Diwali 2026 in Bihar and Jharkhand: Lakshmi-Ganesh Puja, Kali Puja, Sohrai, Chitragupta Puja and the Road to Chhath

Quick answer: Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November in India (Drik Panchang). In Bihar and Jharkhand, families perform Lakshmi-Ganesh puja and light diyas, many towns hold Kali Puja the same night, tribal and rural Jharkhand celebrates Sohrai with cattle worship, and Kayastha families observe Chitragupta Puja with Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November. A week later comes Chhath (main evening arghya Sunday 15 November). Calculated Lakshmi Puja muhurat: Patna 5:29 PM to 7:26 PM, Ranchi 5:31 PM to 7:29 PM.

Diwali to Chhath 2026: dates for Bihar and Jharkhand

Source: Drik Panchang (India). Sohrai follows community custom and is not listed in the panchang; its days vary by village and community.

Lakshmi-Ganesh puja in Bihari homes

Diwali in Bihar follows the broad North Indian pattern, with local flavour from Bhojpur, Magadh and Mithila:

• Homes are cleaned and repaired; in villages, walls and floors are freshly plastered with mud and cow dung.
• A new clay Lakshmi-Ganesh murti is bought, and kheel-batashe, sweets and seasonal fruit are offered at the evening puja.
• Clay diyas with mustard oil are lit along the doorway, roofs, the courtyard, the well and the cattle shed.
• In Mithila and some neighbouring areas, families observe a custom often called ukka-paati or hukka-lolhi on Diwali night: bundles of jute sticks are lit and waved, as commonly explained to light the way for ancestors, and then ritually set down. Details vary between families.
• Business families worship account books and the cash box with the evening puja.

Step by step: Lakshmi-Ganesh puja vidhi and samagri 2026.

Kali Puja in Bihar and Jharkhand

Kali Puja is widely celebrated on the Diwali night in Jharkhand, especially in industrial and mining towns such as Dhanbad, Jamshedpur and Bokaro with large Bengali communities, and in many towns of Bihar. Community committees set up pandals, and worship continues late into the night. Temple traditions of the Goddess are also strong in parts of Jharkhand. For the worship and its meaning, see Kali Puja 2026 and Goddess Kali: complete guide.

Sohrai: cattle and harvest in tribal Jharkhand

For many Adivasi and rural communities of Jharkhand, including Santal, Munda, Oraon and Ho communities, the Diwali period coincides with Sohrai, a festival of cattle and the harvest. As generally observed:

• Cattle are bathed, their horns oiled and painted, and they are garlanded and fed special food in gratitude for their work.
• Homes are freshly plastered, and in the Hazaribagh region in particular, women paint distinctive Sohrai murals with natural earth colours on the walls.
• Lamps are lit in the cattle shed and around the house, and there is singing and dancing, often over several days.
• Customs, names and the exact days differ between communities and villages; local elders are the best guide.

We describe Sohrai only in general terms out of respect for the many distinct communities who celebrate it in their own ways.

Govardhan, Bhai Dooj and Chitragupta Puja

Govardhan Puja on Tuesday 10 November is observed in many Bihari homes with a small Govardhan made in the courtyard and worship of cattle. On Wednesday 11 November, Yama Dwitiya, sisters perform Bhai Dooj for their brothers. In the Bhojpuri region, a well-known custom is the 'godhan' ritual, in which sisters ritually scold their brothers and then pray for their long life, a playful reversal that is said to protect them; practices vary by family. See Bhai Dooj 2026: date, story and tika vidhi.

The same day, many Kayastha families observe Chitragupta Puja, as commonly observed in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. Chitragupta, the divine keeper of records, is worshipped with pens, ink, books and account books, and family members often write a short prayer and their accounts of the year on paper offered at the puja. Students and professionals in these families often set aside pens and books until the puja is complete.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026: Patna and Ranchi

Calculated with the Drik method (Pradosh Kaal with a fixed Vrishabha lagna). Times in other towns differ by a few minutes; confirm with your pandit or on Drik Panchang. Kali Puja follows the Amavasya tithi at night; follow your puja committee. More cities: Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026 India city-wise and Diwali 2026 date and Lakshmi Puja muhurat.

From Diwali to Chhath

In Bihar and Jharkhand, Diwali is only the start of the season. Within days, families turn to preparations for Chhath, the four-day worship of the Sun and Chhathi Maiya: cleaning ghats and ponds, buying new bamboo baskets (soop and daura), and making thekua. Drik Panchang lists Chhath Puja on Sunday 15 November 2026 in India, when the evening arghya is offered to the setting sun, followed by the dawn arghya the next morning. Migrants working elsewhere in India often travel home for Chhath rather than Diwali.

Full schedule and arghya times: Chhath Puja 2026: dates, arghya timings and vidhi, Chhath Puja 2026 arghya time city-wise and Chhath prasad recipes: thekua and fruits.

Fireworks

Fireworks hours and permitted crackers are set by courts and the state and district administrations, and may change each year. Follow current local orders, and keep an eye on air quality in early November.

For Bihari and Jharkhandi families abroad

• Use your own city's muhurat; never convert Patna or Ranchi times to your local time.
• Abroad, dates may shift: in the USA, Bhai Dooj is Tuesday 10 November (Drik Panchang). See Chhath Puja in the USA and Chhath Puja in the UK for local Chhath guidance.
• Diaspora groups often hold Chhath at a lake or river with permission from local authorities; check their own announcements.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in Bihar and Jharkhand?

Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) and Kali Puja fall on Sunday 8 November 2026 in India, per Drik Panchang. Dhanteras is Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja Tuesday 10 November, and Bhai Dooj and Chitragupta Puja Wednesday 11 November.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Patna and Ranchi?

The HinduTone calculator (Drik method) gives 5:29 PM to 7:26 PM for Patna and 5:31 PM to 7:29 PM for Ranchi on Sunday 8 November 2026. These are calculated; confirm with your pandit or on Drik Panchang.

When is Chhath Puja 2026?

Drik Panchang lists Chhath Puja (Shashti, the evening arghya) on Sunday 15 November 2026 in India, one week after Diwali, with the dawn arghya the following morning. The four-day observance begins a few days earlier; see our Chhath Puja 2026 guide for the full sequence.

What is Sohrai?

Sohrai is a festival of cattle and the harvest celebrated by many Adivasi and rural communities of Jharkhand and neighbouring regions around the Kartik Amavasya period. Cattle are bathed, decorated and honoured, houses are freshly plastered and, in some areas, painted with Sohrai murals. Customs and exact days differ between communities.

What is Chitragupta Puja?

Chitragupta Puja is observed mainly by Kayastha families on Yama Dwitiya, the day of Bhai Dooj. Chitragupta is honoured as the keeper of records of deeds, and families worship pens, ink, books and account books. In 2026 it falls on Wednesday 11 November in India.

Editor's note (9 October 2026)

Dates follow Drik Panchang for India; Patna and Ranchi muhurat times are calculated with the HinduTone calculator (Drik method) and should be confirmed locally. Regional customs, including Sohrai, ukka-paati and godhan, are described in general terms as commonly observed; they vary between communities, districts and families. We have not listed events, pandals or schedules.

Related guides

• Diwali 2026 state by state in India
• Ayodhya Deepotsav and Diwali 2026 in Uttar Pradesh
• Diwali 2026 in Assam and the Northeast
• Diwali / Deepavali 2026: complete 5-day guide
• Chhath Puja in Canada, Australia and the UAE
• November 2026 Hindu festival calendar