Diwali / Lakshmi Puja in Ayodhya

Date and timing in this city

In Ayodhya, Diwali and Lakshmi Puja fall on Kartik Amavasya, the new-moon day of the lunar month of Kartik. Because the festival is tied to the Moon rather than to a fixed solar date, the day shifts from year to year on the civil calendar.

For Ayodhya, computed on the city's own sunrise and its time zone of Asia/Kolkata, the dates are:

• 2026: Sunday 8 November
• 2027: Friday 29 October

The observance itself is Lakshmi puja in Pradosh kaal — the window around dusk, after sunset and before nightfall. This is the period traditionally treated as the most suitable for the evening worship, and it is why the puja is performed in the evening rather than at midday. The deity honored is Lakshmi, with Ganesha worshipped alongside her in the customary pairing.

Why the date can differ from India

Panchang dates are not decided by a single national clock. A tithi is a span of the Moon's movement, and it begins and ends at specific moments. What matters for a city is whether the tithi is present during the relevant window — here, Pradosh kaal — as reckoned from that city's own sunrise and sunset.

Ayodhya keeps Asia/Kolkata time, so its date will usually agree with most of India. Still, traditions differ in how the month is counted. Some communities follow the amanta system, in which the month ends at Amavasya; others follow the purnimanta system, in which it ends at Purnima. Regional practice — North or South, Smarta or Vaishnava — can also shape which day is treated as primary for the puja. These differences are long-standing and are best resolved by following the panchang your family or local tradition uses. For anything tied to a personal chart, consult a qualified jyotishi.

Where and how the community celebrates

Diwali is observed pan-India, and Ayodhya is no exception to the broad pattern of the festival. Homes are cleaned and lit, lamps are placed at doorways and thresholds, and the evening is given to Lakshmi puja in Pradosh kaal, with Ganesha worshipped first in the customary order. Sweets are shared, accounts and ledgers for the year are traditionally honored, and families gather in the evening after the lamps are lit.

Practical tips

• Confirm the date against a panchang computed for Ayodhya, not a general national listing.
• Plan the puja for Pradosh kaal — the stretch after sunset, before night.
• Keep the evening unhurried; the timing window is short and moves with the season.
• Follow your own family or regional convention where amanta and purnimanta practice differ.
• For personal chart questions, speak with a qualified jyotishi rather than relying on general festival dates.