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

Diwali 2026 in Colombia centres on Lakshmi Puja on Sunday 8 November 2026. In Bogotá the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 6:05 PM to 8:02 PM local time (UTC-5). The festival opens with Dhanteras on Friday 6 November and closes with Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November. Every Colombian city we checked keeps the same five dates; only the evening clock times shift slightly with sunset.

Editor's note (1 November 2026): HinduTone calculated these local dates from Drik Panchang tithi times using Drik's own rules for each festival day, and we 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, following the Drik method. We do not list event schedules, because temples and community groups set their own programmes each year.

Diwali 2026 dates in Colombia

These are the five days of Diwali for Bogotá. The dates are the same in Cali, Medellín, Barranquilla, Cartagena and the other cities below.

For the background to each day, see our guide to the 5 days of Diwali explained. The new moon (Amavasya) runs in Colombia from Sun 8 Nov, 12:57 AM → Mon 9 Nov, 2:01 AM local time, which places the whole Lakshmi Puja evening inside Amavasya. In Indian Standard Time, Amavasya runs from 11:27 AM on 8 November to 12:31 PM on 9 November (IST).

Diwali 2026 Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Colombian cities

All of Colombia uses one time zone, UTC-5, with no daylight saving. The dates are identical everywhere; the muhurat shifts by a few minutes with each city's sunset. Kennedy is a locality of Bogotá and Soacha sits on its southern edge, so their times match the capital's almost exactly.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat explained

Two windows of time matter for Lakshmi Puja. The first is Pradosh Kaal, the period of roughly two and a half hours beginning at sunset. The second is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna, the time when the sign Taurus is rising on the eastern horizon. Vrishabha is a fixed (sthira) sign, and puja during a fixed lagna is traditionally believed to help Lakshmi stay in the home. The best muhurat is where the two overlap.

In Bogotá on Sunday 8 November 2026, sunset is at 5:38 PM and Pradosh Kaal runs from 5:38 PM to 8:02 PM. Vrishabha rises at 6:05 PM, so the muhurat is 6:05 PM to 8:02 PM. Because Colombia is close to the equator, sunset changes little through the year, and the muhurat falls at a comfortable early-evening hour in every city.

If you cannot begin within the muhurat, any time during Pradosh Kaal is still considered auspicious for Lakshmi Puja. Please do not convert India's muhurat to Colombian time: the puja depends on local sunset and the local rising sign, so Bogotá's times are worked out for Bogotá. For India's timings, see our Diwali 2026 date and Lakshmi Puja muhurat guide.

Hindu temples in Colombia for Diwali

Colombia's Hindu community is small, and there are no large traditional mandirs of the kind found in the Caribbean or Europe. The places below are those we could confirm through official or reliable listings. We have not included any place we could not verify, and we do not list timings or addresses because these change; please contact each group directly.

Bogotá

• ISKCON Bogotá (Hare Krishna community), Bogotá. A long-running ISKCON community that settled into a more permanent centre in recent years and keeps in touch with devotees mainly through its social pages.
• Embassy of India, Bogotá. The embassy holds cultural events with the Indian diaspora through the year and is a useful contact for community news.
• Indian United Association of Colombia (IUAC), Bogotá. A community association that has organised cultural events with the embassy.

Cali and Valle del Cauca

• ISKCON La Buitrera – Gaura-Nitai Mandir, La Buitrera, near Cali. A small temple listed in ISKCON's official centres directory, surrounded by a community of devotee families.

Medellín, Barranquilla, Cartagena and other cities

We could not confirm a Hindu temple in Medellín, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Cúcuta or Bucaramanga. Hare Krishna groups and yoga communities exist in several Colombian cities, but listings change often, so ask ISKCON Bogotá or the embassy for current contacts. For most families outside Bogotá and Cali, a home puja is the natural way to keep Diwali.

Temples and community groups usually announce Diwali programmes a few weeks ahead; check their websites and social pages. Such programmes typically include an evening aarti, kirtan, a talk on the meaning of the festival and a shared vegetarian meal, and ISKCON centres often hold an Annakut offering around Govardhan Puja.

How Diwali is celebrated in Colombia

Hinduism in Colombia is a minority faith. Most Hindus are either Indian and Nepalese professionals who came for work in recent decades, many of them from Punjab and other northern states, or Colombians who joined the Hare Krishna movement. Small communities live in Bogotá, Cali, Medellín and Barranquilla. Unlike Trinidad, Guyana or Suriname, Colombia had no large indentured migration from India, so there is no old Indo-Colombian community with its own village temples.

Because families are spread out, Diwali is usually celebrated in two ways. At home, families clean and decorate, draw rangoli, light diyas on the evening of Lakshmi Puja and share sweets with friends and neighbours, often introducing Colombian friends to the festival. In the community, gatherings at ISKCON centres or events with Indian associations bring people together for prayer, music and food, often on the weekend nearest the festival.

The Sikh community in Colombia, many with Punjabi roots, marks Bandi Chhor Divas on the same day as Diwali, remembering Guru Hargobind's release from Gwalior Fort. Jain families mark Diwali as the nirvana of Lord Mahavira. All are welcome to share the lights.

For more ideas on food and greetings, see our Diwali recipes and Diwali wishes collections.

Simple Lakshmi Puja at home

A home puja is complete in itself. A simple order that suits most traditions:

1. Clean the house during the day and bathe before the puja. Draw a small rangoli at the entrance.
2. Set up a clean altar with a red or yellow cloth. Place images or murtis of Lakshmi and Ganesha, with Ganesha on Lakshmi's left.
3. Place a kalash of water with mango or betel leaves and a coconut on top, if available.
4. Light a ghee or oil diya and keep it burning through the puja. Light more diyas or candles around the home.
5. Begin with a prayer to Ganesha, then invoke Lakshmi. Offer flowers, kumkum, rice, sweets, fruit and a few coins.
6. Recite the Lakshmi mantras or stotra you know, or simply chant 'Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah' with devotion.
7. Perform aarti, share prasad with the family and place diyas at windows and doors.

In Colombia, ingredients such as kumkum, ghee and Indian sweets can be hard to find outside Bogotá. Turmeric, rice, fresh flowers and home-made sweets work perfectly well, and candles are an acceptable substitute for clay diyas.

Practical tips

• Weekdays: Lakshmi Puja falls on Sunday 8 November, so most families can do the evening puja without leaving work early. Govardhan Puja (Monday 9 November) and Bhai Dooj (Tuesday 10 November) fall on working days.
• Holidays: Diwali is not normally a public holiday in Colombia. Check the official 2026 holiday list and plan leave with your employer if needed.
• Sunset and weather: Sunset across Colombia falls between about 5:27 PM in Cúcuta and 5:49 PM in Cali. November is often rainy in the Andean cities, and Bogotá evenings are cool, so plan indoor diyas and keep outdoor lamps sheltered.
• Fireworks: Rules are set by local authorities and many cities restrict fireworks. Check your municipality's current rules, and consider our green crackers guide for lower-impact ideas.
• Temple pujas: If you want a priest or a community puja, contact ISKCON or the community associations early, as there are very few priests in the country.

FAQ

When is Diwali 2026 in Colombia?

The main day, Lakshmi Puja, is Sunday 8 November 2026 in every Colombian 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 Bogotá?

In Bogotá the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 6:05 PM to 8:02 PM on Sunday 8 November 2026, Colombia time (UTC-5). This is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna inside Pradosh Kaal, which runs from sunset at 5:38 PM to 8:02 PM.

Is there a Hindu temple in Colombia?

There are very few. The places we could confirm are ISKCON (Hare Krishna) centres, including ISKCON Bogotá and the Gaura-Nitai Mandir at La Buitrera near Cali. The Indian community also gathers through the Embassy of India in Bogotá and the Indian United Association of Colombia. Most families elsewhere celebrate at home.

Is Diwali a public holiday in Colombia?

We could not confirm Diwali on Colombia's official holiday list, and it is not normally a public holiday there. Check the official 2026 holiday list and your employer's policy. Lakshmi Puja falls on a Sunday this year, which makes the evening puja easier for most families.

Do the timings differ between Colombian cities?

The whole country uses one time zone (UTC-5), but sunset differs a little from city to city. Barranquilla's muhurat is 5:59 PM to 8:01 PM, Medellín's 6:09 PM to 8:07 PM and Cali's 6:16 PM to 8:13 PM. Use the line for your own city in the table above.

Can I light diyas and fireworks in Colombia for Diwali?

Diyas and candles at home are fine with sensible fire safety. Fireworks are regulated by local authorities, and many Colombian cities restrict their sale and use, so check your municipality's current rules before buying any.

Related guides

• Diwali 2026 dates in every country, with Lakshmi Puja times
• Diwali 2026 hub
• The 5 days of Diwali 2026 explained
• Diwali 2026 date and Lakshmi Puja muhurat in India
• Dhanteras 2026
• Govardhan Puja and Annakut 2026
• Diwali 2026 in Mexico
• Diwali 2026 in Peru
• Diwali 2026 in Panama