Diwali 2026 in Bhutan: Dates, Lakshmi Puja Muhurat for Thimphu and Other Towns, and Hindu Temples

Diwali 2026 in Bhutan: the main night, Lakshmi Puja, is on Sunday 8 November 2026, and in Thimphu the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 5:37 PM to 7:33 PM Bhutan time (UTC+6). The whole country keeps one time zone, so the date is the same everywhere, and the muhurat shifts by only a minute or two between towns. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj, or Bhai Tika, on Wednesday 11 November.

Editor's note (1 November 2026): HinduTone calculated these local dates from Drik Panchang tithi times using Drik Panchang's own rules for each festival, and checked our method against Drik's published dates for 15 countries. The Lakshmi Puja muhurat is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna that falls within Pradosh Kaal, the same method Drik Panchang uses. Most calendars give the dates shown here, but because Amavasya begins around midday on Sunday, some local calendars may list the neighbouring day; follow your temple or family priest. We do not list event schedules, because temples and community groups confirm their own programmes closer to the day.

Diwali 2026 dates in Bhutan

These are the five days of Diwali for Thimphu. The same dates apply in Phuntsholing, Tsirang, Punakha and the rest of Bhutan.

Monday 9 November has no main Diwali ritual in Bhutan. Amavasya is still running in the morning (it ends at 1:01 PM local time), and Pratipada, the Govardhan tithi, needs to be present at sunrise, which happens on Tuesday 10 November. For reference, the global tithi changes in Indian Standard Time are: Trayodashi 10:30 AM IST on 6 November to 10:47 AM IST on 7 November; Chaturdashi to 11:27 AM IST on 8 November; Amavasya from 11:27 AM IST on 8 November to 12:31 PM IST on 9 November; Pratipada to 2:00 PM IST on 10 November; Dwitiya to 3:53 PM IST on 11 November. In Bhutan time, Amavasya runs from Sunday 8 November, 11:57 AM, to Monday 9 November, 1:01 PM.

Diwali 2026 city by city in Bhutan

All times are local Bhutan time (UTC+6). Use the row for the town nearest to you.

If you live in Gelephu, Samtse, Samdrup Jongkhar or another southern town, the Phuntsholing or Tsirang row is a close guide; differences across Bhutan are only a few minutes.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat explained

Lakshmi Puja is done on the evening of Amavasya, in Pradosh Kaal, the period of roughly two and a half hours that begins at sunset. In Thimphu on Sunday 8 November, sunset is at 5:13 PM, so Pradosh Kaal runs from 5:13 PM to 7:50 PM.

Within Pradosh, the most favoured window is when Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna is rising. Vrishabha is a fixed (sthira) sign, and worship in a fixed lagna is believed to help Lakshmi stay in the home. In Thimphu this window is 5:37 PM to 7:33 PM. Amavasya is current throughout the evening, so the whole Pradosh Kaal is suitable if you cannot manage the narrower muhurat.

A practical plan: light the lamps at the door and windows soon after sunset, settle the family for puja in the muhurat, and keep at least one diya burning through the night.

Hindu temples in Bhutan for Diwali

Bhutan has a small number of Hindu temples, and we name only those we could confirm through Bhutanese government, national broadcaster or newspaper sources. Most Hindu families in Bhutan celebrate Diwali at home, and that is entirely in keeping with tradition.

Thimphu

• Devi Panchayan Mandir, Kuenselphodrang, Thimphu. The capital's Hindu temple, built as a gift from His Majesty The King to the people of Bhutan. His Majesty has granted Dashain tika to the Hindu community here.
• Hindu Dharma Samudaya of Bhutan, Thimphu. The registered Hindu religious organisation, established in 2009, which supports Hindu worship and festivals in the country.

Gelephu (Sarpang)

• Shivalaya Yagyaswar Mahadev Mandir, Gelephu, on the banks of the Shetikhari river. A royal gift to the Hindu community of Sarpang, consecrated in 2018 and now being gilded as a Golden Mandir.

Tsirang

• Buddhist-Hindu Temple, Damphu town, Tsirang. A shared site with a Hindu mandir and a Buddhist lhakhang side by side, described by the Tsirang Dzongkhag administration.

Phuntsholing, Punakha and elsewhere

We could not confirm a named Hindu temple in Phuntsholing or Punakha from a reliable source, so we do not list one. Families there usually celebrate at home, gather with neighbours, or travel to a larger temple for important pujas. Ask local Hindu families or the Hindu Dharma Samudaya of Bhutan for guidance.

Temples and community groups usually announce Diwali programmes a few weeks ahead; check their websites and social pages. Where a temple holds a Diwali programme, it typically includes an evening Lakshmi-Ganesh puja, aarti, bhajans and the sharing of prasad and sweets.

How Diwali is celebrated in Bhutan

Bhutan is a Buddhist kingdom, and Hindus are the second-largest faith community. Most Bhutanese Hindus are Lhotshampa, Nepali-speaking people whose families settled in the southern foothills from the nineteenth century onwards, in districts such as Samtse, Chhukha, Sarpang, Tsirang and Dagana. There are also Indian professionals and workers in Thimphu, Phuntsholing and on hydropower projects who keep their own regional customs.

Many Lhotshampa families call the festival Tihar or Deepawali, and follow customs close to those of Nepal: honouring crows, dogs and cows on the days before and after Lakshmi Puja, making rangoli at the doorway, lighting rows of diyas and electric lights, and playing deusi and bhailo songs as groups go from house to house. Tihar ends with Bhai Tika, when sisters bless brothers with a seven-coloured tika and garlands of marigold and makhamali flowers. Families from India often mark the same days as Dhanteras, Choti Diwali, Lakshmi Puja, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj.

Bhutanese news reports describe Diwali as a time for feasts, prayers and get-togethers, with sweet shops in Thimphu doing brisk business. The Prime Minister and ministers have joined community Deepavali celebrations in Thimphu in past years. Dashain, which comes a few weeks earlier, is the larger public festival for the Hindu community, and the King grants Dashain tika at the Devi Panchayan Mandir.

Sikh visitors and residents may mark Bandi Chhor Divas on the same evening as Lakshmi Puja, and Jain families observe the Nirvana of Lord Mahavira around Diwali. All are welcome to share the light of the season.

Simple Lakshmi Puja at home

Since many families in Bhutan live far from a temple, a home puja is the heart of the festival. A short, general vidhi:

1. Clean the house, especially the entrance and puja corner, and draw a rangoli or footprints of Lakshmi leading inside.
2. Place a clean cloth on a low table and set images or murtis of Lakshmi and Ganesh, with a kalash of water topped by mango leaves and a coconut.
3. Arrange diyas, incense, flowers, rice, kumkum and haldi, sweets, fruit, and a few coins or account books to be blessed.
4. Within the muhurat (5:37 PM to 7:33 PM in Thimphu), light the main lamp, invoke Ganesh first, then offer flowers, kumkum and sweets to Lakshmi.
5. Chant a simple mantra such as "Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah" or recite the Lakshmi Ashtakam, then perform aarti with the whole family.
6. Share the prasad, light diyas around the house, and keep one lamp burning through the night.

Your family tradition, or the advice of your priest, always comes first. There is no single correct form.

Practical tips for Diwali 2026 in Bhutan

• Weekdays: Lakshmi Puja falls on a Sunday, which makes the evening puja easier for working families. Govardhan Puja is on Tuesday and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday.
• Holidays: We could not confirm Diwali as a public holiday in 2026; check the official 2026 holiday list. Wednesday 11 November is the birth anniversary of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, usually a national holiday, which may help families gather for Bhai Tika.
• Weather and sunset: Early November evenings are cool and dry, and cold in Thimphu and Punakha. Sunset is around quarter past five, so plan to have everything ready by then. Lamps outdoors may need shelter from the wind.
• Fireworks: Rules on fireworks and firecrackers are set by Bhutan's national and local authorities. Check current rules before buying anything, and consider diyas and lights instead.
• Temple pujas: If you want a priest to perform Lakshmi Puja or Bhai Tika for your family, contact the temple or priest early, as the few priests in Bhutan are in demand during Tihar.
• Travel: Families travelling between Thimphu and the southern towns for the festival should allow extra time on the mountain roads.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in Bhutan?

The main day, Lakshmi Puja, is on Sunday 8 November 2026 across Bhutan. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November, Naraka Chaturdashi also falls on Sunday 8 November, Govardhan Puja is on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj (Bhai Tika) is on Wednesday 11 November.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Thimphu in 2026?

In Thimphu the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 5:37 PM to 7:33 PM on Sunday 8 November 2026, Bhutan time. This is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna within Pradosh Kaal, which runs from 5:13 PM to 7:50 PM.

Is Diwali a public holiday in Bhutan in 2026?

Dashain is the Hindu festival usually listed among Bhutan's national holidays. We could not confirm Diwali on the official 2026 list, so check the official 2026 holiday list from the Royal Government of Bhutan or ask your employer. Wednesday 11 November, Bhai Dooj, is also the birth anniversary of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, which is usually a national holiday.

Where can I celebrate Diwali at a Hindu temple in Bhutan?

We confirmed the Devi Panchayan Mandir at Kuenselphodrang in Thimphu, the Shivalaya Yagyaswar Mahadev Mandir in Gelephu (Sarpang) and the shared Buddhist-Hindu temple in Damphu, Tsirang. In other towns, ask local Hindu families or the Hindu Dharma Samudaya of Bhutan, or hold a simple puja at home.

Why do some calendars show a different date for Diwali in Bhutan?

Amavasya in Bhutan runs from Sunday 8 November, 11:57 AM, to Monday 9 November, 1:01 PM. Most calendars give Sunday 8 November for Lakshmi Puja because Amavasya covers the evening Pradosh Kaal that day, but some local calendars may list the neighbouring day. Follow your temple or family priest.

Is Diwali the same as Tihar in Bhutan?

Many Bhutanese Hindus, who are mostly Nepali-speaking Lhotshampa, call the festival Tihar or Deepawali. It covers the same five days, with Lakshmi Puja on Amavasya night and Bhai Tika on the Dwitiya day, though family customs such as crow, dog and cow worship and the order of days can vary.

Related guides

• Diwali 2026 dates in every country, with Lakshmi Puja times
• Diwali 2026: complete guide
• The 5 days of Diwali 2026 explained
• Dhanteras 2026
• Govardhan Puja and Annakut 2026
• Bhai Dooj 2026
• The stories behind Diwali
• Diwali 2026 in Myanmar
• Diwali 2026 in the Maldives
• Diwali 2026 in Hong Kong