When Is Diwali

Diwali Dates From 2025 to 2028

The main Diwali day is the date of Lakshmi Puja, while the surrounding observances form a festival sequence that can span several days. The Diwali dates 2025 to 2028 fall between October and November, rather than on one fixed civil-calendar date. The dates below give the commonly observed Lakshmi Puja day and the principal festival days where relevant. Regional calendars may place an observance a day earlier or later. The dates have been checked against Drik Panchang.

Diwali 2025

In 2025, Lakshmi Puja falls on Monday, 20 October, with the main celebration in October. The five-day sequence includes these principal observances:

• Dhanteras falls on Saturday, 18 October, beginning the five-day festival period with the customary worship of Dhanvantari and purchases associated with prosperity.
• Naraka Chaturdashi, also called Choti Diwali, is observed on Sunday, 19 October, the day before the main Lakshmi Puja celebration.
• Lakshmi Puja, the main Diwali observance, falls on Monday, 20 October; regional calendars may list some observances a day differently.
• Govardhan Puja is observed on Wednesday, 22 October, followed by Bhai Dooj on Thursday, 23 October, completing the commonly listed five festival days.
• Dussehra falls on 2 October, leaving an 18-day gap before Diwali; the October date reflects the annual lunar calendar, not a fixed civil date.

The sequence has a one-day variation in some regional listings, especially where local calendar conventions affect the day assigned to an observance. Diwali is therefore not always on 1 November: in 2025, its main day is 20 October.

Diwali 2026

Diwali falls late in 2026, with Lakshmi Puja on Sunday, 8 November. The unusually late date follows Adhik Jyeshtha, an extra lunar month running from 17 May to 15 June 2026, which shifts the festival calendar later. The main festival dates are:

• Dhanteras is Friday, 6 November, opening the principal five-day sequence before the weekend’s Choti Diwali and Lakshmi Puja observances.
• Naraka Chaturdashi, or Choti Diwali, falls on Saturday, 7 November, one day before the main Lakshmi Puja date.
• Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday, 8 November, the main Diwali day and the date commonly used when giving the year’s Diwali date.
• Govardhan Puja falls on Tuesday, 10 November; it follows the main day after the intervening calendar date.
• Bhai Dooj is Wednesday, 11 November, completing the listed festival sequence; regional calendars can assign an observance a day differently.

Dussehra is on 20 October, making the interval to Diwali 19 days. The Adhik Jyeshtha month is the key calendar distinction for this year: rather than simply following a predictable civil-date pattern, the festival arrives in November. When asking, “When is Diwali in 2026?”, use 8 November for the main Lakshmi Puja date, while checking local listings for the surrounding observances.

Diwali 2027 and 2028

Both years place the main Diwali observance in October, but the dates differ by twelve days. The principal dates and Dussehra intervals are:

• In 2027, Lakshmi Puja falls on Friday, 29 October, placing the main celebration in the latter part of October.
• Dussehra is Saturday, 9 October 2027, leaving a 20-day gap before the Diwali celebration.
• In 2028, Lakshmi Puja falls on Tuesday, 17 October, bringing the main day earlier in the autumn calendar.
• Dussehra is Wednesday, 27 September 2028, also 20 days before Diwali; this year’s dates sit earlier in the October-to-November range.

Regional listings may vary by a day for particular observances, so the Lakshmi Puja date is the clearest reference for the main celebration. These dates also show why Diwali does not belong to one fixed civil-calendar day: its position can move from mid-October to mid-November across years.

Dates at a glance

This table compares the main Lakshmi Puja date with Dussehra for each year.

Diwali and Dussehra dates, 2025–2028

Year	Weekday	Lakshmi Puja date (main Diwali day)	Dussehra date
2025	Monday	20 October 2025	2 October 2025
2026	Sunday	8 November 2026	20 October 2026
2027	Friday	29 October 2027	9 October 2027
2028	Tuesday	17 October 2028	27 September 2028

The listed intervals from Dussehra to Diwali are 18 days in 2025, 19 in 2026, and 20 in both 2027 and 2028. For planning, use the Lakshmi Puja date as the main Diwali day and confirm local listings for nearby observances, which can differ by a day.

How the Lunar Calendar Decides the Date

Diwali follows a lunisolar calendar, so its place in the Gregorian year changes while its ritual date remains tied to a particular lunar phase. The key marker is Amavasya, the new-moon tithi, with Lakshmi Puja observed in the evening when that tithi is present after sunset. Month names can differ between regional calendar systems even when communities observe the same night. The lunar year also needs an occasional extra month to stay aligned with the solar year.

Amavasya, tithi and the new moon

Amavasya is the final tithi of the waning lunar fortnight, ending at the astronomical new moon, when the apparent geocentric longitudes of the Sun and Moon meet. A tithi is not a fixed civil date: it measures the Moon’s angular distance from the Sun in steps of 12 degrees, and their changing orbital speeds make each interval unequal. The Diwali festival follows this lunar framework, but the evening observance depends on when the tithi falls locally. The synodic month, measured from one new moon to the next, averages 29.53 days. Since tithis vary in length, Amavasya can begin on one civil date and end on the next; a new-moon conjunction can therefore occur before or after the sunset used for ritual timing. Approximate astronomical new-moon moments for these years, converted to Indian Standard Time, are:

• On 21 October 2025, the conjunction is about 17:55 IST, close to sunset; the local Amavasya tithi and evening observance must be distinguished from the exact conjunction time.
• On 9 November 2026, the new moon is approximately 12:30 IST, while the relevant question for puja is whether Amavasya remains present after sunset.
• On 29 October 2027, the conjunction occurs at roughly 19:00 IST, so it falls around evening rather than at a fixed universal ritual hour.
• On 18 October 2028, the new moon is near 08:30 IST; the tithi can extend across a different portion of the civil day than the conjunction itself.
• These are approximate conjunction times, not interchangeable with sunset or the beginning of Amavasya; local sunrise, sunset and tithi calculations determine the observance.

Lakshmi Puja is traditionally performed during Pradosh Kaal, the period after sunset, when Amavasya is present. When Amavasya spans two civil dates, the observance is not selected simply by taking the calendar date on which the astronomical conjunction occurs; the tithi’s presence during the prescribed evening period is central. This is why a clock time for the new moon alone cannot establish the ritual evening. For an English Lunar Calendar for Diwali, check the local observance alongside the astronomical phase rather than treating midnight-to-midnight dates as lunar boundaries.

Kartik, Ashvin and the two month systems

The same Amavasya can carry different month names because Hindu calendars use two ways of marking a lunar month. In the amanta system, common in southern India and parts of western India, the month runs from one new moon to the next and ends at Amavasya. The following day begins the next lunar month. In the purnimanta system, used widely in northern India, the month ends at the full moon. Its month boundary therefore falls roughly halfway through the amanta month, and the dark fortnight can be assigned a different name. Diwali’s new-moon night is generally called Kartik Amavasya in amanta calendars, while purnimanta calendars can place that same night at the end of Ashvin. These names describe calendar conventions, not different astronomical events or separate Diwali nights. Both systems track the same lunar phases; they simply place the boundary between named months at different points in the cycle. Regional practice also varies, so a calendar should be read using the system customary in the community it serves. The distinction explains why two reliable regional calendars may label the same date Ashvin or Kartik without disagreeing about the new moon itself.

Adhik maas: the extra month

A lunar year of twelve synodic months is about 354 days, around 11 days shorter than the solar year of approximately 365.24 days. Without adjustment, lunar months would drift through the seasons. An adhik maas, or intercalary month, is inserted roughly every 2.7 to 3 years to bring the lunisolar calendar back into seasonal alignment. In traditional calculation, it is generally added when a lunar month passes without a solar ingress, known as Sankranti. The inserted month repeats a month name and lengthens that lunar year, affecting the Gregorian dates on which later festivals fall. In 2026, Adhik Jyeshtha is commonly listed from 17 May to 15 June. Its insertion contributes to the later placement of that year’s lunar observances, including Diwali, compared with years without an extra month; the adjustment is part of calendar alignment rather than a change to the festival’s lunar basis. The combined effects of lunar month lengths, tithi timing and occasional intercalation keep Diwali within a recurring seasonal window: it always falls between mid-October and mid-November. For practical planning, use a calendar calculated for the relevant region and check the local evening observance, not just the new-moon date. That approach accounts for both the lunar phase and the ritual timing that determines the celebration night.

Diwali Dates in the UK

Diwali observance in the UK can appear on a different civil date from listings prepared for India. The lunar tithi is the same interval worldwide, but its local clock times and the date chosen for observance depend on the location and calendar convention. UK worship and event schedules also follow local sunset, while the clocks change from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time in autumn. Checking a nearby temple or community calendar helps match the date and timings used by local celebrations.

Why UK listings can differ by a day

A tithi is a lunar interval, but calendars display its start and end in local time and apply observance rules to local conditions. The date selected for Diwali can therefore differ between a calendar prepared for India and one prepared for the UK, particularly when the relevant tithi falls close to the evening observance period. A date shown for Delhi should not automatically be treated as the date followed by a temple in London, Birmingham or Glasgow.

The time-zone difference adds a practical reason to check the location attached to a listing. India uses Indian Standard Time, UTC+5:30, throughout the year. The UK uses British Summer Time, UTC+1, until the autumn clock change, then Greenwich Mean Time, UTC+0. Depending on the time of year, Indian clocks are four and a half or five and a half hours ahead of UK clocks. A tithi boundary that falls near midnight or sunset can consequently appear under a different local clock date.

The 2025 listings illustrate the difference: some show Diwali on 21 October 2025, while Drik Panchang gives 20 October 2025. Such a one-day variation does not by itself mean that either listing has made an arithmetic error; the location and the calendar’s method for assigning the observance date matter. When comparing Diwali dates 2025, check whether the calendar is set to a UK city or an Indian location, and whether it identifies the evening puja date rather than only the tithi’s civil date.

For a UK household, the most useful comparison is between calendars that use the same town and observance convention. If a national listing and a local temple notice differ by one day, follow the temple’s published schedule for its own services and community events.

Diwali and the UK calendar

Diwali puja is commonly arranged for the evening after sunset, so the useful time is the local sunset and puja window for the town where worship will take place. Sunset differs across the UK: a schedule for London may not match the daylight conditions in Edinburgh or Belfast. Temple notices often give the service time directly, which is more practical than converting an Indian timetable or relying on a general date alone.

Autumn clock changes can affect how people read event times around late October. The UK clocks go back on 26 October 2025, 25 October 2026, 31 October 2027 and 29 October 2028. Each change occurs overnight on a Sunday, when 2:00 am British Summer Time becomes 1:00 am Greenwich Mean Time. A printed invitation or online event listing should be read in the local time in force on the event date; the clock change does not itself determine the religious date.

Diwali is not a bank holiday in any part of the UK. Schools, workplaces and public services therefore generally follow their usual schedules, even when a family or local community is celebrating. Some communities organise services on the date their temple calendar follows, while others may hold larger gatherings on a nearby weekend to make attendance easier. The date of a public event may not be the same as the evening of puja.

Local Hindu temples and community organisations publish the most relevant schedules for their area, including service times and any associated gatherings. Check the calendar for the specific venue and year before arranging travel, time off or a family celebration; for puja, use the local evening timing rather than an Indian clock time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Diwali Dates

These answers clarify how to identify Diwali’s observance and understand why its date changes from year to year.

Is it Diwali today?

To check whether Diwali is being observed today, look for the Amavasya, or new-moon day, in the Hindu month of Kartik and the evening set aside for Lakshmi Puja. The date table gives the festival date for each listed year, which is more useful than relying on a fixed Gregorian date. Because the lunar day’s timing can differ by location, check the date used for the place where you plan to celebrate.

How many days does Diwali last?

Diwali commonly spans five days, with Lakshmi Puja on the main festival day. The observances are often associated with Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi, Lakshmi Puja, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj, although practices vary between communities. Some regional celebrations last three days, while others extend to six; the schedule depends on local custom and how the festival days are observed. For event planning, check the programme for the community or region you will join.

Why is Diwali in November in 2026?

Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November 2026 because an extra lunar month, Adhik Jyeshtha, ran from 17 May to 15 June that year. The additional month adjusted the lunar calendar’s progression against the solar year, shifting the festival by about 18–20 days later than its more familiar late-October timing. This is why the Diwali dates 2026 differ noticeably from some years; the date follows the lunar observance rather than a fixed place in the Gregorian calendar.

When is Diwali 2027?

Diwali’s main Lakshmi Puja day in 2027 is Friday 29 October. The date is determined by the lunar observance, so listings for different regions can occasionally differ by a day where local timings and traditions affect which date is followed. If you are arranging travel or attending a community event, confirm the local listing as well as the calendar date. The 2027 Diwali celebration days may also vary in length according to regional custom.

Is Diwali the same date every year?

No, Diwali does not fall on the same civil-calendar date each year; it generally moves between mid-October and mid-November. Its timing follows a lunar tithi, so the corresponding Gregorian date shifts as the lunar calendar cycles through the year. This is why the festival can fall in October one year and November another, without changing the observance it marks. For practical planning, use the date table for the specific year and check the locally observed date if you are attending an event.