Festival
Dhanteras 2026
Also known as Dhantrayodashi · Dhanvantari Trayodashi
Dhanteras 2026 at a glance
Dhanteras 2026 is on Friday 6 November. The puja is done in the evening, after sunset, and a lamp is set out for Yama at dusk.
When it falls
Krishna Trayodashi, two days before Diwali night
- 2026 · Friday, 6 November 2026
- 2027 · Wednesday, 27 October 2027
Dhanteras puja time in your city
The puja is done in Pradosh Kaal, the window after sunset (sunset plus a fifth of the night, about two and a half hours in Delhi), while Trayodashi (the thirteenth lunar day) is running. The best part of that window is when Vrishabha (Taurus), a fixed sign, is rising. Sunset falls at a different time in every city, so the puja time does too.
London
Friday, 6 November 2026 · times in GMT
7 Nov 05:18
In London, Dhanteras puja falls on the same date as in India this year.
See all cities in one table
| City | Date | Dhanteras puja muhurat |
|---|---|---|
| London | 6 Nov | 16:43 – 18:20 |
| Leicester | 6 Nov | 16:43 – 18:18 |
| New York | 6 Nov | 17:11 – 18:59 |
| New Jersey | 6 Nov | 17:13 – 19:01 |
| Chicago | 6 Nov | 17:03 – 18:49 |
| Houston | 6 Nov | 17:59 – 19:54 |
| San Francisco Bay Area | 6 Nov | 17:31 – 19:20 |
| Toronto | 6 Nov | 17:25 – 19:10 |
| Vancouver | 6 Nov | 18:02 – 19:41 |
| Sydney | 6 Nov | 20:14 – 21:32 |
| Melbourne | 6 Nov | 20:47 – 22:01 |
| Perth | 6 Nov | 19:31 – 20:51 |
| Auckland | 6 Nov | 20:46 – 22:01 |
| Singapore | 6 Nov | 19:28 – 21:13 |
| Dubai | 6 Nov | 18:06 – 20:03 |
| Delhi | 6 Nov | 18:03 – 19:58 |
Significance
Dhanteras joins dhan, wealth, and teras, thirteen: it falls on the thirteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight, two days before Diwali night, and it opens the festival's five days.
Two stories meet here. The first is Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, who rose from the churning of the ocean on this day carrying the pot of amrit, the nectar of long life. In India the day is also kept as National Ayurveda Day in his honour. The second is about Yama, the lord of death. A young prince was fated to die on the fourth night of his marriage. His wife lit lamps all around the room, piled her jewellery at the door, and sat up telling stories through the night. When Yama came as a serpent, the glitter dazzled him and he left at dawn. So on Dhanteras a lamp is set out for Yama, and wealth is honoured as something that protects.
The wealth in question is the kind that keeps a household well: health first, then enough.
How it’s observed
Homes are cleaned and the entrance decorated. In the evening Lakshmi and Kubera, the treasurer of the gods, are worshipped together, and Dhanvantari is remembered for health. At dusk a single lamp, the Yama Deepam, is lit outside the door facing south, the direction of Yama.
Many buy something of metal: a silver coin, gold, or a new steel or brass vessel for the kitchen. It is a token for the year, not an obligation to spend. Some buy a new broom, to sweep out what is old.
The timing, explained
Dhanteras falls on Krishna Trayodashi, the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight that ends with the Diwali new moon. In the Amanta reckoning this almanac uses, that is the month of Ashwin; under the Purnimanta reckoning of north India the same day is named Kartik Krishna Trayodashi.
The day is chosen by the evening: Dhanteras is kept on the day when Trayodashi covers Pradosh Kaal, the window after sunset. That is why it is sometimes one day before Diwali's eve and sometimes two.
Questions people ask
What should I buy on Dhanteras?
Traditionally something of metal: gold, silver, or a new steel or brass vessel for the kitchen. Some families buy a new broom. It is a token of well-being for the year, not an obligation to spend.
What time is Dhanteras puja?
In the evening, in Pradosh Kaal after sunset, while Trayodashi is running, ideally while Taurus (Vrishabha) is rising. Choose your city in the table above for the exact time.
What is Yama Deepam?
A single lamp lit outside the front door at dusk on Dhanteras, facing south, the direction of Yama, the lord of death. It is a prayer that no one in the house dies before their time.
Is Dhanteras the same day as Diwali?
No. It is the first of the five days of Diwali, usually two days before Lakshmi Puja, on Krishna Trayodashi.
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