Dhanteras 2026: Date, Puja Muhurat, Vidhi, Mantras and What to Buy

Ask anyone who grew up in an Indian home what the days before Diwali feel like and you'll hear the same things. Mum wants to know if the diyas are bought. The jeweller's shop is jammed. Somebody is already sweeping the doorstep, even though it's only Tuesday. And on one particular evening, a single small lamp gets lit near the front door before anything else happens. That evening is Dhanteras.

This year it lands on Friday, 6 November. Gold gets all the attention, but the festival began with other things in mind: Lord Dhanvantari, who gave us Ayurveda, Goddess Lakshmi, and a lamp meant to keep the family safe. What follows covers the date, puja timings for ten big cities, the vidhi, three mantras, and a sensible take on what to buy.

Dhanteras 2026 at a Glance

So What Does Dhanteras Mean?

The word splits neatly. Dhan means wealth, teras means the thirteenth tithi. Put together, it's the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Kartik (Ashwin in the Amanta calendar), and it's the day the five-day Diwali stretch begins.

Wealth, in the older sense, never meant bank balance alone. Good health counted. So did a full kitchen and a house where people got along. That's why Dhanvantari is worshipped next to Lakshmi and Kuber. Then there's the Yama Deepam, a little lamp left outside the door, which a lot of families light just before heading in for the evening.

The day before Dhanteras is Govatsa Dwadashi on 5 November, when a cow and her calf are worshipped. If you like taking the festival one day at a time, that one is worth reading too.

Dhanteras 2026 Puja Muhurat for Major Cities

The main puja happens after sunset, while Trayodashi is still running. Sunset comes at a different minute in every city, so the muhurat slides a bit as you move across the map. All times below are local, for 6 November.

Don't see your town? Use the closest city on the list, or call the pandit ji your family always calls. A couple of minutes either way makes no real difference.

If You Miss the Muhurat

With guests in the house, it happens to everyone. Trayodashi doesn't end until the next morning, so sit down for the puja the moment you get a free half hour. A short prayer, said calmly, is worth more than a perfectly timed one rattled off in a rush.

Three Stories Behind Dhanteras

Dhanvantari Rises From the Ocean

When the devas and asuras churned the cosmic ocean, treasure after treasure surfaced. Lakshmi came up, and so did Dhanvantari with a pot of amrit in his hands. He is remembered as the first physician of Ayurveda, and this tithi doubles as his birth anniversary.

The Bride Who Outwitted Death

An old tale tells of a prince who was fated to die of a snakebite on the fourth night of his marriage. His new wife refused to let him sleep. She sang, told stories, and stacked her jewellery and lamps in a glittering heap at the door. When Yama showed up as a serpent, the shine dazzled him. He sat listening until dawn and then slipped away without taking anyone. The lamp outside the door on Dhanteras is a reminder of that night.

Lakshmi Returns

After a curse stripped the gods of their fortune, the churning of the ocean brought Lakshmi back into their lives. We clean the house and light it up on Dhanteras with a similar hope, that she'll walk in here too.

Who Is Worshipped on Dhanteras?

• Ganesha goes first. Always.

• Lakshmi, for prosperity and a peaceful home.

• Kuber, keeper of the gods' treasury.

• Dhanvantari, for good health. Some families offer him jaggery mixed with coriander seeds.

• Yama, who receives the lamp kept outside the door.

Puja Samagri Checklist

Dhanteras Puja Vidhi, Step by Step

No two families do this identically, and that's perfectly fine. If your house has its own order of things, keep it. The flow below is the common one.

1. Tidy up. Sweep the house, spend a little extra time on the entrance, and draw a small rangoli if you feel like it.

2. Set up the chowki. Spread a clean cloth, place the kalash, and seat the idols on a small heap of rice.

3. Make your sankalp. Sit quietly for a moment and name what you're praying for. Health, peace at home, a decent year ahead.

4. Begin with Ganesha. Offer a flower and a sweet before moving on to the others.

5. Lakshmi and Kuber. Apply tilak, offer flowers, rice and fruit, light the diya and chant.

6. Dhanvantari. Offer the jaggery and coriander seeds and pray for the family's health.

7. Yama Deepam. Place a lamp outside the main door, facing south.

8. Aarti. Sing together. The words are in the aarti section on Mobile Mandir if you need them.

9. Prasad. Hand it around, elders first.

Dhanteras Mantras

A long chant isn't needed. A few lines said slowly do the job. These three are the ones most families use.

Not keen on counting rounds by hand? The Naam Jaap counter on Mobile Mandir will do it for you.

What to Buy on Dhanteras

Nobody is going to ask for your receipt. The whole point is to bring home something new that you'll actually use. A gold coin is wonderful if it fits the budget. A steel katori is just as good.

One practical thing: shop at a place you trust, ask for the bill, and check for the hallmark on gold and silver. And please don't take a loan just to keep up a custom.

Do's and Don'ts

Common Mistakes

• Doing the main puja in the morning. It belongs to the evening.

• Forgetting Ganesha. He always comes first.

• Mixing up the dates. Dhanteras is 6 November. Lakshmi Puja is 8 November.

• Rushing the aarti. Three calm minutes beat ten distracted ones.

• Skipping the Yama Deepam. It takes a minute.

Where Dhanteras Falls in the Diwali Calendar

These are the dates for India. A few calendars place Choti Diwali on 7 November, so check your local panchang before you plan around it.

Prep Tips for the Day

• Pick up flowers, diyas and sweets a day early. The market on Dhanteras itself is a zoo.

• Set the chowki in the afternoon so you're not scrambling near the muhurat.

• Decide what you'll buy, and your spending limit, before you leave the house.

• Keep ghee or oil, wicks and matches by the door for the Yama Deepam.

• Touch your elders' feet before you begin. They'll appreciate it more than any gold.

Start Diwali Simple

Dhanteras isn't a spending contest. It's the opening evening of Diwali, a good moment to clean up, light a lamp, pray for everyone's health, and feel thankful for what you already have. This year that evening is Friday, 6 November.

Check your city's muhurat, get the samagri ready a day ahead, and forward this to the relative who asks you the date every single year. If the evening feels right, close it with a few rounds of Naam Jaap.

For daily devotion, you can also explore temple darshan and aarti and bhajan, or get the app on the App Store or Google Play.

Happy Dhanteras from all of us at Mobile Mandir.