Narak Chaturdashi 2026: 7 or 8 November? Choti Diwali, Abhyanga Snan Muhurat and Yama Deepam

Last updated: 6 October 2026 · By Acharya Alok Pandit, Divine Hindu, Jayanagar 3rd Block East, Bengaluru 560011 · ~22 min read

When is Narak Chaturdashi 2026?

Narak Chaturdashi 2026 is on Sunday 8 November, with the Abhyanga Snan before sunrise that morning and Lakshmi Puja the same evening. In Hindi searches the answer is the same: नरक चतुर्दशी 2026 का स्नान रविवार 8 नवंबर को है, while छोटी दिवाली 2026 is printed on 7 or 8 November for the reasons below. Chaturdashi tithi runs from 10:47 AM on 7 November to 11:27 AM on 8 November IST (Drik Panchang; Prokerala and our computation give 10:48 and 11:28).

The festival sits about three weeks later than in 2025, when it fell on 20 October, because 2026 carried an extra lunar month (see our Adhik Maas 2026 explainer). Amanta calendars of Gujarat, Maharashtra and the South call this the Chaturdashi of Ashwin's dark fortnight; purnimanta calendars of the north call it Kartik's.

Is Choti Diwali on 7 or 8 November 2026?

Both, depending on the rite: the Narak Chaturdashi bath is on Sunday 8 November, while the Chaturdashi evening lamps, Kali Chaudas and Hanuman puja are on Saturday 7 November.

A tithi begins whenever the moon gains another twelve degrees on the sun, at any hour. Each Chaturdashi rite asks whether Chaturdashi is present at the moment it needs:

The first rule fixes the date almanacs print. Drik Panchang puts the bath after moonrise and before sunrise while Chaturdashi prevails; AstroSage adds that if both days qualify, or neither, the first day is taken. In 2026 only Sunday qualifies, because Saturday's dawn still has Trayodashi.

Why, then, do Hindi papers print Choti Diwali on 7 November? The name means the little Diwali, the day before the big one, and Drik Panchang notes that Narak Chaturdashi usually falls a day before Lakshmi Puja. When Chaturdashi ends between sunrise and sunset, as in 2026, the bath and Lakshmi Puja share one date, and the "day before" keeps only its evening and midnight rites. Prokerala's table shows the same pattern in 2023 and 2025.

Is Narak Chaturdashi on the same day as Diwali in 2026?

Yes. Both fall on Sunday 8 November 2026: the bath before sunrise, the Lakshmi-Ganesha puja after sunset. Drik Panchang's rule covers this case: when Chaturdashi prevails before sunrise and Amavasya after sunset, the two share a day. New Delhi's Lakshmi Puja window is 5:54 to 7:50 PM; our Lakshmi Puja muhurat guide has every major city, and the home Lakshmi Puja vidhi sits alongside it.

What time is Abhyanga Snan on 8 November 2026 in your city?

The bath is taken between moonrise and sunrise on Sunday 8 November: 5:41 to 6:38 AM in New Delhi by Drik Panchang's published figures. Almanacs call this window the Abhyang Snan 2026 time, or the snan muhurat.

Drik Panchang and Prokerala print slightly different windows, by convention rather than error. Drik times moonrise when the moon's centre touches the horizon, without refraction, and sunrise at the sun's upper edge, with refraction; Prokerala does the reverse. Drik's window runs about 57 minutes and Prokerala's about 66, and in every city Drik's sits inside Prokerala's, so a bath within the first column satisfies both.

The New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata windows are Drik Panchang's own published figures, checked on its city pages on 6 October 2026. The other first-column figures are our Swiss Ephemeris computation by Drik's stated method, which reproduces those four cities and Drik's Houston window to the minute; under Prokerala's conventions it reproduces all 25 Prokerala windows within a minute. Treat the first and last minute as approximate.

Sunrise is the hard end, so finish pouring water a few minutes before the closing time.

When is Narak Chaturdashi 2026 in the USA, UK, UAE and Singapore?

In the Americas and Britain the bath falls on Saturday 7 November; in the Gulf, South-East Asia, Africa and Australia it is Sunday 8 November, as in India.

The tithi ends at the same instant everywhere, but local clocks put it on different dates. In the Americas and Britain, Chaturdashi begins before Saturday's dawn and ends before Sunday's, so only Saturday morning qualifies. Lakshmi Puja stays on Sunday 8 November in every place below.

Tithi times are Drik Panchang's IST figures converted to local time; Prokerala prints one minute later. Houston's window is Drik's own; the London and Singapore dates match Prokerala; the rest are our computation. In Britain the window opens when Chaturdashi begins, because the moon is already up.

Why is Narak Chaturdashi celebrated, and who killed Narakasura?

Narak Chaturdashi celebrates Krishna's victory over Narakasura, and its bath is kept in the traditional belief that it spares one the suffering of Naraka. In the Bhagavata Purana, Narakasura, also called Bhauma, the son of the Earth, is killed by Krishna, who rides against him on Garuda with Satyabhama at his side (Bhagavata 10.59).

Indra reports Bhauma's thefts: Aditi's earrings, Varuna's umbrella and the gods' pleasure-peak on Mandara (10.59.2–3). Krishna flies with Satyabhama to Pragjyotishapura, breaks its rings of hill, weapon, water, fire and wind, and beheads the five-headed Mura with the discus (10.59.10). Mura's seven sons follow, named as Tamra, Antariksha, Shravana, Vibhavasu, Vasu, Nabhasvan and Aruna (10.59.12). When Naraka raises his trident from the back of his elephant, Krishna severs his head with the chakra (10.59.21).

Bhumi, the Earth herself, then returns Aditi's earrings, the Vaijayanti garland, Varuna's umbrella and the Mandara peak. She praises Krishna and places Naraka's frightened son in his care (10.59.23–31). In the palace Krishna finds the captive princesses:

तत्र राजन्यकन्यानां षट्सहस्राधिकायुतम्।
भौमाहृतानां विक्रम्य राजभ्यो ददृशे हरिः॥
"There Hari saw the royal maidens, ten thousand and six thousand more, whom Bhauma had seized by force from their kings." (Bhagavata 10.59.33; our translation)

The Bhagavata's count is therefore 16,000. The familiar 16,100 comes from the Vishnu Purana (5.29.31), which the commentator Shridhara Swami cites at this verse.

Across South India, and in many Hindi tellings, Satyabhama takes the fight to Naraka herself: he could die only at his mother's hand, and she is held to be Bhudevi. That version is beloved, but it is later than the Bhagavata, where Krishna's chakra ends the battle. Some traditions add that the dying Naraka asked to be remembered with lamps, and Drik Panchang records the legend that Krishna bathed in oil before dawn after the battle. Pragjyotishapura is placed near present-day Guwahati.

How do you do Abhyanga Snan at home?

Wake before moonrise, oil the body with warm sesame oil, apply ubtan, bathe before sunrise, then offer water to Yama: that is the whole rite, and it fits inside the hour.

• Sesame (til) oil, slightly warmed, as Drik Panchang prescribes
• Ubtan of gram flour, a pinch of turmeric, a little sandalwood, and rose water or milk
• A sprig of apamarga (Achyranthes aspera, chirchira in Hindi), if you can find it
• Water with black sesame for the tarpan, a small lamp, and fresh clothes

1. Lay everything out on Saturday night. In parts of the Hindi belt the pot of water kept since Ahoi Ashtami (1 November) goes into the bath water.
2. Wake in time to begin when your city's window opens, and light the lamp.
3. Massage the warm oil from scalp to feet; in many homes the elders oil the children first.
4. Rub the ubtan over the oiled skin and let it rest a few minutes.
5. During the bath, pass the apamarga around the head three times with the prayer Drik Panchang's vidhi gives: सीतालोष्ठसहयुक्तः सकण्टकदलान्वितः। हर पापमपामार्ग भ्राम्यमाणः पुनः पुनः॥ "O Apamarga, with the clod of ploughed earth, your thorns and your leaves, as I turn you round and round, take away sin."
6. Finish before sunrise, dress in fresh clothes and apply a tilak.
7. Face south for the Yama tarpan: three handfuls of water with sesame for each of Yama's fourteen names. Drik adds three handfuls for Pitamaha Bhishma, offered even by those whose fathers are living.
8. Offer a lamp, a flower and a sweet to Krishna before the day begins.

The fourteen names, each recited as "Om … namah", are Yama, Dharmaraja, Mrityu, Antaka, Vaivasvata, Kala, Sarvabhutakshaya, Audumbara, Dadhna, Nila, Parameshthi, Vrikodara, Chitra and Chitragupta. The tarpan is traditionally a prayer to be spared an untimely end, not a rite for the dead.

What should you avoid on Narak Chaturdashi?

Avoid sleeping through the pre-dawn window, and do not move the Yama lamp to Sunday evening, when Chaturdashi has ended. Elders, anyone unwell, expectant mothers and infants need not risk a chill: warm water and a short bath with the same prayer are the usual answer. Oiled feet on a wet floor are the morning's real hazard. Most families do not fast; some fast until the evening puja.

Yama Deepam and the fourteen lamps: which evening?

Drik Panchang keeps the Yama Deepam at dusk on Dhanteras, Friday 6 November, while its own Narak Chaturdashi vidhi adds a four-wick lamp for Yama on the Chaturdashi evening, which in 2026 is Saturday 7 November.

They are different customs, so "Yam Deepam 2026" has two honest answers. The Dhanteras lamp is lit outside the house at sandhya while Trayodashi runs, traditionally as a prayer against untimely death in the family (see our Dhanteras 2026 guide). The Chaturdashi lamp in Drik's vidhi has four wicks, for dharma, artha, kama and moksha. It is set outside first; lamps then follow at the cowshed, under sacred trees, in the kitchen and bathroom. Many North Indian homes call it the Yam ka diya and turn it to face south, Yama's direction.

A few calendars put the Yama lamp on Sunday evening, 8 November. By then Chaturdashi has ended and the evening belongs to Amavasya and Lakshmi Puja, so neither rule supports it. If your family lights the Yama lamp on Choti Diwali, light it on Saturday.

The number fourteen belongs to Bengal, where Bhoot Chaturdashi lamps are lit for fourteen generations of forefathers; elsewhere the count varies by household. For oil and wick, see ghee diya or oil diya, and the wick rules; for what the flame stands for, our guide to the diya; and for the month of lamps these evenings open, Kartik month 2026.

Choti Diwali evening, 7 November: what do families do?

On Saturday evening the house is readied for Lakshmi: the last cleaning, lamps at the threshold, the Yama lamp facing south, and in many homes the Hanuman Chalisa before bed.

AstroSage's vidhi describes lamps on both sides of the main door, outside the house and at the workplace entrance. It also records a midnight custom, daridrya nissaran, of carrying unwanted things out of the house before Lakshmi's evening. For the practical side, see our note on clearing and resetting a home.

The night of 7–8 November, hour by hour

Sunsets are our computation, standard convention. Nishita times agree to the minute between Prokerala and our computation.

Kali Chaudas 2026: when is the midnight puja, and why Hanuman?

Kali Chaudas 2026 is on the night of Saturday 7 November; in Ahmedabad the nishita window for the midnight puja is 11:57 PM to 12:49 AM.

Kali Chaudas is the same Chaturdashi read at midnight. Drik Panchang and Prokerala both list it on 7 November as an observance separate from Narak Chaturdashi. In the Gujarati calendar it is Aso Vad Chaudas, kept for Mahakali and for Hanuman, with offerings of sesame, jaggery, poha and coconut. Drik's Diwali calendar lists Hanuman Puja on the same date, and some panchangs, Prokerala among them, treat this Chaturdashi as Hanuman's birthday. That is why the Hanuman Chalisa is read in so many homes that night.

Do not confuse Kali Chaudas with Bengal's Kali Puja, which needs Amavasya at midnight and in 2026 falls on the night of Sunday 8 November. Several almanac pages call Bengal's observance Kali Chaudas; Bengal itself does not.

What is Roop Chaudas?

Roop Chaudas, or Roop Chaturdashi, the fourteenth of beauty, is the North Indian name for Narak Chaturdashi, used widely in Rajasthan, and in 2026 it falls on Sunday 8 November with the bath.

The name shifts the emphasis from Naraka to the body made ready for Diwali: sesame oil, an ubtan of gram flour and turmeric, a head wash, kajal and fresh clothes. Drik Panchang records Roop Chaudas and Roop Chaturdashi as the day's northern names, and AstroSage notes the custom of worshipping Krishna that morning for roop, beauty and grace. Roop Chaudas 2026 needs no separate date: it is the Sunday bath.

Bhoot Chaturdashi in Bengal: when is it in 2026?

Bhoot Chaturdashi (ভূত চতুর্দশী) is the Chaturdashi evening before Kali Puja; in 2026 its lamps belong to the evening of Saturday 7 November, with Kali Puja on the night of Sunday 8 November.

On this dark night, it is believed, fourteen forefathers of the family come close to the living, and fourteen lamps, choddo prodip, are set around the house to guide them. At midday the family eats choddo shaak, a dish of fourteen leafy greens whose list varies from family to family. Kali Puja follows on Sunday night, with the Kolkata nishita at 10:54 to 11:46 PM by Prokerala and our own computation.

We have placed Bhoot Chaturdashi by the evening rule, which gives 7 November. We could not consult a printed Bengali panjika for 2026, so confirm the day in yours (Gupta Press, Benimadhab Sil or Bishuddha Siddhanta).

Deepavali in the South: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and the Telugu states

In Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Sunday 8 November 2026 is Deepavali itself; Karnataka's main holiday is Balipadyami on Tuesday 10 November.

Tamil Nadu. In the South the dawn bath is the festival, not a prelude to it, so Naraka Chaturdashi 2026 and Deepavali 2026 in Tamil Nadu are the same Sunday morning. It is Aippasi 22, which Prokerala's Tamil calendar marks as Deepavali, Naraka Chaturdashi and Kedara Gowri Vratham. The pre-dawn oil bath is the Ganga snanam, greeted with "Ganga snanam aacha?" in the belief that Ganga is present in every vessel of water at this hour. New clothes, Deepavali marundhu, sweets and crackers follow, and newly married couples keep their Thalai Deepavali. Chennai bathes from 5:06 to 6:05 AM; if your panchangam prints a different snanam time, follow it.

Karnataka. Naraka Chaturdashi (ನರಕ ಚತುರ್ದಶಿ) on Sunday opens the festival with the oil bath, and the celebration builds to Balipadyami, when King Bali is remembered and cattle are decorated and worshipped. The government holiday is Balipadyami, Deepavali on Tuesday 10 November. Bengaluru bathes from 5:17 to 6:15 AM.

Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Naraka Chaturdashi (నరక చతుర్దశి) is the Deepavali holiday on Sunday 8 November in both Telugu states, and Kerala's Deepavali holiday is the same Sunday; families there who keep Naraka Chaturdashi (നരക ചതുർദശി) bathe in the same pre-dawn window. Hyderabad bathes from 5:19 to 6:18 AM, Kochi from 5:19 to 6:17 AM.

Goa's Narkasur night and Maharashtra's first bath

In Goa, Narkasur effigies are paraded through the night of Saturday 7 November and burnt before dawn on Sunday 8 November, after which families go home for the oil bath.

Goa. Neighbourhood groups build the figures from paper and grass packed with firecrackers and burn them in the early hours; the scented oil bath follows, lamps go up in rows, and the women of the house perform aarti for the men. A small bitter fruit, the kareet, is then crushed underfoot in token of Naraka's death, and breakfast is several kinds of poha. Goa's holiday is Deepawali on Sunday 8 November; Panaji bathes from 5:36 to 6:34 AM.

Maharashtra. Here the day is simply called Abhyang Snan, and Diwali has already begun on Vasu Baras. The household is woken for oil and utane, the karit is crushed under the left foot after the bath, and the faral comes out: chakli, karanji, ladoo. In 2026 the same evening is Lakshmi Pujan. Mumbai bathes from 5:45 to 6:42 AM, Pune from 5:40 to 6:37 AM.

Which states have a holiday, and on which day?

No state lists a holiday on Saturday 7 November; most mark Diwali or Deepavali on Sunday 8 November, and Karnataka's holiday falls on Tuesday 10 November.

Several northern lists close offices for Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November, while the almanacs keep the puja on Tuesday 10 November, when Pratipada is present at sunrise; our Govardhan Puja 2026 guide explains the gap.

Holiday rows are as listed in greytHR's 2026 state pages, each of which links the state notification. Check your state gazette before planning leave.

How we checked these dates

Every date and time on this page was checked against at least two independent sources, except where a note says otherwise; where they differ, both readings are printed.

• Tithis: Drik Panchang (10:47 to 11:27 AM) against Prokerala and our Swiss Ephemeris computation (10:48 to 11:28 AM).
• Bath windows: Drik's New Delhi page, Prokerala's pages for 25 cities, AstroSage's New Delhi figure (5:36 to 6:37:53 AM) and our computation under both conventions.
• Festival dates: Drik's 2026 Diwali calendar against Prokerala's festival and Tamil calendar pages.
• Scripture: Bhagavata Purana 10.59 in the Sanskrit, with the Vishnu Purana reference cited at 10.59.33.
• Regional practice and holidays: Wikipedia, Drik's vidhi, AstroSage and greytHR's state holiday lists.

Sources:

• Drik Panchang: Abhyang Snan 2026; Diwali Puja Calendar 2026; Naraka Chaturdashi puja vidhi; Yama Deepam
• Prokerala: Naraka Chaturdashi 2026; Kali Chaudas; Kali Puja
• AstroSage: नरक चतुर्दशी 2026
• Bhagavata Purana 10.59, Sanskrit with translation; verse 10.59.33
• Wikipedia: Naraka Chaturdashi; Narakasura
• Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra holiday lists 2026 (greytHR)
• Amar Ujala, 3 October 2026, for the Hindi-press reading of Choti Diwali on 7 November

What comes next

The bath on Sunday 8 November is followed that evening by Lakshmi Puja; our city-wise muhurat guide has the windows. The Amavasya snan and daan fall on Monday 9 November (see our Purnima and Amavasya 2026 list). Govardhan Puja and Bali Pratipada come on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November. Chhath Puja runs from 13 to 16 November; Dev Uthani Ekadashi falls on 20–21 November and Tulsi Vivah on 21 November. Kartik Purnima on 24 November brings Dev Diwali at the Varanasi ghats and Guru Nanak Jayanti. Looking back, the season opened with Karwa Chauth on 29 October; the rest of the year is in our Hindu festival calendar 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Narak Chaturdashi 2026?

Narak Chaturdashi 2026 is on Sunday 8 November. The Abhyanga Snan is taken that morning between moonrise and sunrise, 5:41 to 6:38 AM in New Delhi by Drik Panchang's figures. Chaturdashi tithi runs from 10:47 AM on 7 November to 11:27 AM on 8 November, and Lakshmi Puja follows that evening.

Is Choti Diwali on 7 or 8 November 2026?

It depends on the rite. The Narak Chaturdashi bath, which Drik Panchang and Prokerala also call Choti Diwali, is on Sunday 8 November. Chaturdashi's evening and midnight fall on Saturday 7 November, so Kali Chaudas, Hanuman puja and the Chaturdashi lamps are kept then, and many Hindi newspapers print Choti Diwali on the 7th.

What is the Abhyanga Snan time on Narak Chaturdashi 2026?

The window on Sunday 8 November runs from moonrise to sunrise: 5:41 to 6:38 AM in New Delhi, 5:45 to 6:42 AM in Mumbai, 4:45 to 5:45 AM in Kolkata, 5:06 to 6:05 AM in Chennai and 5:17 to 6:15 AM in Bengaluru. Finish a few minutes before sunrise.

Who killed Narakasura, Krishna or Satyabhama?

In the Bhagavata Purana (10.59.21), Krishna kills Narakasura with his discus while Satyabhama rides beside him on Garuda. The South Indian telling, in which Satyabhama fights Naraka herself because he could die only by his mother's hand and she is held to be Bhudevi, is a later regional tradition.

What if I miss the Abhyanga Snan before sunrise?

Aim for the pre-dawn window, because the rule names the hour: Chaturdashi, after moonrise, before sunrise. If you wake late, many families still take the oil bath first thing with the Yama tarpan, but it is then an ordinary morning bath, not the Narak Chaturdashi snan proper.

When should the Yama Deepam be lit in 2026?

Drik Panchang lists Yama Deepam at dusk on Dhanteras, Friday 6 November 2026, while Trayodashi is in force. Its Narak Chaturdashi vidhi also prescribes a four-wick lamp for Yama outside the house on the Chaturdashi evening, Saturday 7 November. Sunday evening is Amavasya and belongs to Lakshmi Puja.

How many diyas are lit on Choti Diwali?

There is no single number. Bengal's Bhoot Chaturdashi lights fourteen lamps for fourteen generations of forefathers. Drik Panchang's vidhi asks for one four-wick lamp for Yama outside the house, then lamps at the kitchen, bathroom, cowshed and under sacred trees. Many North Indian homes also set a row at the threshold.

When is Kali Chaudas 2026 and what is the muhurat?

Kali Chaudas 2026 is on the night of Saturday 7 November. The nishita window for the midnight puja is 11:38 PM to 12:31 AM in New Delhi, 11:57 PM to 12:49 AM in Ahmedabad and 11:56 PM to 12:47 AM in Mumbai, by Prokerala's figures and our own computation.

What is Roop Chaudas?

Roop Chaudas, or Roop Chaturdashi, is the North Indian name for Narak Chaturdashi, used widely in Rajasthan. The stress falls on the beauty bath: sesame oil, an ubtan of gram flour and turmeric, and fresh clothes before Diwali. In 2026 it is Sunday 8 November, the same morning as the Abhyanga Snan.

When is Bhoot Chaturdashi 2026 in Bengal?

Bhoot Chaturdashi is the Chaturdashi evening before Kali Puja, which in 2026 is Saturday 7 November, when fourteen lamps are lit and fourteen greens eaten. Kali Puja follows on the Amavasya night of Sunday 8 November, with the Kolkata nishita at 10:54 to 11:46 PM. Confirm the day in your family panjika.

Is Tamil Deepavali 2026 on 8 November?

Yes. Tamil Deepavali is kept on Naraka Chaturdashi, Sunday 8 November 2026, which is Aippasi 22 in the Tamil calendar. The Ganga snanam is taken before sunrise, 5:06 to 6:05 AM in Chennai by Drik Panchang's method, and Tamil Nadu's government holiday is the same Sunday.

When is Narak Chaturdashi 2026 in the USA and UK?

In the USA, Canada, the Caribbean and Britain the bath falls on Saturday 7 November, because Chaturdashi begins and ends a day earlier by the local clock. Drik Panchang gives Houston 5:12 to 6:40 AM on the 7th. Lakshmi Puja stays on Sunday 8 November there, as in India.

A lamp for the long night

The Chaturdashi lamp at the threshold, and the Diwali lamps that follow it, are traditionally kept burning well into the dark, often at an open door where the November wind finds them. Keep any lamp on a stable surface, away from curtains, clothing and small children. A covered flame is traditionally used for exactly this kind of night, and our brass Akhand Jyot oil diya with a borosilicate glass cover is made for that use.

Times are IST unless stated and shift with your location. Where almanacs differ by convention we have printed both readings rather than choosing one. Customs vary by family and region, and nothing here promises any material or spiritual result. Confirm your own observance with your family purohit.