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

Quick answer: in Namibia, Lakshmi Puja (main Diwali) is on Sunday 8 November 2026, and the Windhoek muhurat is 7:40 PM to 9:18 PM Namibia time. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November. The dates are the same in every Namibian town; only the evening timings shift, with the coast about ten minutes later than Windhoek and the Zambezi Region about half an hour earlier. Namibia's Hindu community is small, and Windhoek has one confirmed mandir, so many families mark the festival at home.

Editor's note (1 November 2026): HinduTone calculated these local dates using Drik Panchang tithi times and Drik's own rules for each festival day, and checked the 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 town's own sunset. All times are Namibia time (UTC+2). We do not list event schedules, because temples and community groups set and change their own programmes.

Diwali 2026 dates in Namibia

These are the five days of Diwali for Windhoek. They apply across the whole country.

Naraka Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Puja fall on the same Sunday this year. In India time, Chaturdashi ends and Amavasya begins at 11:27 AM IST on 8 November, and Amavasya runs until 12:31 PM IST on 9 November. In Namibia that is Sun 8 Nov, 7:57 AM to Mon 9 Nov, 9:01 AM, so the morning of Sunday 8 November is still Chaturdashi at dawn, and the whole of that evening is Amavasya. That is why both observances share one day: the oil bath before sunrise, the Lakshmi Puja after sunset.

Diwali 2026 timings in Namibian towns

The festival dates do not change between towns. The muhurat column is the Lakshmi Puja time on Sunday 8 November.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat explained

Lakshmi Puja is done on the Amavasya evening of Kartik, during Pradosh Kaal, the period of roughly two and a quarter hours that begins at sunset. Within Pradosh Kaal, the most favoured window is when Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna is rising. Vrishabha is a fixed (sthir) sign, and worshipping Lakshmi in a fixed lagna is traditionally understood as inviting her to stay in the home.

In Windhoek on Sunday 8 November, sunset is at 7:07 PM, so Pradosh Kaal runs from 7:07 PM to 9:18 PM. Vrishabha rises within it, giving the muhurat of 7:40 PM to 9:18 PM. If you cannot begin inside the muhurat, any time within Pradosh Kaal is still a good time for the puja.

Namibia uses a single time zone across a country that stretches a long way from the Atlantic coast to the Zambezi, so sunset comes noticeably later on the coast than in the east. That is why Walvis Bay and Swakopmund are the last to begin and Katima Mulilo the first. Use the line for your own town, or the nearest one to it.

Hindu temples in Namibia for Diwali

We checked every name below against an official site or a reliable listing. Namibia's Hindu community is small, and we could confirm only one temple, in Windhoek. We have not added anything we could not verify.

Windhoek

• BAPS Hindu Mandir, Windhoek – the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha's mandir in the capital, the only Hindu temple we could confirm in the country. BAPS swamis have visited the Windhoek satsang community, and the mandir is the most likely place for an organised Lakshmi Puja and Annakut.
• India Namibia Friendship Association (INFA), Windhoek – a community association that has held Diwali celebrations in the capital, including at the Indian High Commission.
• High Commission of India, Windhoek – the mission has hosted Diwali receptions and cultural events for the Indian community and Namibian friends.

Outside Windhoek

We could not confirm a Hindu temple in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Oshakati, Ondangwa, Rundu, Katima Mulilo or any other town. Families there usually celebrate at home, sometimes with friends from a few households, and some travel to Windhoek for the weekend. A home Lakshmi Puja is complete in itself, and the simple steps below are all you need.

Temples and community groups usually announce Diwali programmes a few weeks ahead; check their websites and social pages. Programmes at mandirs typically include an evening Lakshmi Puja with aarti, a Chopda Pujan for those who keep accounts, and an Annakut offering on the day after Diwali, followed by prasad.

How Diwali is celebrated in Namibia

Namibia's Indian community is small, especially compared with South Africa, which has a large Indian population whose roots go back to indentured migration. Unlike Mauritius, Fiji or Trinidad, Namibia has no indentured-era Hindu population; most Hindus here are Indian nationals and people of Indian origin who have come for work, business or study, with the largest group in Windhoek. The community came out in strength to welcome India's Prime Minister on his visit to Windhoek in July 2025.

Because the community is spread thinly, Diwali in Namibia is largely a home and family festival. Households clean and decorate, draw rangoli at the entrance, light diyas and candles in the evening, and share sweets and savouries with neighbours, colleagues and Namibian friends. In Windhoek, the mandir and community associations give people a chance to come together for puja, food and cultural programmes, and the Indian High Commission has marked the festival with receptions.

The community is made up of Hindus from many regional traditions, so you will find Gujarati families keeping Chopda Pujan and the new year on the day after Diwali, North Indian families focusing on Lakshmi Puja and Bhai Dooj, and South Indian families observing Deepavali with an early oil bath on Naraka Chaturdashi. Sikh friends mark Bandi Chhor Divas on the same evening, and Jain families remember the nirvana of Bhagwan Mahavira at Diwali. All are welcome at community gatherings.

Simple Lakshmi Puja at home

If there is no temple near you, a home puja is the heart of Diwali anyway. A simple version:

1. Clean the house during the day, and draw a rangoli at the door. Bathe and wear fresh clothes before sunset.
2. Set a small altar facing east or north: a clean cloth on a low table, with an image or murti of Lakshmi and Ganesha, a kalash of water topped with mango or betel leaves and a coconut, and a few coins or jewellery.
3. Light a ghee diya and incense. Begin with Ganesha: offer flowers, kumkum and rice, and chant "Om Gam Ganapataye Namah".
4. Worship Lakshmi with flowers, kumkum, haldi, rice, sweets, fruit and a lotus if you can find one. Chant "Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah" or read the Shri Suktam.
5. Offer naivedya (sweets such as laddoos or kheer), then do aarti with "Om Jai Lakshmi Mata".
6. Light diyas around the house, especially at the entrance and windows, and keep one lamp burning through the night if it is safe to do so.

Aim to begin within your town's muhurat, but if work or travel gets in the way, anywhere inside Pradosh Kaal is fine. Intention matters more than an exact minute.

Practical tips for Diwali 2026 in Namibia

• Weekdays: Dhanteras is a Friday, and Lakshmi Puja falls on a Sunday, which makes the main evening easy for most families. Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj fall on Monday and Tuesday, normal working days. Diwali is not a Namibian public holiday, so check the official 2026 holiday list and plan leave early.
• Weather and light: November is early summer in Namibia, often hot and dry inland, cooler and foggy on the coast. Sunset in Windhoek is at 7:07 PM, so the puja falls in the warm evening. Keep diyas away from curtains and wind.
• Fireworks: Rules on buying and setting off fireworks are set by local authorities. Check with your town council, keep to permitted areas and times, and be careful of veld fires and of animals, including pets and livestock.
• Temple pujas: If you want a family puja or Annakut offering at the Windhoek mandir, contact them well in advance, as small temples have limited space and volunteers.
• Puja supplies: Diyas, kumkum and Indian sweets can be hard to find in smaller towns. Buy early, ask friends travelling from Windhoek or South Africa, or use simple candles and homemade sweets, which are entirely acceptable.

Diwali 2026 Namibia: frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in Namibia?

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

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Windhoek?

In Windhoek the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 7:40 PM to 9:18 PM on Sunday 8 November 2026, Namibia time (UTC+2). This is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna inside Pradosh Kaal, which runs from sunset at 7:07 PM to 9:18 PM.

Is there a Hindu temple in Namibia?

The one Hindu temple we could confirm is the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Windhoek, part of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. We could not confirm any temple outside the capital, so families in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, the north and elsewhere usually celebrate at home or travel to Windhoek.

Is Diwali a public holiday in Namibia?

Diwali does not appear on Namibia's list of public holidays under the Public Holidays Act, so Friday 6 November and Monday 9 November are normal working days. Check the official 2026 holiday list, and speak to your employer early if you need leave.

Do the muhurat times differ between towns in Namibia?

Yes, by up to about three quarters of an hour, because Namibia is wide from east to west but uses one clock. Katima Mulilo in the far north-east has the earliest muhurat, 7:03 PM to 8:45 PM, while Walvis Bay and Swakopmund on the coast have the latest, 7:51 PM to 9:29 PM.

Can I light diyas and fireworks for Diwali in Namibia?

Diyas and candles at home are fine with sensible fire safety. Rules on fireworks are set by the authorities where you live, so check with your town council before buying or lighting any, and take extra care in hot, dry and windy weather when veld fires are a risk.

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