Dhanteras 2026: date, puja muhurat by city, and what the day means
Dhanteras falls on Friday 6 November 2026, opening the five days of Diwali. Here are the evening puja windows for New Delhi, London, New York, Toronto and Dubai, plus Dhanvantari, the Yama Deepam lamp and the custom of buying metal.
About 6 min read
Checked by an AI-assisted fact-check on 21 October 2026. Human review by Abhishek Kumar: pending. Fact-checked against the cited sources. Not yet reviewed by a pandit.
When is Dhanteras in 2026, and when should you do the puja? Dhanteras falls on Friday 6 November 2026. It is the first of the five Diwali days in most of India, and Drik Panchang lists the same Friday for London, New York, Toronto and Dubai. The puja is traditionally done in the early evening, in Pradosh Kaal, the window that opens at sunset. In New Delhi, Drik Panchang gives the puja muhurat as 6:02 to 7:57 PM. Your own window depends on your city's sunset, so use the table below and then check your city.
Dhanteras 2026 at a glance
- Date: Friday 6 November 2026
- Tithi: Krishna Paksha Trayodashi (the 13th lunar day of the waning fortnight), which begins at 10:30 AM IST on 6 November and runs until 10:47 AM IST on 7 November
- Also on the same evening: Yama Deepam, the lamp lit for Yama
- Also known as: Dhanatrayodashi, and Dhanvantari Trayodashi
The full Diwali week for New Delhi, as Drik Panchang lists it: Govatsa Dwadashi on Thursday 5 November, Dhanteras on Friday 6 November, Narak Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Puja on Sunday 8 November, Govardhan Puja on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November. For the Lakshmi Puja evening itself, see our companion piece, Diwali 2026 date and Lakshmi Puja muhurat by city.
Dhanteras puja muhurat by city
These windows come from Drik Panchang's city pages for 6 November 2026, rechecked on those pages on 21 October 2026. Each one is in that city's local clock time.
| City | Puja muhurat (local time) |
|---|---|
| New Delhi (IST) | 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM |
| London (GMT) | 4:43 PM to 6:20 PM |
| New York (EST) | 5:12 PM to 7:00 PM |
| Toronto (EST) | 5:25 PM to 7:11 PM |
| Dubai (GST) | 6:06 PM to 8:04 PM |
In New Delhi, Pradosh Kaal that evening runs from 5:33 to 8:09 PM. The narrower puja muhurat sits inside it.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Clocks abroad have already changed. The UK is on GMT, and the USA and Canada moved back to standard time on 1 November 2026. If an older calendar still shows daylight-saving times, it will be an hour out.
- Don't convert India's time. A window worked out for Delhi's sunset says nothing about London's or Toronto's sunset. The mypanchang.com explainer makes the same point: muhurat timings depend on local coordinates, so subtracting the time-zone gap does not work.
- Your city may differ from the table. Look up your own city on our /panchang page for sunset and the running tithi.
- Your family or temple may follow its own timing. If your priest or your family's printed panchang gives a different window, that tradition is the one to follow.
Why the evening, and what "Sthir Lagna" means
Drik Panchang describes Pradosh Kaal as starting after sunset and lasting about two hours and 24 minutes. It recommends this as the best period for the Dhanteras puja.
Inside Pradosh, it looks for Sthir Lagna, a "fixed" rising sign. The traditional belief is that puja done during a fixed lagna helps Lakshmi stay in the home. Vrishabha (Taurus) is the fixed sign that usually overlaps Pradosh Kaal at this time of year, which is why the city windows above are shorter than the full Pradosh period.
Drik Panchang also advises against using Choghadiya periods to choose a puja time on this day, describing them as suitable for travel rather than puja.
Dhanvantari: why Dhanteras is also a healing day
Dhanteras is also kept as Dhanvantari Trayodashi. In the Puranic story of the churning of the ocean, Dhanvantari rises holding a pot of amrit, the nectar of immortality. He is honoured as the physician of the gods and the deity of Ayurveda, and Wikipedia's entry notes he is also counted as a form of Vishnu.
This link has an official side too. According to Wikipedia's entry, India's Ministry of AYUSH named Dhanteras "National Ayurveda Day", first observed on 28 October 2016.
Lakshmi and Kubera on Dhanteras
Drik Panchang notes that Lakshmi is also said to have emerged from the churning of the ocean on this day, so she is worshipped along with Kubera, the treasurer of the gods. It also notes that the main Lakshmi Puja, two days later on Amavasya, is considered the more significant of the two. Practice varies from family to family, so follow your own tradition or your priest.
Yama Deepam: the lamp that faces south
On the evening of Trayodashi, many households light a lamp outside the home for Yama, the god of death. Drik Panchang describes the purpose as warding off untimely death in the family. It is a prayer for protection, not a sign that anything is wrong.
Wikipedia's entry adds some practical detail from tradition:
- The practice is called yamadipadana.
- Lamps are set facing south, the direction associated with Yama.
- Some families make thirteen lamps from wheat flour dough, matching the thirteenth tithi.
If you live in a flat or a rented house abroad, a single small diya at the front door or on a balcony is a common way to keep the custom. Our guide to diyas, incense and smoke alarms in apartments covers how to do this without setting off an alarm.
The custom of buying metal or utensils
Dhanteras is the day many families buy something new in metal: a steel or brass vessel, a silver coin, or a piece of gold. Wikipedia's entry describes buying gold, silver or new utensils as traditionally considered auspicious, and notes that the day is also a busy one for buying appliances and vehicles.
A few honest notes on this custom:
- It is a tradition, not a requirement. Nothing in the puja depends on a purchase. A family that buys nothing keeps Dhanteras just as fully.
- Small is normal. Many households buy a single spoon, a small lamp or a steel plate and use it in the Diwali puja.
- It is not an investment rule. We don't give financial advice, and no date makes a purchase a better or worse deal.
- Think about what you will actually use. A new vessel that goes into the kitchen or the puja corner keeps the spirit of the custom better than something bought only for the date.
Questions people ask
Is Dhanteras on 6 November everywhere in 2026? For the cities in this article (New Delhi, London, New York, Toronto and Dubai), Drik Panchang lists Friday 6 November. For any other city, check the local panchang.
Can I do the Dhanteras puja after the muhurat ends? Many families do a simple puja in the evening whenever they can. The muhurat is the traditionally preferred window, and your priest can advise on your family's practice.
Why does Trayodashi start in the morning but the puja is in the evening? The tithi begins at 10:30 AM IST on 6 November, but the Dhanteras puja is traditionally done in Pradosh Kaal, after sunset, while Trayodashi is still running.
Do I have to buy gold on Dhanteras? No. Buying metal is a popular custom, not part of the puja itself.
What is the link between Dhanteras and Ayurveda? The day is also Dhanvantari Trayodashi, honouring the deity of Ayurveda, and India's Ministry of AYUSH marks it as National Ayurveda Day.
About this article: it is for general information only, researched from the public sources listed above. It may contain errors or leave out local customs, and it is not religious, medical, legal or financial advice. Practices vary by family, region and tradition, so please follow your family pandit's guidance. Spotted a mistake? Tell us on WhatsApp and we'll correct it.