Diwali 2026 in Kazakhstan: Dates, Lakshmi Puja Muhurat for Astana, Almaty and Other Cities, and Where to Celebrate

Diwali 2026 in Kazakhstan: the main night, Lakshmi Puja, is on Sunday 8 November 2026, and in Astana the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 4:51 PM to 6:29 PM Kazakhstan time (UTC+5). In Almaty the muhurat is 4:55 PM to 6:41 PM. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November in most cities; Aktobe and Oral in the west keep Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj one day earlier. Timings for nine cities are below.

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 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. If your family or temple uses a different panchang, a small difference is normal. We do not list event schedules, because programmes change from year to year; check with the groups named below.

Diwali 2026 dates in Kazakhstan

These are the five days for Astana. The whole country has used a single time zone, UTC+5, since 2024, so the dates are the same nationwide, apart from the two western cities noted in the next table.

For reference, the tithis behind these dates, in Indian Standard Time (IST), are: Trayodashi from 10:30 AM on 6 November to 10:47 AM on 7 November; Chaturdashi until 11:27 AM on 8 November; Amavasya from 11:27 AM on 8 November to 12:31 PM on 9 November; Pratipada until 2:00 PM on 10 November; and Dwitiya until 3:53 PM on 11 November. In Kazakhstan time, Amavasya runs from Sun 8 Nov, 10:57 AM to Mon 9 Nov, 12:01 PM.

Most calendars give Sunday 8 November for Lakshmi Puja in Astana, but because Amavasya continues into Monday morning some local calendars may list the neighbouring day. Follow your temple or family priest.

Diwali 2026 city-by-city timings in Kazakhstan

Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday 8 November everywhere. Kazakhstan stretches across a wide span of longitude on one clock, so sunset in Oral comes well over an hour and a half after Pavlodar, and the muhurat moves with it.

In Aktobe and Oral, Drik's rules give Monday 9 November for Govardhan Puja and Tuesday 10 November for Bhai Dooj, because sunrise there is much later on the clock. Most calendars give the dates shown for each city, but some local calendars may list the neighbouring day; follow your temple.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat explained

Lakshmi Puja is done on the evening of Amavasya, the new moon of Kartik. Two windows matter. Pradosh Kaal is the period of about two hours and fifty minutes beginning at sunset, and it is the traditional time for lighting lamps and worshipping Lakshmi. Within it, astrologers prefer the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna, a fixed (sthira) sign, because a puja done while a fixed sign is rising is believed to keep Lakshmi steady in the home.

In Astana on Sunday 8 November, sunset is at 4:37 PM, Pradosh Kaal runs from 4:37 PM to 7:33 PM, and Vrishabha rises within it from 4:51 PM to 6:29 PM. That overlap is the muhurat. If you cannot start in that window, any time within Pradosh Kaal is still considered good for Lakshmi Puja.

Hindu temples in Kazakhstan for Diwali

Kazakhstan has a small Hindu presence, and we could not confirm a traditional Hindu mandir with resident priests anywhere in the country. What we could confirm, from official websites and directories, is listed below. We have not padded the list; if you know of another established temple or puja group, families in your city will usually know it by word of mouth.

Astana

• Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Embassy of India, Astana: the embassy's cultural centre, which runs yoga, music, dance and Hindi classes and marks Indian festivals. The embassy held a Diwali celebration with the Indian community in Astana in 2025.

Almaty

• Govinda's Almaty (ISKCON): a Hare Krishna vegetarian restaurant listed in ISKCON's official centres directory, and a point of contact for the Krishna community in the city.
• Representative Office of the Embassy of India, Almaty: the embassy hosted a Diwali celebration in Almaty in 2025.
• Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU): its Faculty of Oriental Studies and Hindi students have held Diwali cultural programmes in past years.

Other cities

• ISKCON Ust-Kamenogorsk (Oskemen), East Kazakhstan Region: listed in ISKCON's centres directory.
• ISKCON Balkhash, Karagandy Region: listed in ISKCON's centres directory.

Temples and community groups usually announce Diwali programmes a few weeks ahead; check their websites and social pages. In Shymkent, Taraz, Kyzylorda, Aktobe, Oral and Pavlodar we could not confirm any Hindu place of worship, so a home puja is the natural choice.

How Diwali is celebrated in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's Hindu community is small and mostly made up of Indian nationals: students, many of them studying medicine, along with professionals, business families and embassy staff, concentrated in Almaty and Astana. Alongside them is a long-standing group of Kazakhstani Hare Krishna devotees, whose registered communities include groups in Almaty and Astana. Diwali here is therefore largely a home and community festival rather than a public one.

Typical celebrations include lamps and fairy lights in flats and student hostels, a Lakshmi-Ganesh puja on Amavasya evening, shared sweets and dinners among friends, and cultural evenings with music, dance and rangoli organised by the embassy, Indian associations or university groups. Kazakh friends and classmates often join in, and universities with Indology departments sometimes mark the festival with talks and performances. ISKCON devotees usually celebrate Diwali with kirtan, lamp offerings and prasadam, and keep Govardhan Puja with an Annakut of many dishes.

Sikh students and families mark Bandi Chhor Divas on the same evening, and Jains observe Diwali as the day of Lord Mahavira's nirvana. Many shared gatherings welcome people of all these traditions.

Simple Lakshmi Puja at home

With few temples, most families in Kazakhstan hold Lakshmi Puja at home. A short, simple vidhi is enough:

1. Clean the home in the days before, especially the entrance and the puja corner, and draw a small rangoli at the door.
2. Place a clean cloth on a low table and set out images or idols of Lakshmi and Ganesh, with Ganesh on Lakshmi's left.
3. Arrange a kalash of water with mango or betel leaves and a coconut, plus rice, kumkum, turmeric, flowers, sweets and a few coins.
4. At the start of the muhurat, light a ghee or oil lamp, pray first to Ganesh, then to Lakshmi, offering flowers, rice, sweets and coins.
5. Recite a simple Lakshmi mantra or aarti, then light diyas or candles in every room and at the entrance.
6. Share the prasad with family, friends and neighbours.

If you live in a flat or hostel where open flames are not allowed, battery candles and electric lights are a sensible alternative.

Practical tips for Diwali 2026 in Kazakhstan

• Weekday: Lakshmi Puja falls on a Sunday, so most people can do the puja at home in the evening. Dhanteras is a Friday, and Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj fall on working days. Check the official 2026 holiday list; we could not confirm Diwali as a holiday.
• Early sunset and cold: In Astana the sun sets at 4:37 PM, so the muhurat begins early in the evening. November in the north is cold, often below freezing, so plan indoor lamps and keep outdoor diyas short.
• Fireworks: rules on fireworks are set by local authorities. Check what is permitted in your city and building before buying any, and consider lamps and lights instead.
• Community events: if you want to join a group celebration, contact the embassy's cultural centre, the ISKCON community or your university's Indian student association early, as places can be limited.
• Puja items: idols, diyas and some puja items can be hard to find locally; order them in advance or improvise with what you have.

FAQ

When is Diwali 2026 in Kazakhstan?

The main day, Lakshmi Puja, is on Sunday 8 November 2026 in every Kazakh city. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November and Naraka Chaturdashi also falls on Sunday 8 November. In Astana, Almaty and most of the country, Govardhan Puja is on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November; in Aktobe and Oral they fall one day earlier, on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 November.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Astana and Almaty in 2026?

In Astana the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 4:51 PM to 6:29 PM on Sunday 8 November 2026, within Pradosh Kaal from 4:37 PM to 7:33 PM. In Almaty it is 4:55 PM to 6:41 PM, within Pradosh Kaal from 4:36 PM to 7:24 PM. All times are Kazakhstan time (UTC+5).

Is Diwali a public holiday in Kazakhstan?

We could not confirm Diwali on Kazakhstan's official holiday list, so check the official 2026 holiday list or ask your employer or university. In 2026 the main puja night falls on a Sunday, which makes it easier for most families to celebrate at home.

Is there a Hindu temple in Kazakhstan?

We could not confirm a traditional Hindu mandir with resident priests. The Hare Krishna (ISKCON) community is active, with Govinda's in Almaty and centres listed in Ust-Kamenogorsk and Balkhash, and the Embassy of India's Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Astana hosts Indian festivals. Most families hold Lakshmi Puja at home.

Why are Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj a day earlier in Aktobe and Oral?

Kazakhstan uses one clock time, but the western cities see sunrise much later than the east. Under Drik Panchang rules this changes which morning counts for Pratipada and Dwitiya, so Aktobe and Oral get Monday 9 November for Govardhan Puja and Tuesday 10 November for Bhai Dooj. Most calendars give the dates shown, but some may list the neighbouring day; follow your temple or family priest.

Why might a calendar show a different date in Kazakhstan?

Amavasya in Kazakhstan runs from Sunday 8 November, 10:57 AM, to Monday 9 November, 12:01 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.

Related guides

• Diwali 2026 dates in every country, with Lakshmi Puja times
• Diwali 2026: complete festival guide
• Diwali 2026 date and Lakshmi Puja muhurat in India
• The 5 days of Diwali 2026 explained
• Govardhan Puja and Annakut 2026
• Bhai Dooj 2026
• The stories behind Diwali
• Diwali 2026 in Uzbekistan
• Diwali 2026 in Mongolia
• Diwali 2026 in Georgia