep your Indian number active while you are overseas, a validity recharge is the part that matters most. A top-up alone may not extend the number's life, so check the plan before you pay. Bank OTPs arrive on the Indian number, which is another reason to keep it live if you still use it for banking.

To top up a specific network, you can use Jio recharge or Airtel recharge through Slashtel. Payments are by card from abroad, and delivery is in minutes, so you can sort it out before the puja on Sunday 8 November 2026.

If you are calling family during the five days, remember that networks get busy around the main evening. A quick message before the puja, and a call after, often works better than trying to reach everyone at once.