Dhanteras 2026: Is Dhanteras on November 5 or 6? Check Date, puja muhurat, city-wise timings and full Diwali calendar

Is Dhanteras on November 5 or 6: Dhanteras kicks off the five-day Diwali festival across India and among Indian communities abroad. Here is when it falls this year, what it stands for and when to do the puja in your city. According to Drik Panchang, Dhanteras 2026 falls on Friday, November 6. The dates and timings of Dhanteras and Diwali are worked out from astronomical calculations published in the Panchang.

Dhanteras 2026 puja timings (Friday, November 6)

• Dhanteras Puja Muhurat: 6:03 PM to 7:59 PM (1 hour 56 minutes)
• Yama Deepam: Friday, November 6, 2026
• Pradosh Kaal: 5:34 PM to 8:10 PM
• Vrishabha Kaal: 6:03 PM to 7:59 PM
• Trayodashi Tithi begins: 10:30 AM on November 6, 2026
• Trayodashi Tithi ends: 10:47 AM on November 7, 2026

For many families, this is the first day of the winter festive season, when they pray for good health and good fortune. If you are planning a big purchase or a family puja, it helps to know the exact timings in advance, so you can avoid the festive rush.

Dhanteras, Chhoti Diwali and Diwali 2026 dates

Diwali week begins in the first week of November this year. Dhanteras starts off the cleaning and shopping, and the main night of lamps comes two days later.

City-wise puja timings for Dhanteras 2026

Sunset varies from east to west across India, so the evening puja window shifts a little from city to city. The best time to light lamps is usually the two hours after dusk.

• New Delhi and NCR: 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM
• Mumbai and Pune: 6:32 PM to 8:35 PM
• Bengaluru and Chennai: 6:14 PM to 8:20 PM
• Kolkata: 5:28 PM to 7:26 PM
• Ahmedabad and Jaipur: 6:11 PM to 8:28 PM

For those buying gold, silver coins or brass utensils, the buying window opens on the morning of Friday, November 6 and runs until mid-morning on Saturday, November 7. That makes it a busy weekend for markets.

What does Dhanteras mean?

Dhanteras translates roughly to “wealth on the thirteenth day.” The word joins dhan, meaning wealth or prosperity, with teras, the thirteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight in the traditional lunar calendar.

Why is Dhanteras celebrated before Diwali?

On this day, Hindu tradition honours Lord Dhanvantari, the god of medicine and healing. According to the Bhagavata Purana (Canto 8, Chapter 8), he emerged during the churning of the ocean, carrying a pot of amrit. Families mark the day to bring good health and financial stability into their homes before the lights of Diwali.