Diwali 2026: Lakshmi Puja Date, Vidhi and Seeking Blessings for Your Business

Diwali, the festival of lights, is the most joyful night of the Hindu year. Homes are cleaned and decorated, diyas are lit on every doorstep, and families gather to welcome Maa Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity and well-being. For business families, Diwali also marks a spiritual new beginning: account books are worshipped, shops are blessed, and prayers are offered for a stable and honest year ahead.

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. This guide covers the five days of Deepotsav, the timing and a simple vidhi for Lakshmi Puja at home and at your business, how families abroad can celebrate, and how you can have a special puja performed at Maa Baglamukhi Temple, Nalkheda, where Maa Lakshmi is worshipped alongside Maa Baglamukhi.

Diwali 2026: The Five Days of Deepotsav

When Is the Lakshmi Puja Muhurat?

Lakshmi Puja is traditionally performed in the evening, during Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset) on the Kartik Amavasya night. In 2026, the Amavasya tithi spans 8–9 November, and most communities perform Lakshmi Puja on the evening of Sunday, 8 November.

Because Pradosh Kaal depends on local sunset, the exact muhurat varies by city. Some business families also perform Chopda Pujan (worship of account books) in a specific muhurat or in Nishita Kaal (around midnight), according to family tradition. Ask your priest or Acharya for the right time in your city.

The Meaning of Diwali

Diwali celebrates several sacred stories:

• Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile and his victory over Ravana. The people of Ayodhya lit lamps to welcome him home.
• The appearance of Maa Lakshmi from the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan). Devotees believe she visits clean, well-lit homes on Diwali night.
• Lord Krishna's victory over Narakasura, celebrated on Naraka Chaturdashi.

At its heart, Diwali is about light overcoming darkness, both outside and within: clearing away clutter, anger and negativity to make space for clarity, gratitude and abundance.

Diwali and Business: Why Merchants Worship on This Night

For generations, Indian business communities have treated Diwali as the true start of the financial year. On this night:

• New account books (bahi-khata or chopda) are opened and worshipped
• Cash boxes, safes and tools of trade are cleaned and honoured
• Shops and offices are decorated and blessed
• Prayers are offered for honest earnings, stability and the well-being of employees and customers

Even businesses that now use software and digital accounts continue the tradition, often by placing the new ledger, a laptop or a symbolic account book on the altar.

Simple Lakshmi Puja Vidhi for Home and Business

This simple traditional method can be followed by any family. Elaborate Vedic puja may include more steps, and an Acharya can perform it for you.

Before the puja: 1. Clean the home or shop thoroughly and decorate the entrance with rangoli, toran and diyas. 2. Place a chowki with a red or yellow cloth facing east or north. 3. Place images of Lord Ganesha and Maa Lakshmi (Ganesha to Lakshmi's left), a kalash, and your account book or cash box.

The puja: 1. Purify: sprinkle Gangajal on yourself and the space. 2. Sankalp: state your name, gotra, place and intention, such as the well-being of your family and business. 3. Ganesh Puja: offer kumkum, akshat, flowers, durva grass and modak or laddoo. 4. Lakshmi Puja: offer kumkum, lotus or red flowers, akshat, sweets, fruits, coins and a lit diya. 5. Kuber and Chopda Pujan: worship the account book, safe or cash box with kumkum, akshat and flowers. Draw a swastik and write "Shubh Labh" in the new account book. 6. Mantra and Aarti: chant "Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah" with devotion and perform the Lakshmi Aarti. 7. Kshama Prarthana: ask forgiveness for any mistakes in the puja. 8. Light the home: place diyas at the entrance, windows, kitchen, water source and every corner. 9. Share prasad with family and staff, and give to those in need.

Maa Lakshmi at Nalkheda: A Special Connection

The swayambhu murti at Maa Baglamukhi Temple, Nalkheda is a sacred triad: Maa Baglamukhi in the centre, flanked by Maa Lakshmi and Maa Saraswati. Devotees see this as a complete blessing: steadiness (Baglamukhi), prosperity (Lakshmi) and wisdom (Saraswati).

For this reason, many devotees choose Diwali to have a special puja performed at Nalkheda, seeking both Maa Lakshmi's blessings for the home and business and Maa Baglamukhi's grace for steadiness and protection through the year.

Read more: Maa Baglamukhi Temple, Nalkheda: Complete Guide

Diwali Puja by Acharya Ashish Sharma

For families and business owners who want a formal puja on Diwali, Acharya Ashish Sharma performs traditional rituals at Nalkheda according to each devotee's situation, such as:

• Lakshmi Puja with sankalp for the family and business
• Maa Baglamukhi Puja and Havan, for steadiness and removal of obstacles in business and financial life
• Special Anushthan for devotees with a specific sankalp

The appropriate ritual is suggested during a free consultation. It is offered as a traditional religious practice, not a guarantee of financial results. Honest effort, good conduct and wise decisions remain the foundation of any business.

Read more: Business Growth and Financial Stability: Traditional Pujas Devotees Perform

Celebrating Diwali Abroad

For families in the USA, Canada and UK, the evening Lakshmi Puja in India falls on the morning or afternoon of 8 November in your time zone, since daylight saving will have ended by then. For example, 6:30 PM IST is:

Many families abroad perform their own Lakshmi Puja on their local Diwali evening and have a puja performed in India in their name as well.

Read more: How to Book a Puja in India from the USA, Canada or UK

Diwali Do's and Don'ts

Do: - Clean and declutter your home and workplace before Diwali - Light diyas at the entrance and in every room - Worship Lord Ganesha before Maa Lakshmi - Share sweets and give to those in need - Keep the atmosphere peaceful and joyful

Don't: - Leave diyas unattended near curtains or flammable materials - Quarrel or speak harshly on Diwali night - Gamble or overspend in the name of celebration - Treat puja as a way to "guarantee" wealth. It is an act of gratitude and devotion.

Dhanteras 2026: Friday, 6 November

Dhanteras opens the five days of Deepotsav. Dhan means wealth and teras means the thirteenth lunar day. It is also the day of Lord Dhanvantari, remembered in tradition as the physician of the gods.

Traditional practices on Dhanteras: - Buying something new and auspicious: a small silver coin, brass or steel utensils, or a new broom (a symbol of sweeping away the old) - Cleaning the home and workplace thoroughly - Lighting a diya in the evening, including the Yama Deepam, a lamp placed facing south at the entrance in many families - Worship of Kuber and Maa Lakshmi in some communities

There is no need to overspend. A small, meaningful purchase made with gratitude is entirely in keeping with the tradition.

Choti Diwali (Naraka Chaturdashi): Saturday, 7 November

The day before Diwali remembers Lord Krishna's victory over the demon Narakasura. Many families: - Take an early morning abhyang snan (oil bath) - Light a few diyas in the evening - Finish the last cleaning and decoration for Diwali night - Prepare sweets and set up the puja altar

Lakshmi Puja Samagri Checklist

Keep everything ready before sunset on 8 November:

Read more: What Is Sankalp? Why Your Name and Gotra Matter

Diwali Puja for a Modern or Online Business

Many young entrepreneurs ask how to follow the tradition when their business is on a laptop or phone. The spirit of the ritual adapts easily:

• Your "account book" can be symbolic. Place a new notebook with a swastik and "Shubh Labh" written on the first page next to your laptop.
• Honour the tools of your trade: laptop, phone, camera, delivery vehicle or workshop tools. Apply a small tilak and offer a flower.
• Include your team. Invite employees or partners to the aarti, and share sweets and a Diwali gift.
• Remote teams: hold a short puja on a video call so everyone can join the aarti.
• Make a sankalp for right conduct: honest dealings, fair treatment of staff and customers, and wise decisions in the year ahead.

Where to Light Diyas on Diwali Night

Families follow many customs, but common places to light diyas include:

1. The main entrance, on both sides of the door
2. The puja altar, a ghee diya that burns through the puja
3. The kitchen, honouring Annapurna
4. The water source: tap, well or water tank
5. The tulsi plant, if you have one
6. Windows and balconies, facing outward
7. Every room, so that no corner stays dark
8. Your shop or office entrance

Safety first: keep diyas away from curtains, keep children at a distance, and in apartments abroad consider LED diyas in places where open flames are not allowed.

Your Diwali 2026 Preparation Timeline

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Worshipping Lakshmi before Ganesha. Ganesha is always worshipped first.
2. Placing the images carelessly. Keep Ganesha to the left of Lakshmi (from your view), on a clean, raised surface.
3. Leaving clutter in the puja room or shop. Cleanliness is part of the worship.
4. Unsafe lamps near curtains, paper decorations or children.
5. Arguments on Diwali night. A calm, joyful home is the best welcome.
6. Treating the puja as a financial bargain. It is an offering of gratitude; honest effort remains essential.
7. Leaving the Nalkheda booking too late if you want a puja performed on the day.

About Acharya Ashish Sharma

Acharya Ashish Sharma has served in the tradition of Maa Baglamukhi for more than 25 years. He is Sanskrit-trained and connected with this tradition since birth, and his office is near Maa Baglamukhi Temple, Nalkheda. He performs traditional Maa Baglamukhi Puja, Havan and Special Anushthan, and offers personal spiritual guidance according to each devotee's situation, for families in India and around the world.