Diwali 2026 in Canada: Lakshmi Puja Muhurat City by City, Dhanteras Timings and the 5-Day Calendar

Quick answer: Diwali 2026 in Canada is on Sunday 8 November. The Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Toronto is 5:17 PM – 7:03 PM EST (Drik Panchang), Brampton 5:18 PM – 7:04 PM, Vancouver 4:53 PM – 6:34 PM PST and Calgary 5:11 PM – 6:49 PM MST. Dhanteras is Friday 6 November (Toronto puja muhurat 5:25 PM – 7:11 PM). Govardhan Puja falls on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November, a day earlier than in India.

From the Greater Toronto Area to Surrey, Canadian Hindu families light their diyas a little earlier than anyone else in the world: November sunsets are early here, and the Lakshmi Puja muhurat begins soon after. This guide gives the exact window for eight Canadian cities, shows why India's time must never be converted, and offers a devotional, family-friendly puja vidhi. For community events and wider planning, see our Diwali 2026 Canada guide.

Diwali 2026 dates in Canada: the five days

These are Drik Panchang's dates for Canada, identical from Newfoundland to British Columbia. Dhanteras and Diwali match India, but the other three days do not: Naraka Chaturdashi is its own day here (Saturday 7 November), and Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj move a day earlier because Kartika Pratipada is already under way at Canadian sunrise on Monday 9 November. Canada falls back from daylight time on Sunday 1 November 2026, so all times below are standard time.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026, city by city

The most auspicious time for Lakshmi Puja is Pradosh Kaal on Amavasya evening — the first portion of the night after sunset — when Vrishabha lagna (Taurus, a fixed sign) is rising, so that Lakshmi's presence remains steady in the home. The muhurat in the table is the overlap of Pradosh Kaal with the sidereal Vrishabha lagna, the method Drik Panchang uses. The Toronto row is Drik Panchang's published time; the other cities are calculated by the same method and agree to within about a minute.

• GTA suburbs: Mississauga, Markham, Scarborough and Oakville can follow Toronto or Brampton — the difference is a minute or less.
• Surrey and the Fraser Valley: follow Vancouver. Saskatoon and Regina families should check a local panchang, as Saskatchewan does not change its clocks.
• Long Pradosh, shorter lagna: Canada's long November nights give a Pradosh Kaal of nearly three hours, but Vrishabha lagna rises for only about an hour and a half to an hour and three-quarters at these latitudes. Begin the main puja early in the window.

Never convert India's muhurat to Canadian time

India's Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 5:54 PM – 7:50 PM IST (New Delhi, Drik Panchang). Converted to Canadian clocks it lands on Sunday morning:

• Toronto, Brampton, Ottawa, Montreal: 7:24 AM – 9:20 AM
• Winnipeg: 6:24 AM – 8:20 AM
• Calgary, Edmonton: 5:24 AM – 7:20 AM
• Vancouver: 4:24 AM – 6:20 AM, before sunrise

That is not Lakshmi Puja time anywhere in Canada. The muhurat depends on your own sunset and the lagna rising over your own horizon. Treat any forwarded "Canada time" that is simply India's time shifted by the clock as wrong, and use the table above or the time your mandir announces.

Lakshmi-Ganesh puja vidhi for your home

A Diwali puja at home is an act of welcome: you are inviting Mahalakshmi, the Mother of prosperity and grace, into a house prepared with love. Keep it simple and sincere, and follow your family's own customs where they differ.

What you will need

• A picture or murtis of Lakshmi and Ganesha on a chowki covered with red cloth
• A kalash filled with water, topped with mango or betel leaves and a coconut, set on a little rice
• Ghee or oil diyas, incense, camphor and a bell
• Kumkum, haldi, chandan, akshat and fresh flowers with a garland
• Naivedya: kheer or laddoos, kheel-batashe, dry fruits and seasonal fruit
• A few coins (silver if you have one), cash and your account books or business diary

Preparing the home

Clean every room in the afternoon; tradition says Lakshmi does not stay where there is clutter or darkness. Make a rangoli at the door, bathe and dress in clean or new clothes. Face east or north for the puja, and seat Ganesha to Lakshmi's right — on your left as you face them.

The puja, step by step

1. Purify and light the lamp: sip water three times (achaman), sprinkle water on yourself and the samagri, and light the first diya.
2. Take sankalp: with water, rice and a flower in your right palm, say your name and gotra, "in ___, in Canada", the day — Kartika Amavasya, Sunday 8 November 2026 — and your prayer for the family. Let the water fall into a plate.
3. Worship Ganesha first: offer kumkum, akshat, a flower and a sweet with "Om Gan Ganapataye Namah".
4. Honour the kalash: offer kumkum and flowers to the kalash as the seat of the sacred rivers and the devas.
5. Invoke Mahalakshmi: with joined palms, invite the Goddess. Offer water for her feet and a gentle bath with panchamrit and clean water (or a sprinkle for a picture).
6. Adorn and offer: apply chandan and kumkum, offer akshat, flowers, the garland, incense and the lamp. Place coins and books before her and mark them with kumkum.
7. Chant: "Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah" 108 times, or 11 or 21 if time is short.
8. Offer naivedya: place the sweets and fruit before the Goddess and pray that she accepts them.
9. Aarti: sing "Om Jai Lakshmi Mata" with the whole family while waving the lamp clockwise.
10. Close with humility: ask pardon for any lapse, touch the feet of elders, share prasad and light diyas through the house.

Mantras and their meaning

• Om Gan Ganapataye Namah — "Salutations to Ganapati", lord of beginnings and remover of obstacles.
• Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah — "Om, I bow to Mahalakshmi." Shreem is Lakshmi's seed syllable, the sound of abundance, radiance and auspiciousness.
• Om Mahalakshmyai Cha Vidmahe, Vishnupatnyai Cha Dhimahi, Tanno Lakshmih Prachodayat — Lakshmi Gayatri: "May we know Mahalakshmi; may we meditate on Vishnu's consort; may Lakshmi illumine our minds."
• Om Yakshaya Kuberaya Vaishravanaya Dhanadhanyadhipataye Dhanadhanya Samriddhim Me Dehi Dapaya Svaha — to Kubera, treasurer of the gods, for wealth and plenty used wisely.

Aarti

Om Jai Lakshmi Mata, Maiya Jai Lakshmi Mata; Tumko nishdin sevat, Hara Vishnu Vidhata. — "Victory to you, Mother Lakshmi; Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma serve you day and night." Uma Rama Brahmani, tum hi jag-mata — "You are Uma, Rama and Brahmani, Mother of the world." Continue with the rest of the aarti from your family's book.

Dhanteras, Choti Diwali, Govardhan and Bhai Dooj

Dhanteras, Friday 6 November

Dhanteras celebrates Lord Dhanvantari, the divine healer who emerged from the ocean of milk carrying amrit, and welcomes Lakshmi's wealth into the home. Buying a metal item — a utensil, a silver coin, or jewellery — is the custom. In the evening, perform a short Lakshmi-Kubera puja during the Dhanteras muhurat (Toronto 5:25 PM – 7:11 PM; Vancouver 5:01 PM – 6:42 PM) and place the Yama Deepam, a four-wick lamp facing south, near the front door as a prayer for the family's protection.

Naraka Chaturdashi, Saturday 7 November

Krishna's defeat of Narakasura is remembered with an early oil bath (abhyanga snan) before sunrise, new clothes and the first lamps in the evening. Some Gujarati families mark Kali Chaudas, and Bengali families celebrate Kali Puja on the Amavasya night — check your puja committee for its timing.

Govardhan Puja, Monday 9 November

Krishna lifted Govardhan hill on his little finger to shelter Vraj from Indra's rain. Temples offer Annakut, a mountain of vegetarian dishes, and Gujarati families greet the New Year (Bestu Varas) on this Kartika Pratipada. As a weekday, many mandirs hold Annakut darshan in the evening or on the following weekend.

Bhai Dooj, Tuesday 10 November

Sisters apply tilak to their brothers and pray for their long life, remembering Yamuna's welcome to her brother Yama; brothers bring gifts. Family in India will keep it on Wednesday 11 November.

Practical tips for Diwali in Canada

• Six time zones: a family split between Brampton and Surrey should each follow local time — the windows are about three clock hours apart, and that is correct.
• Cold, windy evenings: November diyas outdoors often blow out. Keep oil lamps indoors on a heat-proof tray, away from curtains, and use LED or solar lights on porches and balconies.
• Fireworks bylaws: rules on consumer fireworks differ widely between municipalities — some GTA cities restrict them to particular days or ban them outright. Check your city's bylaw before buying.
• Smoke alarms: camphor and incense can set them off in tight apartments; open a window slightly during aarti rather than disabling the alarm.
• A Sunday Diwali: the whole family can be home for the early-evening muhurat. Prepare sweets and samagri on Saturday.

Mandirs and community celebrations

Most Hindu mandirs across Canada — from the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto to temples in Brampton, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and the Lower Mainland — hold Lakshmi Puja, Annakut and Diwali programmes, and community groups organise Diwali events on nearby weekends. Check your own mandir's notices for 2026 timings, and expect busy parking on Sunday evening.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in Canada?

Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) is on Sunday 8 November 2026 in every Canadian province. Dhanteras is Friday 6 November, Naraka Chaturdashi Saturday 7 November, Govardhan Puja Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj Tuesday 10 November (Drik Panchang for Canada).

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Toronto and Brampton in 2026?

In Toronto the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 5:17 PM – 7:03 PM EST on Sunday 8 November 2026, within Pradosh Kaal of 4:59 PM – 7:48 PM — Drik Panchang's published time. Brampton is 5:18 PM – 7:04 PM.

What is the Lakshmi Puja time in Vancouver and Calgary?

Vancouver: 4:53 PM – 6:34 PM PST. Calgary: 5:11 PM – 6:49 PM MST. Edmonton: 4:59 PM – 6:33 PM MST. All three fall on Sunday 8 November 2026.

Can I use India's Lakshmi Puja time converted to Canadian time?

No. India's window (5:54 PM – 7:50 PM IST in New Delhi) converts to 7:24 AM – 9:20 AM in Toronto and 4:24 AM – 6:20 AM in Vancouver — Sunday morning, not Diwali evening. Use your own city's muhurat.

When is Dhanteras 2026 in Canada and what is the muhurat?

Dhanteras is Friday 6 November 2026. The puja muhurat is 5:25 PM – 7:11 PM in Toronto, 5:26 PM – 7:12 PM in Brampton, 5:01 PM – 6:42 PM in Vancouver and 5:19 PM – 6:57 PM in Calgary.

Why are Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj on different days in Canada and India?

A festival is fixed by the tithi prevailing at local sunrise. At Canadian sunrise on Monday 9 November, Pratipada has already begun, so Govardhan Puja is that day and Bhai Dooj is Tuesday 10 November. In India they fall on 10 and 11 November.

Editor's note (5 October 2026): Festival dates follow Drik Panchang for Canada. The Lakshmi Puja and Dhanteras muhurats are the overlap of Pradosh Kaal and the sidereal Vrishabha lagna; the Toronto row is Drik Panchang's published value and the other cities were calculated by the same method to within about a minute. Mandir and community programmes are not yet confirmed — organisers are still publishing 2026 flyers; we will update this guide.

Related guides

• Diwali 2026 — dates, rituals and significance
• Diwali 2026 in Canada — celebrations and planning
• Diwali 2026 USA: Lakshmi Puja muhurat city by city
• Diwali 2026 UK: Lakshmi Puja muhurat city by city
• Diwali 2026 Australia: Lakshmi Puja muhurat city by city
• Karwa Chauth 2026 — city-wise moonrise times
• November 2026 Hindu festivals calendar
• Dussehra 2026 Canada, province by province