Diwali 2026 in Chile: Dates, Lakshmi Puja Muhurat and Hindu Temples

In Chile, Diwali's main night, Lakshmi Puja, is on Sunday 8 November 2026, and in Santiago the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 8:50 PM to 10:20 PM (local time, UTC-3). The five days run from Dhanteras on Friday 6 November to Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November, and the dates are the same everywhere from Antofagasta to Puerto Montt. Only the muhurat changes from city to city, because sunset times differ.

Editor's note (1 November 2026): HinduTone calculated these local dates using Drik Panchang tithi times and Drik's rules for choosing each festival day, and checked our method against Drik's own published dates for 15 countries. The Lakshmi Puja muhurat is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna that falls within Pradosh Kaal, following the Drik method. We do not list event schedules: temples and community groups usually announce Diwali programmes a few weeks ahead, so check their websites and social pages.

Diwali 2026 dates in Chile

These are the five days for Santiago. Every other Chilean city in our list has the same dates.

For reference, the new-moon tithi (Amavasya) runs from 11:27 AM on 8 November to 12:31 PM on 9 November IST. In Chilean time that is Sun 8 Nov, 2:57 AM to Mon 9 Nov, 4:01 AM, so Amavasya covers the whole evening of Sunday 8 November. That is why Lakshmi Puja falls on Sunday in Chile.

Diwali 2026 city timings in Chile

All times are local Chilean time (UTC-3). The muhurat column is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat on Sunday 8 November.

Santiago, Puente Alto, Maipú, Ñuñoa and San Bernardo share the same timings. Viña del Mar and Valparaíso are a couple of minutes later. Antofagasta in the north is about twenty minutes earlier, and Puerto Montt in the south is noticeably later because the sun sets later there. If you live in Punta Arenas, Iquique or another city not listed, ask your temple for local timings or see our Diwali 2026 dates for every country guide.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat explained

Two windows of time matter for the main Diwali puja. The first is Pradosh Kaal, the period of about two and a half hours that starts at sunset. In Santiago on Sunday 8 November the sun sets at 8:16 PM, so Pradosh Kaal runs from 8:16 PM to 10:20 PM. Lakshmi Puja is traditionally done in this evening window, while Amavasya is in force.

The second is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna, the time when the sign of Taurus is rising on the eastern horizon. Vrishabha is a fixed (sthir) sign, and families pray during a fixed lagna so that Lakshmi's blessings stay in the home. Where Vrishabha overlaps Pradosh Kaal, that overlap is the muhurat. In Santiago it is 8:50 PM to 10:20 PM.

If you cannot manage the muhurat, you may perform the puja at any time during Pradosh Kaal shown for your city. Chilean evenings in November are long and light, so many families start preparing the rangoli, diyas and offerings before sunset and begin the puja once the muhurat starts.

Hindu temples in Chile for Diwali

Chile's Hindu community is small, so there are only a few temples. We have confirmed each of the places below in reliable listings or news reports. We list only names and areas. Contact the temple or association before you go.

Santiago

• Hindu Temple Santiago (Santiago Mandir), Santiago: the community temple, whose priest has taken part in the Indian Embassy's Diwali celebrations. The Santiago Hindu Temple and Cultural Center held the bhumi puja for a new temple and cultural centre in La Reina in August 2025.
• ISKCON Santiago (Templo Hare Krishna), central Santiago: the Hare Krishna temple, with a mostly Chilean congregation. Krishna devotees have been active in Chile since 1978.
• Indian Association of Santiago: the main community association, which works with the embassy on Diwali and other cultural events.
• Embassy of India, Santiago, Las Condes: has hosted Diwali celebrations for the diaspora and friends of India in recent years.
• Brahma Kumaris Chile, Santiago: the spiritual organisation has joined the embassy's Diwali programmes.

Punta Arenas and Iquique

• Centro Cultural y Templo Hindú, Punta Arenas: built with funds from the Sindhi community and opened in 2002, with services in Sindhi and Spanish.
• Hindu temple, Iquique: the Sindhi community's temple in Iquique shares its premises with the city's gurdwara.

If none of these is near you, a home puja is completely proper. Lakshmi Puja has always been mainly a household ritual, and many families in Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Antofagasta, Puerto Montt and elsewhere celebrate at home or with a few friends.

How Diwali is celebrated in Chile

People of Indian origin have lived in Chile for more than a century. The first arrivals, mostly Sindhi traders, came to Magallanes (today's Punta Arenas) in 1904. Their descendants later moved to Santiago and to the free-trade ports of the north, such as Iquique, Arica and Antofagasta. A second group arrived in the 1980s and founded the community association. Today India's foreign ministry estimates around 4,000 overseas Indians in Chile. They include long-settled Sindhi families as well as professionals and students from across India. Many Chileans also follow Hindu traditions through ISKCON, the Brahma Kumaris and yoga groups.

Because the community is spread thinly, Diwali in Chile is usually a mix of home pujas and one or two larger gatherings. Typical programmes at the temples include Lakshmi and Ganesha puja, aarti, bhajans, lighting diyas, and a shared meal or sweets. The embassy's Diwali celebrations have brought together the diaspora, Chilean officials and friends of India, with lamps, prayers and cultural performances. Sindhi families often add their own customs, such as worshipping account books and the household safe on Lakshmi Puja night.

Sikh families mark Bandi Chhor Divas on the same evening. Chile has two gurdwaras, one in Iquique and one in Viña del Mar. Jain households observe Diwali as the day of Lord Mahavira's nirvana.

November is late spring in Chile, so Diwali comes with mild, long evenings. That suits outdoor rangoli and an evening meal on the patio, but it also means the puja starts late. Plan dinner and children's bedtimes around a muhurat that begins at about nine.

Simple Lakshmi Puja at home

You do not need a priest to perform Lakshmi Puja. This short vidhi is followed by many families and can be adapted to your own tradition.

1. Clean the house during the day, decorate the entrance with a rangoli and toran, and set up a small altar on a raised platform covered with a red or yellow cloth.
2. Place images or murtis of Ganesha and Lakshmi (with Kubera or Saraswati if your family includes them), a kalash of water with mango leaves and a coconut, and a plate of rice.
3. Before the muhurat, bathe, wear clean or new clothes, and light the main ghee diya, which should stay lit through the night if it is safe.
4. Begin with Ganesha: invoke him, offer flowers, kumkum, haldi and a sweet, and chant his name or a simple mantra.
5. Worship Lakshmi with flowers, especially lotus or marigold if you can find them, akshat (rice), kumkum, a coin or jewellery, sweets, and fruit. Chant the Shri Suktam, Lakshmi Ashtakam or simply 'Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah'.
6. Worship your account books, laptop or cash box if you run a business, as is common in Sindhi and Gujarati families.
7. Perform the aarti together, then light diyas around the house, at doorways and in windows.
8. Share prasad with family and neighbours. Many people also share sweets with Chilean friends and colleagues.

For more on the meaning of each day, see our guide to the five days of Diwali, and for prasad ideas our Diwali sweets and snacks recipes.

Practical tips for Diwali in Chile

• Weekdays and holidays: Lakshmi Puja falls on Sunday 8 November, which helps families with work and school. Dhanteras is on Friday, while Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj are working days. Diwali is not a public holiday in Chile, and All Saints' Day on Sunday 1 November is the only national holiday that month.
• Late sunset: Sunset is at 8:16 PM in Santiago and 8:41 PM in Puerto Montt on 8 November. Light the first diyas at dusk and keep the main puja for the muhurat.
• Fireworks: Chile has banned the sale and private use of fireworks since 2000, and since 2021 using them can be a criminal offence. Only authorised professional shows are allowed, so stick to diyas, candles and fairy lights.
• Fire safety: Spring can be dry and windy, especially in central Chile. Keep diyas away from curtains and dry plants, and never leave flames unattended on balconies.
• Temple pujas: If you would like a priest to perform a puja at home or want to sponsor one at the temple, ask early. A few priests serve the whole country.
• Puja items: Indian groceries are limited outside Santiago. Buy ghee, camphor, kumkum and diya wicks in advance, or order them online in good time.

FAQ

When is Diwali 2026 in Chile?

The main day, Lakshmi Puja, is Sunday 8 November 2026 in every Chilean city we checked. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November, Naraka Chaturdashi on Saturday 7 November, Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Santiago?

In Santiago the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 8:50 PM to 10:20 PM on Sunday 8 November 2026, local time (UTC-3). This is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna inside Pradosh Kaal, which runs from sunset at 8:16 PM to 10:20 PM.

Is there a Hindu temple in Chile?

Yes, though only a few. Santiago has the Hindu Temple Santiago (Santiago Mandir), whose new temple and cultural centre is being built in La Reina, and the ISKCON Hare Krishna temple. The Sindhi community runs Hindu temples in Punta Arenas and Iquique.

Is Diwali a public holiday in Chile?

No. Chile's only national holiday in November 2026 is All Saints' Day on Sunday 1 November, so check your employer's policy if you need time off. Lakshmi Puja on 8 November falls on a Sunday, which makes the evening puja easier for most families.

Why is the muhurat so late in the evening in Chile?

November is late spring in Chile and the country keeps summer time (UTC-3), so the sun sets late: 8:16 PM in Santiago and 8:41 PM in Puerto Montt. Pradosh Kaal begins at sunset, so the muhurat starts after dark at 8:50 PM in Santiago and 9:16 PM in Puerto Montt.

Can I light fireworks in Chile for Diwali?

No. Chile has banned the sale and private use of fireworks since 2000, and a 2021 law made it a criminal offence; only authorised professional displays are allowed. Celebrate with diyas, candles and electric lights instead, and keep flames away from curtains.

Related guides

• Diwali 2026 dates in every country with Lakshmi Puja time
• Diwali 2026 festival hub
• Diwali 2026 date and Lakshmi Puja muhurat in India
• Dhanteras 2026
• Naraka Chaturdashi 2026
• Govardhan Puja and Annakut 2026
• Bhai Dooj 2026
• Diwali 2026 in Argentina
• Diwali 2026 in Peru
• Diwali 2026 in Colombia