Hindu festival · computed for New Delhi
Dhanteras 2026 Date and Pradosh Puja Time
In 2026, Dhanteras in New Delhi falls on Friday, 6 November 2026. Dhanvantari Jayanti and the first day of the Diwali festival.
Pradosh Puja Time: Pradosh: the first fifth of the night after sunset, while the tithi lasts.
How the date is decided
Trayodashi of the waning fortnight before Diwali, on the day the Trayodashi covers pradosh (the first fifth of the night).
Dates for the next few years (New Delhi)
| Year | Date | Pradosh Puja Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday, 6 November Krishna Trayodashi: 10:31 AM, 6 Nov → 10:48 AM, 7 Nov | 5:33 PM – 8:10 PM |
| 2027 | Wednesday, 27 October Krishna Trayodashi: 1:04 AM, 27 Oct → 10:50 PM, 27 Oct | 5:40 PM – 8:14 PM |
| 2028 | Sunday, 15 October Krishna Trayodashi: 7:17 PM, 15 Oct → 3:46 PM, 16 Oct | 7:17 PM – 8:22 PM |
See the day's full panchang for New Delhi →
In your city
The tithi changes at the same instant everywhere, but sunrise, sunset, midnight and moonrise are local — so the day a festival falls on can differ between cities, especially abroad.
| Date | Friday, 6 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Pradosh Puja Time | 5:33 PM – 8:10 PM |
Cities with a different date in 2026
In 2026 every city in the list keeps it on the same date as New Delhi; only the times differ.
About the festival
Dhanteras, also called Dhanatrayodashi, is the thirteenth day of the waning Moon before Diwali and the first of the five days of the festival. It honours Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, who emerged from the churning of the ocean carrying the pot of amrita, and practitioners of Ayurveda honour him on this day. Lakshmi and Kubera are also worshipped for prosperity.
Homes are cleaned and decorated, a lamp is lit for Yama outside the door in the evening (Yama Deepam), and many families buy something new for the house — utensils, a broom, silver, or gold. As with Akshaya Tritiya, the shopping is a custom rather than an obligation; the older observance is the lamp, the puja, and care of one's health.
The puja is done in pradosh, the first part of the night after sunset, so the date is the day on which Trayodashi covers that time.
Common questions
When is Dhanteras 2026?
In New Delhi, Dhanteras 2026 is on Friday, 6 November 2026. Krishna Trayodashi: 10:31 AM, 6 Nov → 10:48 AM, 7 Nov.
What is the Pradosh Puja Time for Dhanteras 2026?
For New Delhi: 5:33 PM – 8:10 PM. It is computed from the city's own sunrise and sunset, so other cities differ by a few minutes or more.
Is Dhanteras on the same date in every city?
In 2026, yes for every city in our list — including those abroad; only the times change. That is not true every year, especially in the Americas and Australia.
Why is a lamp lit for Yama on Dhanteras?
A well-known story tells of King Hima's young son, whose life was saved when his wife kept lamps burning and stayed awake all night. In memory of it, a lamp facing south is lit outside the home on the evening of Dhanteras — Yama Deepam — as a prayer for the family's long and healthy life.