Diwali 2026 in Ethiopia: Dates, Lakshmi Puja Muhurat and Where to Celebrate

Quick answer: in Ethiopia, Lakshmi Puja (main Diwali) is on Sunday 8 November 2026, and the Addis Ababa muhurat is 6:29 PM to 8:28 PM East Africa Time. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November. Ethiopia's Hindu community is small and centred on Addis Ababa, and we could not confirm a public temple, so most families will celebrate at home and join community gatherings where they are announced.

Editor's note (1 November 2026): HinduTone calculated these local dates from Drik Panchang tithi times using Drik'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, following the Drik method, worked out for each city's sunset. We do not list event schedules, because they change every year. Temples and community groups usually announce Diwali programmes a few weeks ahead; check their websites and social pages.

Diwali 2026 dates in Ethiopia

These are the five days of Diwali for Addis Ababa. The same dates apply in every Ethiopian city in our table.

Naraka Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Puja fall on the same day in Ethiopia this year. Amavasya in Ethiopia runs from Sun 8 Nov, 8:57 AM to Mon 9 Nov, 10:01 AM local time (11:27 AM 8 Nov to 12:31 PM 9 Nov IST), so Sunday 8 November is the only evening with Amavasya during Pradosh Kaal. That is why Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday evening, and why the pre-dawn Naraka Chaturdashi bath also falls on Sunday morning, while Chaturdashi is still running. Pratipada follows on Monday for Govardhan Puja, and Dwitiya on Tuesday for Bhai Dooj.

Diwali 2026 city by city in Ethiopia

Ethiopia uses a single time zone (UTC+3) across a wide country, so sunset comes earlier on the clock in the east. Warder and Jijiga in the Somali Region have the earliest muhurat, while Awasa, Bahir Dar and Gonder in the west and south-west are the latest. Times are local East Africa Time on the international clock.

If your town is not listed, use the nearest city. Families around Addis Ababa, Bishoftu and Adama can follow the Addis Ababa or Nazrēt row; Harar is close to Dire Dawa; and towns around Lake Tana can follow Bahir Dar.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Ethiopia explained

Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evening of Amavasya, during Pradosh Kaal, the period of roughly two and a half hours that begins at sunset. In Addis Ababa, sunset on Sunday 8 November is at 6:01 PM, so Pradosh Kaal runs from 6:01 PM to 8:28 PM.

Within Pradosh, the most favoured window is when Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna is rising. Vrishabha is a fixed (sthir) sign, and worshipping Lakshmi during a fixed lagna is traditionally understood to help her presence remain steady in the home. In Addis Ababa Vrishabha rises at 6:29 PM and is still rising when Pradosh ends, giving the muhurat of 6:29 PM to 8:28 PM.

In practice, light your lamps and begin preparations around sunset, then perform the main Lakshmi and Ganesha puja within the muhurat. If you cannot finish inside it, any part of Pradosh Kaal is still a good time. Families who follow their own priest, or a calendar from home, should go with that.

Hindu temples in Ethiopia for Diwali

We searched carefully for Hindu temples in Ethiopia and could not confirm a public mandir from an official website or a reliable listing. We would rather say so than send you to a place that may not exist. What we could confirm is listed below.

Addis Ababa

• Embassy of India, Addis Ababa – the embassy has hosted community and cultural occasions for Indian nationals and friends of India over the years, including past Diwali celebrations on its premises. Check its website and social pages for any 2026 programme.
• ISKCON Ethiopia – a small devotee-led effort rather than a full temple. ISKCON News reported that Ethiopia's first Rathayatra was held in the Indian Embassy compound in Addis Ababa in 2025. Its Facebook page is the place to look for gatherings.

Smaller gatherings are often shared by word of mouth within the community.If you are new to the city, ask colleagues from the Indian community or contact the embassy to be put in touch. Outside the capital, there are no Hindu places of worship we could confirm, so a home puja is the natural way to keep Diwali.

How Diwali is celebrated in Ethiopia

Links between India and Ethiopia are old. Indian merchants traded across the Red Sea for centuries, and Gujarati traders were part of commercial life in Gonder and later Addis Ababa. Today the community is mainly professionals, business families and teachers, with Gujarati, Hindi and Malayalam among the languages spoken at home.

Because the community is small and spread out, Diwali in Ethiopia is mostly a home and family festival. Households clean and decorate, draw rangoli at the door, light diyas and candles on the evening of Lakshmi Puja, and share sweets with neighbours, colleagues and Ethiopian friends. Gujarati families often mark the New Year with Annakut offerings on Govardhan day, and sisters and brothers keep Bhai Dooj on Tuesday.

Community programmes, when they happen, typically include an evening of cultural performances, a shared meal, a children's rangoli or diya-painting activity and a group aarti. Sikh families in the community mark Bandi Chhor Divas on the same evening, and Jain families observe Diwali as the day of Mahavira's nirvana. Everyone is welcome to share in the lights.

Simple Lakshmi Puja at home

You do not need a priest for a meaningful Lakshmi Puja. A short, general vidhi:

1. Clean the home and the puja space during the day, and draw a rangoli at the entrance.
2. Place images or murtis of Ganesha and Lakshmi on a clean cloth on a raised platform, with a kalash of water topped by mango or betel leaves and a coconut if you have one.
3. Light a ghee or oil diya and keep it burning through the puja. Light more diyas or candles around the home and at the door.
4. Begin with Ganesha: offer flowers, kumkum, rice and a sweet, and chant a simple Ganesha mantra.
5. Worship Lakshmi with flowers, kumkum, haldi, rice, coins, sweets and fruit. Chant 'Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah' or recite the Shri Suktam if you know it.
6. Many families also place account books, a pen or new purchases from Dhanteras before the deities.
7. Finish with aarti ('Om Jai Lakshmi Mata'), share prasad with family and keep a lamp lit near the entrance through the night.

Puja items and Indian sweets can be harder to find in Ethiopia, so buy diyas, wicks, ghee and dry fruits early, or make simple sweets at home. Flowers, rice and a lamp offered with devotion are enough.

Practical tips for Diwali 2026 in Ethiopia

• Weekdays: Dhanteras is a Friday, Lakshmi Puja a Sunday, Govardhan Puja a Monday and Bhai Dooj a Tuesday. Diwali does not appear among Ethiopia's national public holidays on the published calendars we checked, so check the official 2026 holiday list and plan leave for Monday if you need it.
• Use the international clock: Ethiopians commonly tell time counting from dawn. Every time on this page is standard East Africa Time as shown on phones and computers.
• Sunset and weather: Ethiopia is close to the equator, so sunset is around 6 PM all year. Early November is in the dry season in Addis Ababa, but the highlands cool quickly after dark, so keep a shawl to hand for the evening puja.
• Safety: Keep diyas and candles away from curtains and out of reach of children, and never leave flames unattended.
• Fireworks: Rules on fireworks are set by local authorities. Check what is permitted where you live before buying or lighting any, and be considerate of neighbours.
• Plan ahead: If a community puja or a priest is available, ask early, as there are very few in the country. Otherwise, a family puja at home is fully valid.

Diwali 2026 in Ethiopia: FAQ

When is Diwali 2026 in Ethiopia?

The main day, Lakshmi Puja, is Sunday 8 November 2026 across Ethiopia. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November, Naraka Chaturdashi also on Sunday 8 November, Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Addis Ababa?

In Addis Ababa the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 6:29 PM to 8:28 PM on Sunday 8 November 2026, East Africa Time (UTC+3), on the international 12-hour clock. This is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna inside Pradosh Kaal, which runs from sunset at 6:01 PM to 8:28 PM.

Is there a Hindu temple in Ethiopia?

We could not confirm a public Hindu temple in Ethiopia from an official or reliable source. The Embassy of India in Addis Ababa hosts community and cultural events, and a small ISKCON Ethiopia effort held the country's first Rathayatra in the embassy compound in 2025. Most families celebrate with a puja at home.

Is Diwali a public holiday in Ethiopia?

Diwali does not appear among Ethiopia's national public holidays on the published calendars we checked, so check the official 2026 holiday list and your employer's or school's policy. Lakshmi Puja on 8 November 2026 falls on a Sunday, which makes the evening puja easier for most families.

Do the muhurat times differ between Ethiopian cities?

Yes, by up to about half an hour. Ethiopia uses one time zone, so eastern cities see sunset earlier on the clock. Warder has the earliest muhurat, 6:05 PM to 8:03 PM, while Awasa has the latest start, 6:32 PM to 8:30 PM.

Should I read the times in Ethiopian local time?

No. All times on this page use the international clock (East Africa Time, UTC+3), the same one your phone shows. Ethiopia's traditional way of telling time counts hours from dawn, so a muhurat said aloud in Amharic time would sound different; follow the clock time given here.

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