Diwali 2026 in Mozambique: Dates, Lakshmi Puja Muhurat and Temples

Quick answer: in Mozambique, Lakshmi Puja (main Diwali) is on Sunday 8 November 2026, and the Maputo muhurat is 6:44 PM to 8:19 PM Mozambique 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 Mozambican city; only the evening timings change. Maputo's Hindu community has its own temple and a historic pilgrimage site at Salamanga, so there is a real place to gather as well as celebrating at home.

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 own 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 Mozambique

These are the five days of Diwali for Maputo. The same dates apply throughout Mozambique, which is on a single time zone (UTC+2).

Naraka Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Puja share the same day this year. Amavasya in Mozambique runs from Sun 8 Nov, 7:57 AM to Mon 9 Nov, 9:01 AM local time (11:27 AM 8 Nov to 12:31 PM 9 Nov IST). Sunday evening is therefore the only evening when Amavasya covers Pradosh Kaal, which is why Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday 8 November, and Naraka Chaturdashi's pre-dawn bath also falls on Sunday morning, while Chaturdashi is still running.

Diwali 2026 city by city in Mozambique

Mozambique stretches a long way from south to north, so although every city keeps the same clock, the sun sets much earlier in Nampula and Nacala than in Maputo. The dates are identical everywhere. Times below are local Mozambique time.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Mozambique explained

Lakshmi Puja is done in the evening of Amavasya, during Pradosh Kaal, the window of roughly two hours and twenty minutes that begins at sunset. In Maputo on Sunday 8 November, sunset is at 6:10 PM, so Pradosh Kaal runs from 6:10 PM to 8:19 PM.

Within Pradosh Kaal, the most auspicious part is when Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna is rising. Vrishabha is a fixed (sthir) sign, and worshipping Lakshmi in a fixed lagna is traditionally understood to help her stay in the home. In Maputo, Vrishabha rises at 6:44 PM and Pradosh ends at 8:19 PM, which gives the muhurat of 6:44 PM to 8:19 PM. In every Mozambican city this year, Vrishabha rises during Pradosh, so each city has a proper muhurat.

If you cannot be ready in time for the muhurat, doing the puja anywhere within Pradosh Kaal is still correct. Here are the figures for each city:

Hindu temples in Mozambique for Diwali

Mozambique's Hindu community is small but long established, centred on Maputo. We have confirmed the places below from community and reliable published sources. We have not been able to confirm active Hindu temples in Beira, Nampula, Tete or the other cities in the table, so if you live outside Maputo, ask local Indian families or the community in Maputo, and plan a home puja.

Maputo

• Comunidade Hindú de Maputo (Hindu Samaj), Maputo: the main Hindu community organisation in the capital, which posts news of festivals and gatherings on its social pages.
• Shree Vishvambhar Mahadev temple, central Maputo: the community's principal temple, a Shiva temple on the Hindu Samaj's property, where major festivals are celebrated.

Maputo Province

• Shree Ram temple complex, Salamanga, Maputo Province: a historic temple site south of the capital, on the road towards Ponta do Ouro, with shrines to Shri Ram, to Shiva and to the saint Kalidas. It celebrated its centenary in 2014 and remains a pilgrimage place for Maputo's Hindus, especially around Diwali.

Nampula Province

• Hindu temple, Ilha de Moçambique, Island of Mozambique: a small Hindu temple in the old town, listed by travel guides. Check locally whether it holds Diwali worship.

The High Commission of India in Maputo marks Diwali on its own calendar and is a useful contact for news of Indian community events. Temples and community groups usually announce Diwali programmes a few weeks ahead; check their websites and social pages.

How Diwali is celebrated in Mozambique

Indian traders, many of them Gujarati, settled along the Mozambican coast during the Portuguese period, and a Hindu community grew in Lourenço Marques (now Maputo) and in towns such as Ilha de Moçambique. Many families left for Portugal around and after independence in 1975 and during the civil war, which is why Lisbon's Hindu community today has strong Mozambican roots. Since the 1990s, Hindu life in Maputo has revived, with the Hindu Samaj at its centre, alongside newer arrivals from India.

Because so many families are Gujarati, Diwali here often follows the Gujarati pattern: Dhanteras shopping and puja, Lakshmi Puja with chopda pujan (blessing of account books) for business families, and Bestu Varas, the Gujarati New Year, on Govardhan day, Monday 9 November, with an Annakut of many dishes offered at the temple. Typical community programmes include aarti, bhajans, a shared meal and cultural items by children. Sikh and Jain families, where present, mark Bandi Chhor Divas and the Jain Diwali (Mahavira's nirvana) on the same nights.

Diwali is not one of Mozambique's fixed public holidays. In some past years the Ministry of Labour has granted a day off (tolerância de ponto) to Hindu workers for Diwali, but these are announced only shortly before, so check the official 2026 announcement.

Simple Lakshmi Puja at home

If you cannot reach a temple, a simple home puja is complete in itself. Begin within Pradosh Kaal, ideally during your city's muhurat.

1. Clean the house, especially the entrance, and make a rangoli at the door.
2. Set a clean cloth on a low table, place images or murtis of Lakshmi and Ganesha, and a kalash of water with mango leaves and a coconut if you have them.
3. Light a ghee or oil diya, and invoke Ganesha first with a short prayer such as "Om Gam Ganapataye Namah".
4. Offer flowers, kumkum, rice, sweets, fruit and a few coins to Lakshmi, chanting "Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah" or reading the Lakshmi Ashtakam.
5. Perform aarti, share the prasad with family, then light diyas at doors and windows.

Practical tips

• Lakshmi Puja falls on a Sunday this year, which makes the evening puja easier for most working families. Dhanteras (Friday) and Govardhan (Monday) are working days, so plan time off early if you need it.
• Sunset comes early in the north: the sun sets at 5:22 PM in Nacala and 5:28 PM in Nampula, against 6:10 PM in Maputo, so northern families should be ready earlier.
• November is early summer in Mozambique, warm and often humid, with the rainy season beginning. Keep diyas sheltered from wind and rain.
• Fireworks rules are set by local authorities; check before buying or lighting any.
• If you want a family puja or Annakut offering at the temple, contact the Hindu Samaj in Maputo well ahead, as Diwali is the busiest time of the year.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in Mozambique?

The main day, Lakshmi Puja, is Sunday 8 November 2026 across Mozambique. 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 Maputo?

In Maputo the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 6:44 PM to 8:19 PM on Sunday 8 November 2026, Mozambique time (UTC+2). This is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna inside Pradosh Kaal, which runs from sunset at 6:10 PM to 8:19 PM.

Is there a Hindu temple in Mozambique?

Yes. The Comunidade Hindú de Maputo (Hindu Samaj) runs the Shree Vishvambhar Mahadev temple in central Maputo, and the historic Shree Ram temple complex at Salamanga in Maputo Province is a well-known pilgrimage site. Travel listings also show a Hindu temple on Ilha de Moçambique in Nampula Province.

Is Diwali a public holiday in Mozambique?

Diwali is not on Mozambique's fixed list of public holidays. In past years the Ministry of Labour has granted a day off (tolerância de ponto) to Hindu workers for Diwali, but these are announced shortly beforehand, so check the official 2026 announcement and your employer's policy.

Do the muhurat times differ between Mozambican cities?

Yes, by up to about fifty minutes. The whole country uses one time zone, but sunset is much earlier in the north. Nacala has the earliest muhurat at 5:54 PM to 7:37 PM, while Matola has the latest at 6:45 PM to 8:20 PM.

Can I light diyas and fireworks for Diwali in Mozambique?

Diyas and candles at home are fine with sensible fire safety. Rules on fireworks are set by the authorities where you live, so check locally before buying or lighting any, and take care in dry or windy weather.

Related guides

• Diwali 2026 dates in every country, with Lakshmi Puja time
• Diwali 2026: complete festival guide
• Diwali 2026 date and Lakshmi Puja muhurat in India
• The 5 days of Diwali 2026 explained
• Dhanteras 2026
• Govardhan Puja and Annakut 2026
• Bhai Dooj 2026
• Diwali 2026 in Malawi
• Diwali 2026 in Zimbabwe
• Diwali 2026 in Zambia