Dhanteras 2026: Date, Puja Muhurat, Rituals & Significance

Dhanteras 2026 at a glance

Dhanteras 2026 falls on Friday, 6 November 2026. It is the Trayodashi (13th lunar day) of Krishna Paksha in Kartik month and opens the five-day Diwali festival. The day honours Lord Dhanvantari, the divine physician, along with Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Kuber, the treasurer of wealth.

The name joins Dhan (wealth) and Teras (thirteenth). Families clean their homes, buy metal or useful new items, worship in the evening and light a lamp for Yama at the main door.

Quick answer

  • What: The first day of Diwali, for health, wealth and a fresh
  • When: Friday, 6 November Puja muhurat in Delhi-NCR: 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM.

 

  • Whom to worship: Lord Dhanvantari, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Kuber and Lord
  • Also called: Dhantrayodashi, Dhanvantari Jayanti (National Ayurveda Day).
  • What follows: Narak Chaturdashi, then Lakshmi Puja on 8

 

Dhanteras 2026 date and puja muhurat

The best time for Dhanteras puja in Delhi, Noida and NCR is 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM on 6 November 2026 — a window of about 1 hour 55 minutes.

 

Event Date and time (Delhi-NCR, IST)
Trayodashi tithi begins 6 November 2026, 10:30 AM
Pradosh Kaal begins (sunset) 6 November 2026, about 5:33 PM
Dhanteras puja muhurat 6 November 2026, 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM
Yam Deepdaan 6 November 2026, after sunset
Trayodashi tithi ends 7 November 2026, 10:47 AM

Why this window? Dhanteras puja is done in Pradosh Kaal, the period after sunset, while Trayodashi is running. The most favoured slice of it is Vrishabha Kaal — a fixed (sthir) lagna. Tradition holds that wealth welcomed in a fixed lagna stays in the home. That

overlap falls between 6:02 PM and 7:57 PM in Delhi-NCR.

Timings shift by a few minutes in other cities, because sunset depends on location. For shopping, any time while Trayodashi runs on 6 November is considered good, with the evening muhurat being the most auspicious.

 

Why is Dhanteras celebrated? Meaning and stories

Dhanteras is about two kinds of wealth: good health first, then prosperity. The two stories behind the day carry exactly these two ideas.

Lord Dhanvantari and Samudra Manthan

When the gods and demons churned the cosmic ocean, Lord Dhanvantari rose on Trayodashi holding a pot of amrit (nectar) and the knowledge of Ayurveda. He is

worshipped as the god of medicine and healing. This is why the Government of India marks Dhanvantari Jayanti as National Ayurveda Day, and why health is the first “dhan” of Dhanteras.

 

King Hima’s son and Yama Deepdaan

A prophecy said King Hima’s son would die of a snakebite on the fourth night of his marriage. That night, his wife piled her gold and silver ornaments at the door, lit lamps all around and kept him awake with songs and stories. When Yama arrived as a serpent, the

 

glitter blinded him. He listened to the songs till dawn and left quietly. Since then, a lamp is lit for Yama on Dhanteras night for the long life of the family.

Dhanteras, Lakshmi and Kuber

Goddess Lakshmi is welcomed into a clean, lit home, and Lord Kuber is worshipped as the keeper of wealth. Buying a new metal item is a symbolic way of inviting steady prosperity for the year ahead.

 

Dhanteras puja vidhi: step by step

The puja is simple and can be done at home in about 30 minutes during the evening muhurat.

  1. Clean the home and entrance in the Make a rangoli and place small footprints of Lakshmi facing inward at the door.
  2. Set up the altar in the North or North-East. Place a clean red or yellow cloth on a wooden chowki.
  3. Place the idols or images of Lord Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Kuber and Lord
  4. Keep a kalash with water, a few rice grains, a coin and mango
  5. Light a ghee diya and Offer kumkum, haldi, rice, flowers and sweets.
  6. Place your new purchase — utensil, coin or jewellery — before the deities and offer a tilak to it.
  7. Chant simple mantras, such as Om Dhanvantaraye Namah and Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah, 11 or 21 times.
  8. Do the aarti and share prasad with the

 

Yam Deepdaan (after sunset)

  1. Take an earthen diya with four wicks and fill it with mustard or sesame
  2. Place it outside the main door, facing south — the direction of
  3. Pray for the health and long life of every family

Puja samagri checklist: chowki, red cloth, idols or images, kalash, mango leaves, ghee, earthen diyas, mustard oil, cotton wicks, kumkum, haldi, rice, flowers, sweets, incense, coins.

 

What to buy on Dhanteras 2026 (and what to avoid)

The best Dhanteras purchase is something durable and useful that you will actually use at home. The idea is to bring in lasting value, not to spend beyond your means.

 

Buy Why it makes sense
Gold or silver coin or jewellery A traditional store of value that holds worth over time
Brass, copper or steel utensils Durable, hygienic and used daily; copper and brass are traditional for water storage
Broom (jhadu) Symbol of Lakshmi; a new broom starts the festive cleaning
Whole coriander seeds (dhaniya) Offered in puja, then sown or kept in the locker as a sign of growth
Gomti chakra or a Kuber yantra Traditional symbols of steady wealth, kept in the cash area
Electronics, vehicle or home appliance A planned, useful purchase fits the spirit of the day

 

Avoid Practical reason
Sharp items like knives and scissors Traditionally avoided; better bought on another day
Empty vessels brought home empty Fill them with water, rice or sweets before entering the home
Black-coloured items Traditionally avoided on an auspicious day
Glassware and broken or chipped items Fragile and seen as unstable value
Large purchases on credit Borrowing for a symbolic purchase defeats the idea of prosperity

On a budget? A small steel or brass utensil, a new broom or a handful of coriander seeds keeps the tradition just as well.

 

Vastu tips for Dhanteras

Dhanteras is the right day to set up your home’s wealth and health zones before Diwali. Each tip below has a simple, practical reason behind it.

  1. Clean and declutter the North In Vastu, the North belongs to Kuber and new opportunities. A clear, well-lit North keeps the space open and easy to use.
  2. Keep your locker or cash box in the South-West, opening towards the The South-West is the most stable zone for valuables; it is also usually the inner, safer part of the home.

 

  1. Place new purchases in the North before using This keeps them in the puja space during the muhurat and reminds the family of the day’s intention.
  2. Do the puja in the North-East or This zone gets soft morning light and stays calm, which suits prayer and focus.
  3. Light the Yam Deepam facing south at the main The south is linked with Yama in Vastu, and a lit entrance makes the home safer on a dark night.
  4. Fix leaking taps and stopped Leaks signal wealth draining away in Vastu,

and practically they waste water and damage walls. Working clocks keep the household on time.

  1. Keep the main door clean and well The entrance is the first point of energy and of impressions; guests and good luck both enter through it.

Want a room-by-room wealth-zone check for your home in Noida or Delhi this festive season? Book a consultation.

 

Frequently asked questions

When is Dhanteras in 2026?

Dhanteras 2026 is on Friday, 6 November. Trayodashi tithi runs from 10:30 AM on 6 November to 10:47 AM on 7 November.

What is the Dhanteras puja muhurat in 2026?

In Delhi-NCR, the puja muhurat is 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM on 6 November 2026.

What is the best time to buy gold on Dhanteras 2026?

Any time while Trayodashi runs on 6 November is considered good. The evening puja muhurat, 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM, is the most auspicious.

Which god is worshipped on Dhanteras?

Lord Dhanvantari for health, Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Kuber for wealth, and Lord Ganesha for a good beginning.

Why is a broom bought on Dhanteras?

The broom is seen as a form of Lakshmi because it removes dirt and poverty. A new broom also begins the Diwali cleaning.

What should not be bought on Dhanteras?

Sharp objects, black items, glassware, empty vessels and anything bought on credit are traditionally avoided.

What is Yam Deepdaan?

It is a four-wick lamp lit outside the main door, facing south, after sunset on Dhanteras. It is a prayer to Yama for the long life of the family.

Is Dhanteras the same as Dhanvantari Jayanti?

Yes. Both fall on Kartik Krishna Trayodashi, and the day is also observed as National Ayurveda Day.

 

Conclusion

Dhanteras reminds us that health is the first wealth, and prosperity follows a clean, well-kept home. In 2026, worship Lord Dhanvantari, Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Kuber between 6:02 PM and 7:57 PM on 6 November, light the Yam Deepam at your door, and bring home something durable and useful.

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