Diwali 2026 · Day 3
Lakshmi Puja 2026: muhurat, samagri and step-by-step vidhi
Diwali Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Here is the muhurat for New Delhi and other cities, the samagri list and a simple puja vidhi.
Lakshmi Puja 2026 muhurat (New Delhi)
The preferred time is when three things meet: Amavasya tithi, Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset) and Vrishabha Lagna, a fixed (sthir) ascendant. A puja in a fixed lagna is believed to make Lakshmi stay in the home. In 2026 all three overlap from 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM in Delhi.
Approximate Pradosh start in other cities
Pradosh Kaal starts at local sunset. On 8 November sunset is around 4:55 PM in Kolkata, 5:03 PM in Patna, 5:18 PM in Lucknow, 5:39 PM in Jaipur, 5:40 PM in Chennai, 5:50 PM in Bengaluru, 5:57 PM in Ahmedabad and 6:01 PM in Mumbai. Your local muhurat starts close to these times; check a local panchang for the exact lagna.
Lakshmi Puja samagri
Lakshmi and Ganesh idols or picture, red cloth and a wooden chowki, kalash with water, mango leaves and a coconut, roli, kumkum, turmeric, akshat (rice), flowers and a lotus if available, marigold garland, ghee and oil diyas, cotton wicks, incense, camphor, sweets (kheer, laddoo, batasha), khil-batashe, fruits, paan and supari, coins, new account book or pen, Gangajal and panchamrit.
Lakshmi Puja vidhi, step by step
- Prepare: clean the house, make rangoli at the door and place diyas. Spread a red cloth on a chowki facing east or north.
- Kalash: place a kalash with water, a coin, mango leaves and a coconut on a small heap of rice.
- Idols: place Ganesh on the left and Lakshmi on the right (from your view), with Kuber or account books beside them.
- Sankalp: sit with family, sprinkle Gangajal, hold water and rice, and state your name, gotra and the wish for the family's wellbeing.
- Ganesh puja first: offer tilak, akshat, flowers, durva and a laddoo.
- Lakshmi puja: bathe the idol symbolically with panchamrit, offer kumkum, red flowers, lotus, sweets, khil-batashe and coins while chanting the Lakshmi mantra.
- Lamps: light the main ghee diya, then light diyas for every room, the door, the kitchen and the tulsi.
- Aarti: sing "Om Jai Lakshmi Mata" and Ganesh aarti, then distribute prasad.
Family customs vary. If your family has its own order or mantras, follow them; the steps above are a simple common form.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Lakshmi Puja time on Diwali 2026?
On Sunday, 8 November 2026 the Lakshmi Puja muhurat for New Delhi is 5:54 PM to 7:50 PM (1 hour 56 minutes).
Can Lakshmi Puja be done at midnight?
Yes. Those who follow tantric or Nishita traditions worship in Nishita Kaal, which is 11:39 PM to 12:31 AM on the night of 8 November.
Can I do the puja after 7:50 PM if I miss the muhurat?
Yes. The whole Pradosh Kaal until 8:09 PM is suitable, and Amavasya continues through the night, so a sincere puja later in the evening is still fine.
Which mantra is chanted in Lakshmi Puja?
Common mantras are "Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Kamale Kamalalaye Praseed Praseed Shreem Hreem Shreem Om Mahalakshmyai Namah" and the simpler "Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah", followed by the Lakshmi aarti "Om Jai Lakshmi Mata".
Next in Diwali 2026
Last updated: 2 October 2026