Diwali 2026 in Uganda: Dates, Lakshmi Puja Muhurat and Hindu Temples

Quick answer: in Uganda, Lakshmi Puja (main Diwali) is on Sunday 8 November 2026, and the Kampala muhurat is 7:05 PM to 8:59 PM East Africa Time. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November, Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November. Uganda has a long-established Hindu community with temples in Kampala, Jinja, Tororo, Iganga and Gulu, so most families can combine a home puja with a temple visit.

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 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 Uganda

These are the five days of Diwali for Kampala. The same dates apply in every Ugandan city in our table.

Naraka Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Puja fall on the same day in Uganda this year. Amavasya in Uganda runs from Sun 8 Nov, 8:57 AM to Mon 9 Nov, 10:01 AM local time (11:27 AM 8 Nov to 12:31 PM 9 Nov IST), so Sunday 8 November is the only evening with Amavasya during Pradosh Kaal. That is why Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday evening, and why the pre-dawn Naraka Chaturdashi bath also falls on Sunday morning, while Chaturdashi is still running.

Diwali 2026 city by city in Uganda

Uganda sits almost on the equator and uses one time zone (UTC+3), so sunset barely changes through the year and the timings differ only slightly from east to west. Mbarara, furthest west in our list, has the latest muhurat. Times are local East Africa Time.

If your town is not listed, use the nearest city: Entebbe and Wakiso families can follow Kampala, Jinja is very close to Njeru, and towns in the west can follow Mbarara.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Uganda explained

Lakshmi Puja is done in the evening of Amavasya, during Pradosh Kaal, the period of roughly two and a half hours that begins at sunset. In Kampala on Sunday 8 November, sunset is at 6:36 PM, so Pradosh Kaal runs from 6:36 PM to 8:59 PM.

Within Pradosh, families prefer the time when Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna is rising. Vrishabha is a fixed (sthir) sign, and worship done in a fixed lagna is believed to make Lakshmi's blessing stay in the home. In Kampala, Vrishabha rises at 7:05 PM and is still rising when Pradosh ends, so the muhurat is 7:05 PM to 8:59 PM.

If you cannot start by 7:05 PM, you can still do the puja at any time in Pradosh Kaal, from 6:36 PM. Lighting the first diya at sunset and then sitting for the main Lakshmi Ganesha puja inside the muhurat is a practical approach for busy households.

For reference, the tithis on Drik Panchang (IST) are: Trayodashi from 10:30 AM 6 Nov to 10:47 AM 7 Nov; Chaturdashi until 11:27 AM 8 Nov; Amavasya from 11:27 AM 8 Nov to 12:31 PM 9 Nov; Pratipada until 2:00 PM 10 Nov; and Dwitiya until 3:53 PM 11 Nov. These are India times; the Uganda dates in the tables above already account for the difference.

Hindu temples in Uganda for Diwali

We confirmed each of the places below through the organisation's own website or a reliable listing. We have kept to names and towns only; please check directly with each temple for darshan times and Diwali arrangements.

Kampala

• Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal – central Kampala, near Nakasero. One of the city's best-known Hindu temples, inaugurated in 1961, with Shiva as the main deity and shrines to Vishnu, Lakshmi and Ganesha.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Kampala – first inaugurated in 1960 and still active, with regular festival celebrations.
• Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Kampala – Kampala, a Swaminarayan temple community separate from BAPS.
• ISKCON Kampala – Kampala city centre, with daily aratis and a weekly Sunday feast.

Eastern Uganda

• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Jinja – Jinja.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Tororo – Tororo.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Iganga – Iganga.

Northern Uganda

• Hindu temple, Gulu – Gulu city, rebuilt by the Asian community about 50 years after the 1972 expulsion.

We could not confirm a Hindu temple in Mbarara or the other western towns. If you live there, a home puja at the muhurat in our table is the simplest way to celebrate, perhaps with a trip to Kampala over the Diwali weekend. Temples and community groups usually announce Diwali programmes a few weeks ahead; check their websites and social pages.

How Diwali is celebrated in Uganda

Indians have lived in Uganda for well over a century. Many came as traders and artisans from Gujarat and Punjab from the late nineteenth century onwards, and Kampala, Jinja, Tororo and Mbale became centres of a thriving South Asian community. The temples in Kampala, Jinja and Tororo date from that period; BAPS dates its first mandirs in the three towns to 1960.

In 1972 Idi Amin's government expelled Uganda's Asians, and many temples were left without congregations. From the 1990s families began to return and new arrivals came from India for business and work. Today the community is a mix of returning Ugandan Asian families and more recent Indian migrants, and the old temples have been revived, with Gulu's rebuilt temple one of the most recent examples.

Diwali in Uganda follows the patterns most families know from Gujarat and North India. Homes are cleaned and decorated with rangoli and lights in the days before; Dhanteras is a day for buying gold, silver or a new steel vessel; and on Lakshmi Puja evening families worship Lakshmi and Ganesha, light diyas and share sweets with neighbours. Many Gujarati families also do Chopda Pujan, blessing their account books, and treat the next day as the start of the New Year (Bestu Varas), visiting temples for the Annakut offering on Govardhan Puja.

Typical temple programmes include an evening Lakshmi Puja or Chopda Pujan, an Annakut display on the day after Diwali, aarti, bhajans and a shared meal. Indian community associations in Kampala have also held public Diwali gatherings in recent years, often with food stalls and cultural performances, and Uganda's President has hosted Diwali celebrations at State House. Uganda's Sikh community marks Bandi Chhor Divas on the same evening, and Jain families mark Diwali as the day of Lord Mahavira's nirvana.

Simple Lakshmi Puja at home

You do not need a priest for a meaningful Lakshmi Puja. A short, general vidhi that suits most traditions:

1. Clean the puja area and set a low table with a red or yellow cloth. Place images or murtis of Ganesha and Lakshmi, with a kalash of water topped with mango leaves and a coconut.
2. Light a ghee diya and an incense stick. Draw a small rangoli or place footprints of Lakshmi at the entrance.
3. Begin with Ganesha: offer flowers, kumkum and a sweet, and chant 'Om Gam Ganapataye Namah'.
4. Worship Lakshmi with flowers, kumkum, rice, coins or jewellery, and sweets such as ladoo or kheer. Chant 'Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah' 11 or 108 times, or read the Shri Suktam.
5. Many families also place account books, a laptop or a cash box before the deity for blessing.
6. Finish with aarti ('Om Jai Lakshmi Mata'), then light diyas around the home: entrance, windows, kitchen and garden.
7. Share prasad with family and neighbours.

Aim to do the main worship within the muhurat for your city. If that is not possible, any time in Pradosh Kaal is fine.

Practical tips for Diwali 2026 in Uganda

• Weekdays: Dhanteras is on a Friday, and both Naraka Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Puja fall on Sunday 8 November, so the main evening is on a weekend this year. Govardhan Puja (Monday) and Bhai Dooj (Tuesday) are working days. Check the official 2026 holiday list and your employer's policy if you need time off.
• Sunset and weather: Sunset in Kampala is at 6:36 PM and it is fully dark soon after, as is usual near the equator. November is often part of the short rainy season, so evening showers are possible; keep outdoor diyas sheltered or use lanterns.
• Traffic: Kampala's evening traffic can be heavy. If you plan to visit a temple before your home puja, leave early, or do the temple visit on Govardhan Puja day instead.
• Fireworks: Rules on fireworks are set by local authorities. Check before buying or lighting any, and consider quieter alternatives such as diyas and lanterns.
• Temple pujas: If you want a priest to perform Lakshmi Puja or Chopda Pujan for you, ask your temple well in advance, as slots fill quickly around Diwali.
• Puja items: Kampala's Indian grocers stock diyas, ghee, kumkum and sweets, but popular items can run short in the last few days; shop by Dhanteras.

Diwali 2026 Uganda FAQ

When is Diwali 2026 in Uganda?

The main day, Lakshmi Puja, is Sunday 8 November 2026 across Uganda. 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 Kampala?

In Kampala the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 7:05 PM to 8:59 PM on Sunday 8 November 2026, East Africa Time (UTC+3). This is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna inside Pradosh Kaal, which runs from sunset at 6:36 PM to 8:59 PM.

Are there Hindu temples in Uganda?

Yes. Kampala has the Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal temple, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir and an ISKCON centre. BAPS also has mandirs in Jinja, Tororo and Iganga, and a Hindu temple has been rebuilt in Gulu city.

Is Diwali a public holiday in Uganda?

Diwali is not one of Uganda's standard national public holidays as far as we could confirm, so check the official 2026 holiday list and your employer's policy. Lakshmi Puja on 8 November 2026 falls on a Sunday, which makes the evening puja easier for most families.

Do the muhurat times differ between Ugandan cities?

Only by a few minutes. Uganda uses one time zone, and Kampala, Nansana, Kira, Kyengera and Kasangati share the same muhurat. Mbarara in the west is later, at 7:14 PM to 9:07 PM, while Njeru near Jinja is a little earlier, at 7:03 PM to 8:56 PM.

Can I light diyas and fireworks in Uganda for Diwali?

Diyas and candles at home are fine with sensible fire safety. Fireworks are governed by local authorities, so check the rules where you live before buying or lighting any, and be considerate of neighbours.

Related guides

• Diwali 2026 dates in every country with Lakshmi Puja time
• Diwali 2026: the complete 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 Rwanda
• Diwali 2026 in Zambia
• Diwali 2026 in Malawi