6 November 2026, Friday is the reference date for New Delhi. Every timing in this guide is for New Delhi, India (IST, UTC+5:30). It is not an all-India or worldwide timing.
New Delhi reference timing
6:02–7:57 PM IST
This is the reference puja window. Date and timing reference (checked October 27, 2026).
What to prepare before the evening
Set aside a clean place for prayer, a stable lamp, cotton wicks, oil or ghee, flowers, water and a small offering your household normally uses. Check what is already at home before buying more. A modest celebration can be planned with the same care as an elaborate one. If you are visiting a temple, confirm its programme separately; a temple event schedule is not necessarily the household puja window.
A simple household sequence
Clean the prayer area and arrange the items before the chosen time. Gather the family, begin with the invocations followed in your home, offer flowers and a small food offering, and finish with prayer or aarti. Households that worship Lakshmi and Kubera can follow their customary order. Dhanteras is also associated with Dhanvantari; respect the observance followed by your family rather than combining unfamiliar rituals from several forwarded lists.
Shopping without last-minute pressure
Gold, silver and utensils are customary purchases in many families, but buying them is not compulsory. Make a budget, compare the final price and keep the receipt. A puja time is not automatically a shopping muhurat: do not label the evening window below as a universal time for every purchase. There is no promise that buying a particular object will produce financial gain.
Plan the following days
Keep the remaining lamps, reusable decorations and non-perishable supplies together for the rest of Diwali week. Choose responsibilities in advance so the evening is not spent searching for matches or arranging food. Put lit lamps on a stable surface away from curtains, and supervise them throughout the prayer.
Check the Panchang for your location
Open the CosmosPandit web app, select your city and the relevant date, and review the Panchang. Confirm the location before using the displayed information. For a particular family ritual, ask your local temple or priest if the applicable window is unclear. Converting Delhi’s clock time to another time zone does not establish a local puja muhurat.