Diwali 2026 in Patna: Lakshmi Puja Muhurat, Kali Puja, Chitragupta Puja, Cracker Rules and Chhath on the Ganga

Quick answer: Diwali 2026 in Patna is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Patna is 5:29 PM – 7:26 PM IST, calculated by HinduTone with the Drik Panchang method. Kali Puja is the same night, Govardhan Puja is Tuesday, 10 November, and Bhai Dooj and Chitragupta Puja are Wednesday, 11 November. Patna's District Magistrate has directed that crackers after 10 PM be stopped as far as possible. A week later the city turns to the Ganga for Chhath Puja, 13 to 16 November, with the Sandhya Arghya at about 5:01 PM on Sunday, 15 November.

In Patna, Diwali opens Bihar's greatest festival season. Homes are cleaned and lit with diyas, families perform Lakshmi-Ganesh puja at dusk, Kali Puja pandals rise across the city the same night, and Patna's large Kayastha community worships Chitragupta with pens and account books on Bhai Dooj. Then, almost before the lamps have cooled, the ghats are prepared for Chhath. This guide covers the dates and times, Kali Puja, Chitragupta Puja, temples, the cracker rules, Chhath ghats and practical tips.

Editor's note (8 November 2026): puja times are HinduTone's own calculation for Patna. The District Magistrate's directives are from First Bihar and Prabhat Khabar reports of 5 November 2026. The Chhath ghat figures are from the Chief Minister's inspection on 5 November 2026, as reported by ANI and Patna Press.

Diwali 2026 dates in Patna

The Chaturdashi tithi runs from 10:47 AM on Saturday, 7 November to 11:27 AM on Sunday, 8 November, so many families light Choti Diwali lamps on Saturday evening, while the Narak Chaturdashi bath falls on Sunday morning. The Amavasya follows at 11:27 AM on Sunday and lasts until 12:31 PM on Monday, 9 November, so Sunday evening is Diwali and Sunday night is Kali Puja. Monday, 9 November is the gap day before Govardhan Puja this year.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Patna

The muhurat is the part of Pradosh Kaal, the period after sunset, when the fixed Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna is rising. Patna is well east of Delhi, so its window starts about 25 minutes earlier than New Delhi's (5:54 PM – 7:50 PM). For other cities, see Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026, city-wise.

How Patna celebrates, day by day

Friday, 6 November: Dhanteras. Families buy utensils, gold, silver and a new broom, and the city's markets stay busy late into the night. A lamp for Yama is lit at the door at dusk; the evening puja window is 5:36 PM – 7:33 PM. See Dhanteras 2026.

Saturday, 7 November: Choti Diwali. The first diyas and fairy lights go up, and homes get their final cleaning.

Sunday, 8 November: Diwali and Kali Puja.

1. Morning: the Narak Chaturdashi bath and preparations for the puja.
2. Evening: Lakshmi-Ganesh puja inside the muhurat, 5:29 PM – 7:26 PM, with new idols of Lakshmi and Ganesha, khil-batashe, sweets and diyas. Traders worship their account books.
3. Night: Kali Puja in pandals across the city, with midnight worship and crowds visiting the pandals.

Tuesday, 10 November: Govardhan Puja. Many families worship cattle and shape a small Govardhan in the courtyard. See Govardhan Puja and Annakut 2026.

Wednesday, 11 November: Bhai Dooj and Chitragupta Puja. Sisters apply tilak to their brothers and pray for their long life; in many Bihari homes they also keep the old custom of pounding the godhan. Kayastha families worship Chitragupta, the divine record-keeper, with pens, inkpots and account books (kalam-dawat puja); many traditionally set their pens aside from Diwali until this puja. See Bhai Dooj 2026 and Chitragupta Puja 2026.

For the wider state picture, see Diwali 2026 in Bihar and Jharkhand.

Kali Puja in Patna

Patna keeps a strong Kali Puja tradition alongside Diwali. Community pujas set up pandals and idols across the city on the night of Sunday, 8 November, and the goddess is worshipped around midnight while the Amavasya is in force. See Kali Puja 2026 for the night's Nishita timings.

Idol licences and immersion: Patna's District Magistrate Kundan Kumar has said that organisers must obtain a licence before installing idols for Diwali, and immersion processions must follow designated routes and will be videographed, according to First Bihar (5 November 2026).

Temples to visit in Patna

• Mahavir Mandir: Patna's best-known Hanuman temple, near Patna Junction, busy throughout the festival.
• Patan Devi (Badi and Chhoti): the ancient Devi temples revered as Patna's guardian goddess, crowded on Kali Puja night.
• ISKCON Patna: Hare Krishna temples usually mark Govardhan Puja with an Annakut offering.
• Takht Sri Harimandir Ji, Patna Sahib: the gurdwara at the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, where the Sikh community marks Bandi Chhor Divas with lights on Diwali.

Check each temple's notice for darshan timings on festival days.

Crackers in Patna: the 2026 rules

On 5 November 2026, Patna's District Magistrate Kundan Kumar directed that the use of crackers after 10 PM during Diwali be stopped as far as possible, as reported by First Bihar and Prabhat Khabar. As of 8 November HinduTone has not found a 2026 order repeating the complete cracker ban that Patna had in 2024.

What this means in practice:

• Timing: burst crackers only between 8 PM and 10 PM on Diwali, the national rule under the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment, and not after 10 PM.
• Type: green crackers only, from licensed shops; no barium or joined "series" crackers.
• Where: not within 100 metres of hospitals, schools and courts, and not in crowded markets or near fuel stations.
• Air quality: Patna's air often turns poor in November; a cracker-free Diwali with diyas is the kindest choice for children, older relatives and anyone with asthma.

The District Magistrate has also put the fire service on alert and asked hospitals to keep burn wards ready. For emergencies call 112, and for fire 101. More details and earlier years are on our Bihar firecracker rules 2026 page.

Chhath Puja on the Ganga, 13–16 November

A week after Diwali, Patna celebrates Chhath, the festival of the Sun god and Chhathi Maiya, on the Ganga ghats and at ponds across the city.

Ghats: at the Chief Minister's inspection on 5 November 2026, officials said Patna has 103 ghats on the Ganga: 91 safe, 5 classified as dangerous, and 7 still under work. Barricades in the water, approach-road barricading, a traffic plan and regular public announcements were ordered. The inspection covered the stretch from Nasriganj Ghat to Mahavir Ghat, including Collectorate, Gandhi, Pahalwan, Gulabi, Chaudhary Tola, Pathri and Gai ghats.

• Use only the ghats marked safe, stay inside the barricades and keep children close.
• Expect road closures near the ghats on the evening of 15 November and before dawn on 16 November.
• Many families use the artificial ponds set up in neighbourhoods to avoid the river crowds.

See Chhath Puja 2026 arghya times, city-wise and the complete Chhath Puja 2026 guide. After Chhath comes the great Sonepur Mela on Kartik Purnima; see Sonepur Mela 2026.

Practical tips

• Weather: early November in Patna is pleasant, around 15–29 °C, with cool mornings, which matters for the dawn arghya on 16 November.
• Crowds: markets are busiest on Dhanteras and Diwali evening, and the ghats on the Chhath arghya days; keep valuables close and agree a meeting point.
• Safety: keep diyas away from curtains and pandal decorations, and keep water and sand ready if you burst crackers.
• Travel: trains and flights to Patna are heavily booked from Diwali to Chhath; plan return journeys early.

More Diwali 2026 guides

• Diwali 2026 in Varanasi
• Diwali 2026 in Kolkata
• Diwali 2026 in Lucknow
• Diwali 2026 in Delhi
• Diwali 2026 state-wise in India

Browse every guide on our Diwali 2026 hub.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in Patna?

Sunday, 8 November 2026, with Lakshmi Puja in the evening and Kali Puja at night. Bhai Dooj and Chitragupta Puja are Wednesday, 11 November.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Patna?

5:29 PM to 7:26 PM IST on Sunday, 8 November 2026, calculated by HinduTone with the Drik Panchang method.

Are crackers allowed in Patna on Diwali 2026?

Patna's District Magistrate has directed that crackers after 10 PM be stopped as far as possible. We have not found a 2026 order repeating the 2024 complete ban; burst only green crackers, between 8 PM and 10 PM.

When is Chhath Puja 2026 in Patna?

Friday, 13 to Monday, 16 November 2026. The Sandhya Arghya is on Sunday, 15 November at about 5:01 PM, and the Usha Arghya on Monday, 16 November at about 6:07 AM.

When is Chitragupta Puja 2026?

Wednesday, 11 November 2026, the same day as Bhai Dooj.