Diwali 2026 in the Maldives: Dates, Lakshmi Puja Muhurat for Malé and Where to Celebrate

Diwali 2026 in the Maldives: the main night, Lakshmi Puja, is on Sunday 8 November 2026, and in Malé the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 6:17 PM to 8:12 PM Maldives time (UTC+5). Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November. The country has no Hindu temple we could confirm, so for most families in the Maldives Diwali is a home festival.

Editor's note (1 November 2026): HinduTone calculated these local dates from Drik Panchang tithi times using Drik Panchang'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, the same method Drik Panchang uses. Most calendars give the dates shown here, but because Amavasya begins in the late morning on Sunday, some local calendars may list the neighbouring day; follow your family priest or the calendar you trust. We do not list event schedules, because those are confirmed by the organisers themselves closer to the day.

Diwali 2026 dates in the Maldives

These are the five days of Diwali for Malé. Because the whole country keeps one time zone and the atolls lie close together on the map, the same dates apply on every inhabited island and resort.

Monday 9 November has no main Diwali ritual in the Maldives. Amavasya is still running that morning, ending at 12:01 PM local time, and Pratipada, the Govardhan tithi, is present at sunrise only on Tuesday 10 November. Naraka Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Puja fall on the same day, Sunday 8 November: the early-morning bath belongs to Chaturdashi, and the evening puja to Amavasya.

For reference, the global tithi changes in Indian Standard Time are: Trayodashi from 10:30 AM IST on 6 November to 10:47 AM IST on 7 November; Chaturdashi to 11:27 AM IST on 8 November; Amavasya from 11:27 AM IST on 8 November to 12:31 PM IST on 9 November; Pratipada to 2:00 PM IST on 10 November; Dwitiya to 3:53 PM IST on 11 November. In Maldives time, Amavasya runs from Sunday 8 November, 10:57 AM, to Monday 9 November, 12:01 PM.

Diwali 2026 by city in the Maldives

We give timings for Malé, the capital. All times are local Maldives time (UTC+5).

If you are in Hulhumalé, on a resort island or elsewhere in the central atolls, the Malé row is a close guide. In the far north or far south of the country, sunset and the muhurat can differ by several minutes, so allow a little margin at each end of the window.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat explained

Lakshmi Puja is done on the evening of Amavasya, in Pradosh Kaal, the period of roughly two and a half hours that begins at sunset. In Malé on Sunday 8 November, sunset is at 5:48 PM, so Pradosh Kaal runs from 5:48 PM to 8:12 PM.

Within Pradosh, the most favoured window is when Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna is rising. Vrishabha is a fixed (sthira) sign, and worship in a fixed lagna is traditionally believed to help Lakshmi stay in the home. In Malé this window is 6:17 PM to 8:12 PM, so it runs to the end of Pradosh Kaal. Amavasya is current through the whole evening, so if you cannot manage the narrower muhurat, any time in Pradosh Kaal from 5:48 PM is still suitable.

A practical plan for a working family: light a lamp at the door soon after sunset, finish preparing the puja place, then sit down for the main puja once the muhurat begins. Keep at least one diya burning safely through the night if you can.

Hindu temples in the Maldives for Diwali

We could not confirm any Hindu temple, mandir or public Hindu place of worship in the Maldives, and we will not invent one. The Maldives is an Islamic republic. According to the US State Department's International Religious Freedom reports, non-Muslim foreign residents, workers and tourists may worship privately in their own homes, but public gatherings for non-Islamic worship are not permitted, and earlier reports note that there are no places of worship for other religions.

In practice this means:

• Home puja is the norm. Hindu families and workers in Malé, Hulhumalé and on resort islands usually mark Lakshmi Puja privately at home or in their accommodation. This is entirely in keeping with tradition: Lakshmi Puja has always been, first of all, a household puja.
• High Commission of India, Malé. The High Commission of India in Malé is the main official point of contact for Indian nationals. It publishes its own holiday list and notices; check its website and social pages for anything relevant to the community.
• Resorts. Some resorts have marked Diwali for guests in past years with Indian menus, rangoli and lamps. These are hospitality events rather than temple pujas, and plans vary from year to year, so ask your resort.
• Online and nearby. Many families join a live-streamed aarti from their home temple in India or Sri Lanka, or ask a family priest to guide them by video call.

Any community groups that do meet usually announce Diwali plans a few weeks ahead; check their websites and social pages, and respect the local rules on private worship.

How Diwali is celebrated in the Maldives

Almost all Maldivian citizens are Sunni Muslims, and the Hindu presence in the country is made up of foreign residents. The largest group is from India, including teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, hotel staff and construction workers, alongside smaller numbers from Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. Many work in Malé and Hulhumalé; many others live and work on resort islands across the atolls. A large number of Indian visitors also holiday in the Maldives around the festival season.

Diwali here is quiet and private. A typical celebration might include:

• Cleaning the room or flat a day or two before, and putting up a small rangoli of coloured powder or flowers inside the home.
• A Lakshmi-Ganesh puja on Sunday evening, often with a framed picture rather than a murti, a few diyas or electric lights, flowers, fruit and home-made sweets.
• Sharing sweets and a festive meal with friends and colleagues, often across communities. South Indian families may call the festival Deepavali and take the early oil bath on Naraka Chaturdashi morning.
• Video calls with family back home, so that relatives can share the evening puja and aarti across the distance.
• For Bhai Dooj, sisters away from their brothers often send a rakhi-style greeting or perform the tilak by video call.

Sikh workers in the Maldives may mark Bandi Chhor Divas on the same evening, and Jain families observe Diwali as the day of Lord Mahavira's nirvana. All of these, too, are observed privately.

Simple Lakshmi Puja at home

This is a short, general outline that works in a small flat or staff room. Adapt it to your own family tradition.

1. Prepare: clean the space, bathe, and set a clean cloth on a low table or shelf facing east or north if you can.
2. Place the deities: a picture of Lakshmi and Ganesh (Ganesh on Lakshmi's left), with a kalash or small pot of water, a few coins and some rice.
3. Light the lamps: one ghee or oil diya before the deities and, if safe, a few at the door and window. Electric diyas are a sensible choice in shared accommodation.
4. Invoke Ganesh first: offer flowers, kumkum and a sweet, and chant a simple mantra such as "Om Gam Ganapataye Namah".
5. Lakshmi Puja: offer flowers, kumkum, haldi, rice, fruit and sweets to Lakshmi, and chant "Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah" 11 or 108 times, or read the Shri Suktam if you know it.
6. Aarti: perform aarti with the diya, singing "Om Jai Lakshmi Mata" or the aarti your family uses.
7. Close: share prasad with everyone present and keep a lamp burning safely as long as you can.

Your family tradition, or your priest's advice, always comes first. There is no single correct form.

Practical tips for Diwali 2026 in the Maldives

• Weekdays: In the Maldives the working week runs from Sunday to Thursday, so Lakshmi Puja on Sunday 8 November is a working day for many people. Plan the puja for after work: the muhurat starts at 6:17 PM in Malé and runs until 8:12 PM.
• Holidays: We could not confirm Diwali as a public holiday in the Maldives; check the official 2026 holiday list and ask your employer about leave.
• Weather and sunset: Early November is warm and humid, with showers possible. Sunset in Malé is at 5:48 PM on 8 November, and lamps outdoors or on a balcony may need shelter from wind and rain.
• Religious items: Maldivian law restricts importing items considered contrary to Islam, which religious freedom reports say includes idols for worship. A framed picture is the simplest choice; check current customs rules before travelling with murtis.
• Fireworks: Rules on fireworks are set by the Maldivian authorities. Do not assume crackers are allowed; diyas and electric lights are the safer option, especially in shared or resort accommodation.
• Be discreet and considerate: Keep puja private and indoors, keep noise and smoke low, and check your landlord's or resort's fire safety rules before lighting oil lamps or incense.
• Priests and pujas: If you want a priest to guide your Lakshmi Puja remotely, book a video call with your family priest or home temple early, as they are busy during Diwali week.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in the Maldives?

The main day, Lakshmi Puja, is on Sunday 8 November 2026. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November, Naraka Chaturdashi also falls on Sunday 8 November, Govardhan Puja is on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj is on Wednesday 11 November. The whole country uses Maldives time (UTC+5), so the dates are the same on every island.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Malé in 2026?

In Malé the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 6:17 PM to 8:12 PM on Sunday 8 November 2026, Maldives time. This is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna within Pradosh Kaal, which runs from sunset at 5:48 PM to 8:12 PM.

Is there a Hindu temple in the Maldives?

We could not confirm any Hindu temple in the Maldives. The Maldives is an Islamic republic, and US State Department religious freedom reports say non-Muslim foreigners may worship privately in their own homes but not in public gatherings. Most Hindus in the Maldives therefore celebrate Diwali with a quiet puja at home or in staff accommodation.

Is Diwali a public holiday in the Maldives in 2026?

We could not confirm Diwali as a public holiday in the Maldives, so check the official 2026 holiday list and ask your employer. Indian nationals can also check the High Commission of India in Malé for its own holiday list and any community notices.

Why might some calendars show a different date for Diwali in the Maldives?

Amavasya in the Maldives 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 family priest or the calendar your family uses.

Can I celebrate Diwali at a Maldives resort?

Some Maldives resorts have marked Diwali in past years with Indian dinners, rangoli and henna for guests. Programmes change every year, so ask your resort directly. Guests are also free to say a short private prayer and light a lamp in their own room, keeping the resort's fire safety rules in mind.

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