Deepavali 2026 in Malaysia, City by City: Date, Lakshmi Puja Muhurat, Holiday and Temples

Quick answer: Deepavali (Lakshmi Puja) 2026 in Malaysia is on Sunday 8 November 2026. In Kuala Lumpur the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 7:25 PM – 9:20 PM (Malaysia time). Dhanteras is Friday 6 November 2026. Deepavali is a federal public holiday in every state except Sarawak, and the morning oil bath, temple visit and open house are on the same Sunday.

Editor's note: this page was updated on 10 October 2026. The local muhurat times were calculated by HinduTone using the Drik Panchang method (Pradosh Kaal with the Vrishabha lagna) for each Malaysian city, and checked against Drik Panchang for major world cities to within one to two minutes. They are not India's times converted. Event details on this page come only from the organisers' own announcements or from news reports that quote them. Temple timings vary, so please confirm the puja time with your own temple.

Malaysia is one of the few countries where Deepavali is a national occasion. It is in the federal holiday calendar, Brickfields, Klang and George Town fill with bazaar stalls for weeks, and the open house brings friends of every background to Hindu homes. For most Malaysian Hindus the heart of the day is the morning: an oil bath before sunrise, new clothes, prayers at the kovil, then murukku, kolam and guests. This guide covers that morning and the evening Lakshmi Puja window for seven cities.

Deepavali 2026 in Malaysia: the five days

Dhanteras honours Dhanvantari, who rose from the churning of the ocean with the pot of amrit. Narak Chaturdashi remembers Krishna's victory over Narakasura, and the Tamil tradition followed by most Malaysian Hindus treats this as Deepavali itself, hence the pre-dawn oil bath. In the North Indian tradition, Amavasya night welcomes Lakshmi into a lamp-lit home and celebrates Rama's return to Ayodhya. Govardhan Puja recalls Krishna lifting the hill, Bali Pratipada remembers King Bali and Vamana, and Bhai Dooj honours brothers and sisters.

India's calendar has a gap day on Monday 9 November, so Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj fall on the 10th and 11th in India; your temple may announce its own day. Jain families mark Mahavira's nirvana, and Sikh families observe Bandi Chhor Divas the same evening.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026, city by city

All times are Malaysia time (UTC+8), which does not change for daylight saving. These local times were calculated by HinduTone using the Drik Panchang method (Pradosh Kaal with the Vrishabha lagna); checked against Drik Panchang for major world cities to within one to two minutes; confirm with your temple.

Sunset on both evenings is 6:56 PM in Kuala Lumpur and Seremban, 6:57 PM in Klang and Ipoh, 6:58 PM in Sungai Petani, 6:59 PM in George Town and 6:50 PM in Johor Bahru. Pradosh Kaal on Friday 6 November runs to the same end times as on Sunday.

Pradosh Kaal is the roughly two and a half hours after sunset, when tradition recommends worshipping Lakshmi. On 8 November the Amavasya tithi is already running by sunset in every Malaysian city. Vrishabha lagna is the time when Taurus, a 'fixed' sign, is rising; Lakshmi worshipped then is said to stay in the home. Where it overlaps Pradosh is the ideal muhurat, the first column of the table.

The peninsula is compact, so the seven windows are only minutes apart. If your town is not listed, use the nearest city: Seremban for Melaka, Kuala Lumpur or Klang for Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya, George Town for Butterworth. Never convert India's muhurat into Malaysian time. See also our Lakshmi Puja muhurat page for Malaysia.

The Hindu community in Malaysia

Malaysia's 2020 census counted 2.0 million Hindus, and 2.0 million Malaysians of Indian ethnicity, or 6.7 per cent of citizens (Department of Statistics Malaysia, Key Findings of the Population and Housing Census 2020). India's Ministry of External Affairs gives a slightly different picture. It counts about 2.75 million Persons of Indian Origin and 152,370 non-resident Indians in Malaysia as of January 2026 (MEA, Population of Overseas Indians). It also describes Malaysia as home to the third-largest Indian diaspora in the world.

MEA's India-Malaysia bilateral brief says that 90 per cent of Persons of Indian Origin in Malaysia speak Tamil, and the rest speak Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi and other languages. The same brief counts almost 20,000 Hindu temples and over 120 gurdwaras in the country. That is why Malaysian Deepavali feels Tamil, centred on the same kovils that host Thaipusam. Telugu and Malayali families add their own dishes and prayers, Punjabi, Sindhi, Gujarati and Bengali families bring other customs, and the newer community of Indian professionals and students adds the North Indian Lakshmi Puja evening.

Where to celebrate: temples and community organisations

Deepavali morning is a temple morning in Malaysia. The places below were checked against their own websites, a government listing or news reports; we give name and area only. For a fuller list see our Hindu temples to visit in Malaysia during Diwali 2026. Temples and community associations usually announce Diwali programmes from mid-October — check their websites and social pages.

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur's Lakshmi Puja window is 7:25 PM – 9:20 PM. Brickfields, KL's Little India, is the centre of the festive season. Kuala Lumpur City Hall's Deepavali Festival Bazaar 2026 (Brickfields) runs from 9 October to 7 November 2026. This year the main bazaar has moved to the car park beside the Tun Sambanthan complex, with Jalan Tun Sambanthan 1 closed to traffic, and a smaller dry-goods site at Jalan Bunus 6 near Masjid India (The Star, 10 October 2026). This was announced by DBKL, so check before you go.

• Sri Kandaswamy Kovil — Brickfields. A Murugan temple with its own website and a calendar of festival days. It is known for keeping Saiva Agama ritual closely.
• Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple, Batu Caves — Gombak, on the northern edge of KL. It is managed by the Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam of Kuala Lumpur (Bernama). On Deepavali morning in 2025, Bernama found thousands of devotees there from early morning with fruit and flower offerings (Bernama, 20 October 2025).
• ISKCON Kuala Lumpur, Sri Jagannatha Mandir — off Old Klang Road. Established in 1985, it is the headquarters of ISKCON Malaysia (ISKCON Centres). Its Diwali programmes usually have a Krishna focus, with Govardhan Puja.

Klang

Klang's window is 7:26 PM – 9:21 PM. Klang's Little India, around Jalan Tengku Kelana, is one of the busiest Deepavali shopping streets in the country. Klang Royal City Council (MBDK) has set the 2026 bazaar on Lorong Tingkat, off Jalan Tengku Kelana, from 25 October to 7 November (The Star, 29 September 2026). This was announced by MBDK, so check before you go.

• Sri Sundararaja Perumal Temple — Klang. A Vaishnava temple to Vishnu, often called the "Thirupathi of South-East Asia", that draws devotees from across Malaysia (The Star).

George Town, Penang

George Town has the latest window in this guide, 7:28 PM – 9:24 PM. Little India around Queen Street and Market Street is Penang's festive heart. Many Penang families climb to the hilltop temple on Deepavali morning.

• Arulmigu Sri Balathandayuthapani Waterfall Hilltop Temple — Jalan Kebun Bunga. In 2025 its committee chairman said the temple would be the focal point for Deepavali, with special prayers on the morning of the festival (The Star, 17 October 2025).
• Sree Veera Hanuman Temple — Penang. Named in the same report among the Penang temples that expect growing crowds as Deepavali approaches.

The Malaysia Hindu Dharma Mamandram's Penang volunteers have in past years cleaned temple grounds, lit rows of lamps and distributed food to the needy before Deepavali (same report).

Ipoh

Ipoh's window is 7:26 PM – 9:22 PM. Perak families get an extra rest day this year. Friday 6 November, which is Dhanteras, is the Sultan of Perak's birthday holiday in the state (Prime Minister's Department, 2026 holiday lists), so the Dhanteras evening is free for shopping and puja.

• Kallumalai Arulmigu Subramaniar Temple — Gunung Cheroh. The Ipoh Echo describes it as the main and largest temple in Perak and a guide to other Perak temples for religious events (Ipoh Echo, 1 February 2026). Bernama found devotees praying there on Deepavali morning 2025.

Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru has the earliest window in Malaysia, 7:20 PM – 9:13 PM. Many JB families also have relatives across the Causeway in Singapore, so a two-household Deepavali is common.

• Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple — Wadihana, Johor Bahru. Its walls, ceiling and pillars are almost entirely covered in glass mosaic (Tourism Johor).
• Arulmigu Rajamariamman Devasthanam — Johor. Named by Bernama among the temples where Johor devotees gathered on Deepavali morning 2025.

Seremban

Seremban's window is 7:26 PM – 9:20 PM. Negeri Sembilan's Hindu community is long-settled and closely knit.

• Sri Balathandayuthapani Temple — Seremban town. RTM, the national broadcaster, describes it as one of the oldest temples in the country, dating from the 19th century. In 2023 it expected thousands of devotees on Deepavali and welcomed visitors of all faiths (RTM).

Sungai Petani

Sungai Petani's window is 7:27 PM – 9:23 PM. This Kedah town and the surrounding estates have deep Tamil roots, and families usually go to their neighbourhood kovil before dawn on Deepavali. We could not confirm an official website for the town's temples, so we do not name them here. Ask your local temple committee for its 2026 plans, or use the Malaysia temple guide.

Celebrating at home in Malaysia

Deepavali morning. Before sunrise an elder applies gingelly (sesame) oil to everyone's head, followed by a warm bath, often with shikakai. Then come new clothes, prayers at the home altar and the kovil. See our guide to the traditional Deepavali oil bath.

A short Lakshmi Puja vidhi. Place a picture or murti of Lakshmi and Ganesha on a clean cloth, with a kalash of water and mango leaves and a few coins. Within your city's muhurat, light a ghee lamp, pray first to Ganesha, then offer Lakshmi flowers, kumkum, turmeric, akshat and incense, sweets and fruit. Chant 'Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah' and finish with aarti. Full method: Lakshmi Puja 2026 vidhi.

Kolam, lamps and condos. A rice-flour kolam and rows of clay agal vilakku are the classic look. In a condominium, keep real flames on a metal tray inside your unit, away from curtains, never unattended, and use LED lights on balconies. Many management bodies restrict flames or decorations in common areas, so check house rules first. Camphor and sambrani can set off smoke detectors: use one small tablet, open a window and never cover the alarm. Tenants should check their agreement on open flames and wall fixings.

Weather. Early November is hot and humid, with frequent heavy afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Keep balcony lamps covered, plan for open-house guests in the rain, and allow extra driving time.

Food and decorations you can find locally

Little India districts and Indian grocers in most towns stock gingelly oil, shikakai, kolam powder, brass kuthu vilakku and clay lamps, jasmine garlands, saris and veshtis, and everything for murukku, athirasam and ladoo. Many families still press murukku at home; others order from home bakers, so order early. North Indian sweets and Lakshmi Puja items are easiest to find in the larger cities. The KL and Klang bazaars both end on Saturday 7 November, so expect the last weekend to be the busiest.

Deepavali with children and second-generation families

Malaysian children grow up with Deepavali as a national holiday, and school friends of every background come to the open house. Let children draw the kolam, roll murukku dough and explain to friends why the family rises before dawn. Keep heritage languages alive: the Tamil greeting, a Telugu or Malayalam blessing, the Hindi Lakshmi mantra, and grandparents telling the Narakasura story in their own language. Children at Tamil schools can perform the songs they learn for guests.

Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj in India fall on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 November, normal school evenings. In Perak, Friday 6 November is also a state holiday.

The 2026 public holiday and the working week

The Prime Minister's Department's Jadual Hari Kelepasan Am Persekutuan 2026 lists Hari Deepavali on Sunday 8 November 2026 as a holiday in every state and federal territory except Sarawak. It is marked as subject to change. Because the date is a Sunday, Monday 9 November is widely expected to be the replacement holiday. Singapore's Consulate-General in Johor Bahru lists Monday 9 November as a replacement public holiday. States with a Friday–Saturday weekend treat Sunday as a working day, so the arrangement there is different. Confirm with your state government's official announcement and with your employer or school. In Sarawak, Deepavali is not a state public holiday, so check with your employer about leave.

Fireworks, safety and local rules

Fireworks are part of many Malaysian Deepavali nights, but the law is strict. The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) have said that only 45 types of firecrackers are authorised for sale, and that sales to the public are allowed only during festive seasons, including Deepavali (The Star, 9 February 2024). Sellers need a permit from the district police headquarters. Possessing, selling, buying or playing with unapproved fireworks can lead to action under Sections 7 and 8 of the Explosives Act 1957, with penalties of up to seven years in jail, a fine of up to RM10,000, or both (The Star, 16 February 2026, quoting Kuala Lumpur police). Klang's 2026 bazaar also requires fireworks sellers to have an approval letter from the police (MBDK, reported by The Star).

Buy only from licensed stalls, never online, and check PDRM's current guidance. Use fireworks only in open spaces, never from balconies or corridors, keep children back and water nearby, and think of neighbours and pets late at night. Rules on sky lanterns and open fires are set by local authorities and the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba); follow their official guidance.

Celebrating far from family

Students from India, contract workers and Malaysians working in Singapore or abroad may spend Deepavali away from family. A few ideas:

• Video-call puja: India is two and a half hours behind, so family there will do their puja after yours; agree who joins whose.
• Online darshan: watch your family temple's live-stream before or after your own puja.
• Open house: invite a colleague or student who is far from home.
• Seva and daan: give to a temple's annadanam, a Deepavali food drive or a cause in your family's home town.

Deepavali checklist for Malaysia

• Note your city's Lakshmi Puja window for Sunday 8 November from the table above
• Confirm whether Monday 9 November is a holiday in your state and at your workplace
• Do the big bazaar shopping before Saturday 7 November, when the KL and Klang bazaars close
• Buy gingelly oil and shikakai for the pre-dawn oil bath
• Make or order murukku, athirasam and sweets early
• Draw the kolam on Saturday evening, inside your own doorway in a condo
• Polish the brass lamps and use LED lights in common areas
• Check your condo house rules on flames and decorations
• Buy fireworks only from a licensed stall and use them only in open spaces
• Plan your temple visit early on Sunday, before the crowds and the afternoon rain
• Schedule the video call with family in India or abroad

Frequently asked questions

When is Deepavali 2026 in Malaysia?

Sunday 8 November 2026, per the Prime Minister's Department's 2026 holiday list (marked subject to change). The morning oil bath, temple visit, open house and evening Lakshmi Puja all fall on that day.

Is Deepavali 2026 a public holiday in Malaysia, and is there a replacement day?

Yes, in every state and federal territory except Sarawak. As 8 November is a Sunday, Monday 9 November is widely expected to be the replacement day (Singapore's Consulate-General in Johor Bahru lists it). States with a Friday–Saturday weekend differ, so check your state's announcement and your employer or school.

What is the Lakshmi Puja time in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh and Johor Bahru?

On Sunday 8 November 2026, Malaysia time: Kuala Lumpur 7:25 PM – 9:20 PM, Klang 7:26 PM – 9:21 PM, George Town 7:28 PM – 9:24 PM, Ipoh 7:26 PM – 9:22 PM, Johor Bahru 7:20 PM – 9:13 PM, Seremban 7:26 PM – 9:20 PM and Sungai Petani 7:27 PM – 9:23 PM. HinduTone calculation (Drik Panchang method); confirm with your temple.

Malaysian Tamil families celebrate in the morning. Why does this page give an evening time?

Both fall on the same day. Malaysia's Tamil Deepavali remembers Krishna's victory over Narakasura and begins before dawn with the oil bath and a temple visit. North Indian, Gujarati, Sindhi and many expatriate families also do Lakshmi-Ganesh puja at dusk, and many homes do both.

Can we play fireworks for Deepavali in Malaysia?

Only approved types from a seller with a police permit. Police say 45 types are authorised for sale, only in festive seasons including Deepavali; unapproved fireworks are an offence under the Explosives Act 1957. Check PDRM's current guidance.

Why is Johor Bahru's muhurat earlier than George Town's?

One clock (UTC+8) covers the peninsula, but sunset differs: 6:50 PM in Johor Bahru and 6:59 PM in George Town on 8 November. Pradosh Kaal starts at sunset, so use your own city's row, never India's muhurat converted.

Related guides

• Diwali / Deepavali 2026: complete 5-day guide
• The 5 days of Diwali 2026 explained
• Lakshmi Puja 2026: date, muhurat and step-by-step vidhi
• Must-visit Hindu temples in Malaysia during Diwali 2026
• November 2026 Hindu festivals in Malaysia
• November 2026 Hindu festivals in Singapore
• Bhai Dooj 2026 in Singapore, Malaysia and New Zealand
• Deepavali 2026 events in Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai

Sources

• Prime Minister's Department (JPM): Jadual Hari Kelepasan Am 2026
• Consulate-General of Singapore, Johor Bahru: Johor Bahru Public Holidays
• Department of Statistics Malaysia: Key Findings, Population and Housing Census 2020
• Ministry of External Affairs, India: Population of Overseas Indians
• Ministry of External Affairs, India: India-Malaysia Bilateral Relations
• Sri Kandaswamy Kovil, Brickfields (official website)
• ISKCON Centres: ISKCON Kuala Lumpur – Sri Jagannatha Mandir
• Bernama: Batu Caves temple vows (2022)
• Bernama: Hindus nationwide celebrate Deepavali (2025)
• Tourism Johor: Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple
• The Star: Temples prepare to greet visitors (2025)
• Ipoh Echo: Perak govt channels RM100,000 to Sri Subramaniar Temple (2026)
• RTM: Deepavali at Kuil Sri Balathandayuthapani, Seremban
• The Star: Visit Klang's unique places of worship
• DBKL / KLCCC: Bazar Perayaan Deepavali 2026 (Brickfields)
• The Star: Festive focus on Brickfields (2026)
• The Star: 132 traders register for Deepavali bazaar lots in Klang (2026)
• The Star: Only 45 types of firecrackers authorised for sale (2024)
• The Star: Only certain fireworks allowed to be sold (2026)
• Muhurat: HinduTone calculation (Drik Panchang method)