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

Quick answer: in Greece, Lakshmi Puja (main Diwali) is on Sunday 8 November 2026, and the Athens muhurat is 5:39 PM to 7:30 PM Greek time. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November. The same dates apply in every Greek city, and the ISKCON temple in Athens is the main Hindu place of worship we could confirm.

Editor's note (1 November 2026): HinduTone calculated these local dates from Drik Panchang tithi times using Drik's rules for each festival, and checked our method against Drik's own 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 Greece

These are the five days of Diwali for Athens. The same dates apply throughout Greece.

Naraka Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Puja fall on the same day in Greece this year. In Greek time, Amavasya runs from Sun 8 Nov, 7:57 AM to Mon 9 Nov, 9:01 AM (11:27 AM 8 Nov to 12:31 PM 9 Nov IST). Sunday evening is therefore the only evening with Amavasya during Pradosh Kaal, which is why Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday, and the Chaturdashi pre-dawn bath also falls on Sunday morning.

Diwali 2026 city by city in Greece

All of Greece is on one time zone (UTC+2 in November, after the clocks go back), so the dates are identical everywhere and only the muhurat shifts slightly with each city's sunset. Times are local Greek time.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Greece explained

Lakshmi Puja is done in the evening of Amavasya, during Pradosh Kaal, the window of roughly two and three-quarter hours that begins at sunset. In Athens the sun sets at 5:19 PM on 8 November, so Pradosh Kaal runs from 5:19 PM to 8:03 PM.

Within Pradosh, the most favoured time is when Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna is rising. Vrishabha is a fixed (sthir) sign, and worship in a fixed lagna is believed to help Lakshmi's blessings stay in the home. In Athens Vrishabha rises from 5:39 PM to 7:30 PM, which is the muhurat we give.

• Sunset (Athens): 5:19 PM
• Pradosh Kaal: 5:19 PM – 8:03 PM
• Lakshmi Puja muhurat (Vrishabha within Pradosh): 5:39 PM – 7:30 PM
• Amavasya (local): Sun 8 Nov, 7:57 AM → Mon 9 Nov, 9:01 AM

If you cannot begin by 7:30 PM, do the puja anywhere within Pradosh Kaal, which in Athens lasts until 8:03 PM. A sincere puja later in the evening is still better than none.

Muhurat times printed in Indian calendars are worked out for Indian sunsets. Use the Greek times above rather than copying a time from an Indian panchang.

Hindu temples in Greece for Diwali

Greece has a small Hindu community and very few dedicated places of worship. We have named only places we could confirm, and we have not padded the list.

Athens

• ISKCON Athens (Hare Krishna temple) (central Athens). ISKCON has had a temple in Athens since the early 1990s and moved to its current premises in the city centre in 2019; its full legal recognition in Greece was completed in 2025. It holds regular classes, kirtan and Sunday programmes, and is the most likely place in Greece to find a public Diwali or Govardhan (Annakut) celebration.
• Embassy of India, Athens. The embassy hosts gatherings for the Indian community on national days and is a useful first contact for finding active Indian community associations in Greece.

Thessaloniki, Patras, Crete and elsewhere

We could not confirm a public Hindu temple outside Athens. If you live in Thessaloniki, Patras, Larissa, Heraklion or elsewhere, a home puja is the natural way to keep Diwali, perhaps joining other Indian, Nepali or Sri Lankan families for a shared evening. Lakshmi Puja has always been, first of all, a household worship, and a puja at home is complete in itself.

Temples and community groups usually announce Diwali programmes a few weeks ahead; check their websites and social pages.

How Diwali is celebrated in Greece

The Indian community in Greece is modest in size. Most Indians arrived in recent decades to work in agriculture, construction, shipping and small business, and a large share are Punjabi, many of them Sikh. Alongside them are Hindu families from across India, students, professionals and a growing number of Greek devotees connected with ISKCON and yoga traditions. Nepali, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Hindus also mark the season in their own ways.

Because there are so few temples, Diwali in Greece is mostly a home and community festival. Families clean and decorate their homes, draw rangoli at the door, light diyas and fairy lights, and do Lakshmi and Ganesha puja in the evening. Friends exchange sweets, and households cook favourites from every region of India. Gujarati families mark their New Year on Govardhan day, and South Indian families often keep Naraka Chaturdashi as the main Deepavali morning, with an early oil bath and new clothes.

Where community or temple programmes are held, they typically include aarti, bhajans or kirtan, children's performances and a shared vegetarian meal. Sikh families celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas on the same evening at their gurdwaras, and Jain families observe Diwali as the nirvana of Bhagwan Mahavira.

Simple Lakshmi Puja at home

This short vidhi suits any household. Follow your own family tradition where it differs.

1. Clean the home, especially the entrance and the puja corner. Draw a rangoli and place a few diyas at the door.
2. Spread a clean cloth on a low table. Place images or murtis of Lakshmi and Ganesha, a kalash of water with mango or betel leaves and a coconut, and some coins or jewellery.
3. Bathe and wear clean or new clothes. Light the main ghee lamp and incense.
4. Begin with Ganesha: offer flowers, kumkum and rice, and chant Om Gam Ganapataye Namah.
5. Worship Lakshmi with flowers, kumkum, haldi, rice, sweets and fruit. Chant Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah, or read the Shri Suktam or Lakshmi Ashtakam if you know them.
6. Offer naivedya (sweets, puffed rice, batasha) and perform aarti together as a family.
7. Light diyas around the home and keep one lamp burning through the night if it is safe to do so.

Aim to begin within the 5:39 PM to 7:30 PM muhurat (Athens). If that is not possible, use the whole Pradosh Kaal, 5:19 PM to 8:03 PM.

Practical tips for Diwali in Greece

• Weekdays: Dhanteras is a Friday and Lakshmi Puja a Sunday, so the main evening falls on the weekend. Govardhan (Monday 9 November) and Bhai Dooj (Tuesday 10 November) are working days. Check the official 2026 holiday list and your employer's policy if you need time off.
• Early sunset: with the clocks back, the sun sets around 5:17 PM to 5:26 PM across Greece. Prepare the puja space and prasad in the afternoon so you can begin on time.
• Weather: November evenings are mild but can be wet and windy, so keep outdoor diyas sheltered and use a tray under every lamp indoors.
• Fireworks: rules are set by the Greek authorities and local municipalities. Check before buying or lighting anything, and choose diyas and lights where in doubt.
• Puja items: Indian and Asian grocery shops in Athens and other large cities usually stock diyas, incense and sweets. Outside the big cities, order online in good time.
• Temple pujas: if you want a priest for a home puja or plan to attend a temple programme, ask early, as the main evening is the busiest.

Diwali 2026 in Greece: frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in Greece?

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

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Athens?

In Athens the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 5:39 PM to 7:30 PM on Sunday 8 November 2026, Greek time (UTC+2). This is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna within Pradosh Kaal, which runs from 5:19 PM to 8:03 PM.

Is there a Hindu temple in Greece?

Yes, though the choice is small. The best-known Hindu place of worship we could confirm is the ISKCON (Hare Krishna) temple in central Athens. We could not confirm a public Hindu temple in Thessaloniki or other Greek cities, so many families celebrate at home.

Is Diwali a public holiday in Greece?

Check the official 2026 holiday list. In practice this matters less this year, because Lakshmi Puja falls on Sunday 8 November, so most people can do the evening puja without taking leave.

Do the muhurat times differ between Greek cities?

Only by a few minutes. Athens, Piraeus, Peristeri and Kallithea share the same window, Thessaloniki is 5:36 PM to 7:25 PM, and Patras, further west, is 5:46 PM to 7:36 PM. Use the time for your nearest city.

Can I light diyas and fireworks in Greece for Diwali?

Diyas and candles at home are fine with sensible fire safety, especially in apartment blocks. Fireworks rules are set by the Greek authorities and local municipalities, so check before buying or lighting any.

Related guides

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• Diwali 2026 in the UK: Lakshmi Puja muhurat city by city
• The 5 days of Diwali 2026 explained
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