Narak Chaturdashi in Delhi

Date and timing in this city

In Delhi, Narak Chaturdashi falls on Saturday 7 November 2026 and on Thursday 28 October 2027. The tithi is Kartik Krishna Chaturdashi, and Delhi's time zone is Asia/Kolkata.

These dates are computed for Delhi's own sunrise. Narak Chaturdashi is a sunrise-based observance, so the tithi prevailing at local sunrise is the one that names the day. Because Delhi lies well west of the eastern edge of the Indian time zone, its sunrise comes later in clock terms than sunrise in the east, and that difference can place the same tithi on a different civil date in different parts of the country.

Why the date can differ from India

Panchang dates are not fixed by a single national calendar line. Each city's panchang is worked out from that city's own sunrise, and the tithi is a moving span of time rather than a full day. When a tithi begins or ends close to sunrise, a small shift in longitude — and therefore in sunrise time — can move the observance to the previous or the next civil date.

This is why a Delhi reader may see a date that differs by a day from a panchang computed for another region. It is not a contradiction; it is the same rule applied to a different place. For this reason, families in Delhi traditionally follow a panchang calculated for Delhi rather than a general all-India listing.

Where and how the community celebrates

Narak Chaturdashi is observed pan-India, and Delhi is no exception. It is known as Choti Diwali, the day before the main Diwali observance, and the deity remembered is Krishna. The prescribed observance is Abhyanga snan — the anointing bath, taken before sunrise or in the pre-dawn hours according to family custom.

Because Delhi is a city of many communities, practice varies. North Indian households often follow the purnimanta reckoning, while some South Indian and other families in the city follow the amanta reckoning; Smarta and Vaishnava households may also differ in which moment of the tithi they treat as primary. Where traditions differ, the household's own lineage and its chosen panchang decide the detail. Readers who want a personal determination are best guided by a qualified jyotishi.

Practical tips

• Treat the Delhi date as 7 November 2026 and 28 October 2027, and confirm against a panchang computed for Delhi.
• Abhyanga snan is traditionally taken before sunrise, so plan the previous night accordingly.
• If your family follows a different regional reckoning, follow that rather than a general listing.
• Keep the observance simple and consistent with your household's custom.