Dhanteras 2026: Date, Puja Muhurat, Gold Buying Time, and Yama Deepam
July 14, 2026
Dhanteras 2026 falls on Friday, November 6, 2026. For New Delhi, the main evening puja window is about 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM, and gold or utensil shopping is traditionally planned within Trayodashi and auspicious Choghadiya periods that day.
Dhanteras, also called Dhantrayodashi, opens the five-day Diwali cycle. The day is associated with Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Kubera, Dhanvantari, and the evening Yama Deepam lamp. Use the New Delhi timings below for planning, then confirm your city on Today's Panchang closer to the festival.
Dhanteras 2026 Key Timings (New Delhi)
The following values are from published Drik Panchang data for New Delhi, India. Muhurat, sunset, and lagna shift by city.
| Event | 2026 Date and Time (New Delhi) |
|---|---|
| Dhanteras / Dhantrayodashi | Friday, November 6, 2026 |
| Trayodashi Tithi begins | 10:30 AM on November 6, 2026 |
| Trayodashi Tithi ends | 10:47 AM on November 7, 2026 |
| Pradosh Kaal | 5:33 PM to 8:09 PM |
| Dhanteras Puja Muhurat (Vrishabha Kaal) | 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM (about 1 hour 56 minutes) |
| Yama Deepam (Sayan Sandhya) | 5:33 PM to 6:51 PM |
Sample city puja muhurat windows on the same day (local time): Mumbai about 6:35 PM to 8:35 PM; Kolkata about 5:28 PM to 7:26 PM; Chennai about 6:14 PM to 8:10 PM. Always re-check for your exact city.
Useful HinduLab tools:
- Diwali 2026 Guide
- Festival Calendar
- Today's Panchang
- Monthly Panchang
- Choghadiya Today
- Pradosham Vrat
Gold and Utensil Buying Muhurat (Top Planning Question)
Buying gold, silver, or new utensils on Dhanteras is one of the most common practical questions of Diwali week. Two traditional preferences often overlap:
- Dhanteras / Trayodashi day itself
- Pushya Nakshatra days shortly before Dhanteras (widely treated as excellent for bringing Lakshmi home)
Dhanteras-day gold windows for New Delhi (2026)
According to Drik Panchang for New Delhi:
| Window | Timing |
|---|---|
| Overall Trayodashi-linked gold purchase span | 10:30 AM on Nov 6 to 6:37 AM on Nov 7 (about 20 hours 7 minutes) |
| Morning Choghadiya (Chara, Labha, Amrita) | 10:30 AM to 10:43 AM |
| Afternoon Choghadiya (Shubha) | 12:05 PM to 1:27 PM |
| Late afternoon Choghadiya (Chara) | 4:11 PM to 5:33 PM |
| Night Choghadiya (Labha) | 8:49 PM to 10:27 PM |
| Late-night Choghadiya (Shubha, Amrita, Chara) | 12:05 AM to 4:59 AM on Nov 7 |
| Continued Trayodashi morning on Nov 7 | 6:37 AM to 10:47 AM (preferred morning Shubha about 7:59 AM to 9:21 AM) |
Pushya Nakshatra gold days before Dhanteras (New Delhi)
| Day | Context | Highlighted windows | | --- | --- | --- | | Saturday, October 31, 2026 | Pushya begins | Early morning Labha about 5:39 AM to 6:33 AM on Nov 1 | | Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Ravi Pushya Yoga | Broad day window about 6:33 AM Nov 1 to 4:30 AM Nov 2, with multiple Choghadiya overlaps |
Practical household guidance: Many families buy a small gold or silver coin, a utensil set, or a metal kalash during an auspicious daytime window, then use the purchase in evening Lakshmi-Kubera puja. Drik Panchang notes that Pushya days often see heavy gold demand, while Dhanteras is especially popular for silver coins and utensils. Exact shop hours and inventory are commercial, not panchang, constraints.
For city-specific shopping and travel windows, cross-check Choghadiya and Today's Panchang.
Significance of Dhanteras
Dhanteras carries several linked meanings:
- Lakshmi and Kubera worship for prosperity, stability, and guardianship of wealth
- Dhanvantari Trayodashi, recalling Dhanvantari, the deity of Ayurveda and healing, associated with the ocean of milk
- Start of Diwali home preparation: cleaning, lights, shopping, and business renewal
- Yama Deepam, lighting a lamp for Yamaraj as a protective evening rite
The word dhan points to wealth, but the day is not only commercial. Traditional observance balances shopping with prayer, cleanliness, and care for the household.
Rituals and Vidhi
1. Clean and prepare the home
Families commonly clean the house, decorate the entrance, and set a simple altar with Lakshmi and Kubera images or idols, along with diyas, flowers, incense, rice, water, kumkum, sweets, and any newly purchased metal items.
2. Buy gold, silver, or utensils (optional but popular)
Purchase during a preferred muhurat if possible. Even a token coin, bowl, or lamp is enough for many homes. Bring the item home respectfully and place it near the puja space.
3. Yama Deepam
Light a diya outside the home during Sayan Sandhya. This deepdan is offered with the intention of protection for family members. In New Delhi for 2026, the published Sayan Sandhya window is about 5:33 PM to 6:51 PM.
4. Lakshmi-Kubera puja in Pradosh Kaal
Dhanteras puja is ideally performed after sunset in Pradosh Kaal, especially while a sthira (fixed) lagna such as Vrishabha is active and Trayodashi still prevails. For New Delhi, that preferred overlap is about 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM.
A simple home sequence:
- Light the lamp and incense
- Offer flowers, water, rice, and sweets
- Worship Lakshmi and Kubera (and, where tradition includes it, Dhanvantari)
- Place newly bought gold, silver, or utensils near the altar
- Recite a short Lakshmi or Kubera prayer according to family custom
- Share prasad
Note: Drik Panchang advises against choosing ordinary travel-oriented Choghadiya alone for the main Dhanteras puja; the preferred ritual logic is Pradosh Kaal + sthira lagna during Trayodashi.
5. Business and account-book practices
Some merchant families begin festive account renewal or Chopda-related preparation around Diwali week. Exact business rites vary by community and may peak on Diwali or the following days rather than only on Dhanteras.
Regional Notes
- North India: Strong focus on evening lamps, gold/silver shopping, and Lakshmi-Kubera worship as Diwali begins.
- Western India: Business communities often emphasize prosperity rites and metal purchases.
- Ayurveda-linked observance: Some devotees give special attention to Dhanvantari and health prayers on the same Trayodashi.
- Diaspora homes: Local sunset and lagna still govern puja; use the city where the family is performing the ritual, not only the ancestral city in India.
How Dhanteras Fits the 2026 Diwali Week
| Day | 2026 Date | Observance | | --- | --- | --- | | Day 1 | Friday, November 6 | Dhanteras / Dhantrayodashi | | Day 2 | Saturday, November 7 | Kali Chaudas and Hanuman Puja (colloquially kept as Choti Diwali in many homes) | | Day 3 | Sunday, November 8 | Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan), main Diwali, and Lakshmi Puja | | Day 4 | Tuesday, November 10 | Govardhan Puja / Annakut / Bali Pratipada | | Day 5 | Wednesday, November 11 | Bhai Dooj / Yama Dwitiya (Aparahna tilak muhurat) |
Note the 2026 quirk: Drik Panchang lists Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan) on the same civil day as Lakshmi Puja, Sunday, November 8, with Kali Chaudas on November 7, and Govardhan Puja on Tuesday, November 10 — there is no festival label on Monday, November 9.
For the full festival overview, see the Diwali 2026 guide. Related later posts in this season: Bhai Dooj 2026 and Chhath Puja 2026.
Planning Checklist
- Confirm local sunset and Dhanteras puja muhurat for your city
- Decide gold/silver/utensil purchase window in advance
- Clean the home and set a simple altar
- Light Yama Deepam outside during evening sandhya
- Perform Lakshmi-Kubera puja in Pradosh Kaal
- Keep fire safety in mind with diyas and decorations
- Recheck timings on Today's Panchang near November 6