Diwali 2026 in Belgium: Lakshmi Puja Muhurat City by City, Dhanteras Times and Temples

Quick answer

Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) 2026 in Belgium is on Sunday 8 November. In Brussels the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 5:20 PM – 6:58 PM, and Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November. Antwerp, Ghent and Liège have their own windows, all in the table below.

Editor's note: This page was last checked on 10 October 2026. The local times were calculated by HinduTone using the Drik Panchang method (Pradosh Kaal with the Vrishabha lagna) for each city's own sunset and longitude, and checked against Drik Panchang for major world cities to within one to two minutes. They are not India's times converted to Belgian time. We describe 2026 events only when the organiser has announced them on its own page, and we list temples only where we could confirm them from their own site or an established directory. Please confirm the muhurat and programme with your temple.

Diwali week in Belgium has an unusual shape in 2026. The festival night falls on a Sunday. Flemish children are on their autumn break until that same Sunday, while French-speaking children went back to school a week earlier. Then, on Wednesday 11 November, the whole country stops for Armistice Day, the day families in India celebrate Bhai Dooj. The community is mixed too: business families in Antwerp, IT professionals around Brussels, students, Sri Lankan Tamils, and many Belgian-born devotees. This guide covers Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liège.

Diwali 2026 in Belgium: the five days

These are the dates in India from Drik Panchang. In 2026 the main night, Sunday 8 November, is the same date in Belgium and India, and the Tamil Deepavali oil bath and Narak Chaturdashi also fall that Sunday morning. For Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj, the dates above are India's; temples in Belgium may announce their own day, so check before you plan a visit.

Diwali marks Rama's return to Ayodhya, when the city lit rows of lamps to welcome him. Narak Chaturdashi recalls Krishna's victory over Narakasura, and Bali Pratipada remembers King Bali, whom Vamana allowed to return once a year. On Amavasya night Lakshmi is worshipped for prosperity; Bengali families worship Kali, Jains mark the Nirvana of Bhagwan Mahavira, and Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas. For the full story of each day, read our guide to the 5 days of Diwali.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026, city by city

All times below 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. They are in Belgian local time, CET, since summer time ended on Sunday 25 October 2026.

What is Pradosh Kaal? Pradosh is the evening period that begins at sunset. Scripture places Lakshmi Puja on Amavasya in this window, when the day ends and the lamps are lit. On 8 November the Amavasya tithi (11:27 AM IST on 8 November to 12:31 PM IST on 9 November, in India's time) covers the whole of every Belgian city's Pradosh, so there is no doubt about the date.

What is the Vrishabha lagna? The lagna is the zodiac sign rising on the eastern horizon, and it changes about every two hours. Vrishabha (Taurus) is a "fixed" sign, and tradition holds that Lakshmi worshipped while a fixed sign rises will stay in the home. The best muhurat is where Pradosh and Vrishabha overlap, which is the Lakshmi Puja window in the table.

Belgium is small, so the windows are close: Liège, furthest east, opens first at 5:15 PM, and Ghent, furthest west, closes last at 7:00 PM. If you live in Leuven, Namur or another town, use the nearest city in the table. For other European cities, see our Europe city-wise Lakshmi Puja muhurat.

The Hindu community in Belgium

According to India's Ministry of External Affairs brief on India-Belgium relations (dated June 2026), there are around 35,000 members of the Indian diaspora in Belgium. Of these, 18,920 are Non-Resident Indians, including around 1,100 students and around 2,000 IT professionals, and around 17,690 are Persons of Indian Origin. The same brief notes that diamonds are a significant part of India-Belgium trade, a link that runs through Antwerp, and that Indian IT companies serve European markets from Belgium. Not every member of the diaspora is Hindu, and Belgium's census does not record religion.

For Hindus specifically, the figures are estimates. The Brussels Times reported in 2023 that Statbel counted about 11,200 Indian nationals in Belgium in 2016, while the Hindu Forum of Belgium estimated 40,000 active practitioners, almost half of them Western converts. That second group is a distinctive feature of Belgium: many devotees at ISKCON centres and other temples are Belgian-born, and services can be in Dutch or French as well as Hindi or English.

The community is also working towards official status. The Hindu Forum of Belgium, a national umbrella platform founded in Brussels in 2007, has asked for Hinduism to be recognised by the state. According to ISKCON News, the Belgian Parliament voted in January 2024 to grant the Forum a subsidy, which the community marked as a first step towards recognition.

Families come from many parts of India and speak Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and many other languages at home. Sri Lankan Tamils form their own community; the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Brussels holds an annual Deepawali gathering for Sri Lankans in Belgium and Luxembourg, held on 26 October in 2025.

Where to celebrate: temples and community organisations

We list only temples and organisations we could confirm from their own site or an established directory, with name and area only. Check their websites and social pages for hours and Diwali plans. Temples and community associations usually announce Diwali programmes from mid-October — check their websites and social pages. At the time of writing, the only 2026 Diwali event we found announced with a date and venue is at Radhadesh (see Liège below).

Brussels

Brussels' Lakshmi Puja window on 8 November is 5:20 PM – 6:58 PM. The capital has the country's community mandir and an ISKCON centre.

• Brussels Mandir — Evere. A Hindu temple built by Indian families in Brussels, which held its soft opening in 2012 and marks the major festivals of the year.
• Bhakti Yoga Centre (ISKCON Brussels) — Etterbeek, close to the European quarter, with programmes in several languages.
• Hindu Forum of Belgium — Brussels. The national umbrella body for Hindu temples and associations; a useful starting point if you are new to Belgium.

At Diwali, temples typically hold Lakshmi Puja and aarti in the evening, with prasad and often a cultural programme on the nearest weekend.

Antwerp

Antwerp's Lakshmi Puja window is 5:18 PM – 6:55 PM. Its community is closely tied to the diamond trade, and many business families keep Chopda Puja on Diwali night.

• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir — Antwerp. The mandir opened on 10 October 2003. BAPS mandirs typically celebrate Diwali and the Hindu New Year with an Annakut, a large offering of vegetarian dishes to the deity.
• Govinda Vedic Cultural Centre (ISKCON Antwerp) — Antwerp. Active in Antwerp since the early 1980s, with weekly Sunday programmes and festivals shared with devotees from across the Benelux.

Ghent

Ghent's Lakshmi Puja window is 5:22 PM – 7:00 PM, the latest in the table. We could not confirm a Hindu temple in Ghent itself. The city's Indian community is young and centred on the university and research sector, and many families travel to Brussels or Antwerp for temple programmes, or celebrate at home with friends. If you are a student, ask the Indian student groups at your university whether they are planning a Diwali evening.

Liège

Liège's Lakshmi Puja window is 5:15 PM – 6:54 PM, the earliest in the table. We could not confirm a Hindu temple in Liège city. The nearest established temple for families in the province is in the Ardennes to the south.

• Radhadesh (ISKCON) — near Durbuy, in the Ardennes. ISKCON's temple and community in a castle estate, with a guesthouse and vegetarian restaurant. Diwali at Radhadesh on Saturday 7 November 2026 is announced with rangoli, Ramayana stories, a lantern parade with kirtan, a lamp offering and a vegetarian feast: announced by Radhadesh; check before you go.

For our Navratri and Dussehra listings for the same four cities, see the Dussehra 2026 guide for Belgium.

Celebrating at home in Belgium

Many families in Belgium live in apartments, often in older buildings, some way from a temple, so the home puja is the heart of the festival. A short Lakshmi Puja vidhi to do within your city's window:

• Clean the home and the puja space during the day, and make a rangoli at the door.
• Set out a red or yellow cloth with Lakshmi and Ganesha (an image is fine), a kalash of water, rice, coins or jewellery, sweets and flowers.
• Light the main diya, pray to Ganesha first, then offer Lakshmi kumkum, haldi, akshat, flowers and naivedya.
• Chant a simple mantra such as "Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah" or read the Lakshmi Ashtakam, then perform aarti.
• Light diyas around the home, share prasad, and keep one lamp burning safely while you are in the room.

For the full step-by-step method, see our Lakshmi Puja 2026 vidhi.

Diyas, smoke detectors and rented homes. Belgian homes normally have smoke detectors, and camphor, incense and ghee lamps can set them off, especially in small apartments. Keep the puja near a window you can open, use a few real diyas for the puja itself and LED diyas or fairy lights for the rest of the home, and never leave a flame unattended or near curtains. If you rent, check your lease and any building rules (the règlement d'ordre intérieur or huishoudelijk reglement) on candles and open flames, and tell your neighbours if you will have guests.

Weather. Early November in Belgium is usually cool, grey and damp, often with rain and wind, and the sun sets around five. Use glass lanterns or electric lights outside, keep the puja indoors, and dress warmly for evening temple visits.

Food and decorations you can find locally

Indian grocers are found in the big cities and in university towns, and stock diyas, ghee, kumkum, agarbatti, dry fruits and mithai ingredients; Asian supermarkets also sell rice flour, jaggery and spices. Fresh marigolds are hard to find in November, so many families use chrysanthemums, which florists stock heavily around All Saints' Day on 1 November, or paper and silk garlands. Order sweets early if you want them from an Indian sweet maker, as demand peaks on the weekend before Diwali. For ideas, see our Diwali recipes.

Diwali with children and second-generation families

Belgium's school calendar works in Diwali's favour this year, but differently depending on where your children study. In Flemish schools, the autumn holiday runs from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 November 2026, so Dhanteras on Friday 6 November and the whole build-up to Diwali fall in the break. In French-speaking schools in Wallonia and Brussels, the autumn holiday ran from 19 October to 1 November 2026, so Dhanteras is a normal school day. Both calendars give Wednesday 11 November, Armistice Day, as a day off, which in India is Bhai Dooj. For working parents, Friday 6 November and Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 November are normal working days, so plan Dhanteras and Govardhan Puja for the evenings.

• Ask your child's teacher whether they would welcome a short talk or a rangoli and diya activity in class.
• Let children make their own rangoli, decorate LED diyas, or help prepare a simple sweet during the Flemish autumn break.
• Use Armistice Day on 11 November for Bhai Dooj at home, and talk about the Indian soldiers remembered in Flanders (see below).
• Tell one story each day of the five days in your heritage language: Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali or any other. Children who speak Dutch or French at school and English with friends often lose the home language first.
• Join a temple or community programme so children meet others celebrating the same festival.

There is a Belgian thread to share with children too. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, more than 9,000 Indian soldiers lost their lives in Flanders in the First World War, and an Indian memorial pillar stands at the Menin Gate in Ypres. Armistice Day, falling in Diwali week, is a natural moment to tell that story.

Fireworks, safety and local rules

In Belgium, the use of fireworks is controlled mainly by each municipality's police regulation, so the rules can differ from one gemeente or commune to the next. In the capital, the City of Brussels says that Article 43 of its general police regulation bans the use of fireworks in public spaces, publicly accessible places and on private property without authorisation from the competent authority, and that fireworks used this way will be seized. The Brussels-Capital Region has also issued temporary region-wide bans around New Year; the one on that page applied until 2 March 2026.

For Antwerp, Ghent, Liège and other municipalities, check the police regulation on your city's website or ask your local police zone before buying anything. Sky lanterns (wensballonnen or lanternes célestes) are a fire risk; check your municipality's rules before considering them. The safest way to celebrate is with lamps and electric lights at home.

Celebrating far from family

With so many students and professionals on short contracts, many people in Belgium will spend Diwali away from parents and siblings. A few ways to make it feel like home:

• Watch online darshan or live aarti from a temple in your home town in India; check the time difference first, since India's evening puja falls in the Belgian afternoon.
• Do the puja on a video call with family, each household lighting its own lamp at its own local muhurat.
• Invite friends, flatmates or colleagues for a shared puja and meal.
• Volunteer at a temple kitchen, or give food or a donation to a local food bank or charity as Diwali seva.

Diwali checklist for Belgium

• Note your city's Lakshmi Puja window for Sunday 8 November from the table above.
• Note the Dhanteras puja time for Friday 6 November and plan to be home from work in time.
• Check your children's school calendar: Flemish autumn break or French-speaking school week.
• Check your temple's or association's website for its Diwali programme from mid-October.
• Buy diyas, ghee, kumkum and sweets ingredients from an Indian grocer a week ahead.
• Test your smoke detector, keep the puja near an openable window, and use LED lights elsewhere.
• Check your lease or building rules on candles and open flames.
• Check your municipality's police regulation before thinking about fireworks, and skip sky lanterns.
• Plan Bhai Dooj for Wednesday 11 November, the Armistice Day holiday.
• Prepare warm, waterproof clothes for evening temple visits.
• Schedule a video call with family in India around your puja time.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in Belgium?

Lakshmi Puja is on the evening of Sunday 8 November 2026 in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Liège and the rest of Belgium. Dhanteras is Friday 6 November. The Amavasya tithi runs from 11:27 AM IST on 8 November to 12:31 PM IST on 9 November in India's time, and the whole Belgian Pradosh Kaal on the evening of 8 November falls inside it.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liège?

Calculated by HinduTone using the Drik Panchang method for Sunday 8 November 2026: Brussels 5:20 PM – 6:58 PM, Antwerp 5:18 PM – 6:55 PM, Ghent 5:22 PM – 7:00 PM and Liège 5:15 PM – 6:54 PM. Confirm with your temple.

Is Diwali a public holiday in Belgium?

No. There is no Diwali holiday in Belgium. In 2026 Lakshmi Puja falls on a Sunday, which helps. In the same week, Wednesday 11 November is Armistice Day, a public holiday that the Flemish and French-speaking school calendars both list as a day off. In India that Wednesday is Bhai Dooj, so many families can mark it at home.

Are schools on holiday during Diwali week in Belgium?

It depends on the community. Flemish schools have their autumn holiday from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 November 2026, so Dhanteras on Friday 6 November falls in the break. French-speaking schools in Wallonia and Brussels had their autumn break from 19 October to 1 November 2026, so they are back in class for Dhanteras. Both systems have Wednesday 11 November off.

Can I light fireworks for Diwali in Belgium?

Fireworks use is largely controlled by each municipality's police regulation, so the answer depends on where you live. In the City of Brussels, the general police regulation bans fireworks in public spaces, publicly accessible places and on private property without authorisation, and fireworks used without it are seized. Elsewhere, check your gemeente or commune before buying anything. Diyas and electric lights are the safe choice.

Should I use India's Lakshmi Puja time and convert it to Belgian time?

No. The muhurat depends on your own sunset and on when Vrishabha rises at your longitude, so India's window shifted by the time difference would be wrong. Use your own city's time from the table on this page or your temple's calendar.

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
• Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026 in Europe, city-wise
• Diwali 2026 in the Netherlands: Lakshmi Puja muhurat city by city
• Diwali 2026 in Paris: events and temples
• Diwali 2026 in the UK and London

Sources

• Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India: India-Belgium Bilateral Relations (brief dated June 2026)
• The Brussels Times: Hindus push for recognition as official religion in Belgium (13 July 2023)
• ISKCON News: First Step in the Recognition of Hinduism in Belgium Celebrated on a Memorable Evening (2 December 2024)
• Hindu Forum of Belgium: Over ons (About us)
• Brussels Mandir: Contact
• ISKCON Centres directory: Bhakti Yoga Centre Brussels
• Govinda Vedisch Cultureel Centrum: About us
• swaminarayan.org (BAPS): Mandir opening, Antwerp (October 2003)
• Radhadesh: Domaine de Radhadesh
• Radhadesh: Diwali (event, 7 November 2026)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka: Embassy of Sri Lanka in Brussels celebrates Deepawali (October 2025)
• Vlaanderen.be (Flemish Government): Schoolvakanties
• Enseignement.be (Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles): Calendrier scolaire
• City of Brussels: Fireworks prohibited in Brussels
• Muhurat: HinduTone calculation (Drik Panchang method)