Diwali 2026 in Uzbekistan: Dates, Lakshmi Puja Muhurat and Where to Celebrate

Diwali 2026 in Uzbekistan: Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday 8 November 2026, and in Tashkent the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 5:30 PM to 7:18 PM local time (UTC+5). Dhanteras falls on Friday 6 November, Naraka Chaturdashi is observed early on the morning of Sunday 8 November, Govardhan Puja is on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November in Tashkent. Lakshmi Puja is on the same Sunday everywhere in the country; only the evening muhurat moves, from the Fergana Valley in the east to Nukus in the west.

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 day, and we 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. We do not list event schedules: temples and community groups usually announce Diwali programmes a few weeks ahead, so check their websites and social pages.

Diwali 2026 dates in Uzbekistan

These are the five days of Diwali for Tashkent. Most cities share these dates; Nukus and Bukhara differ for the last two days, as shown in the city table below.

Naraka Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Puja fall on the same date this year. Chaturdashi tithi is running at sunrise on Sunday, while Amavasya begins at 10:57 AM local time and covers the evening. In India's own time, Amavasya runs from 11:27 AM IST on 8 November to 12:31 PM IST on 9 November. Families who keep both observances take the oil bath early on Sunday morning and perform Lakshmi Puja that evening.

The dates for Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj are close calls in Uzbekistan this year, because Pratipada ends at 2:00 PM IST on 10 November and Dwitiya at 3:53 PM IST on 11 November, around the middle of the local day. Most calendars give the dates shown, but some local calendars may list the neighbouring day; follow your temple.

Diwali 2026 dates and Lakshmi Puja muhurat by city in Uzbekistan

All of Uzbekistan keeps the same clock time (UTC+5), so the differences below come only from the time of sunset. Pick the city nearest to you.

If your town is not listed, use the closest city. Yunusobod, a district of Tashkent, is within a minute of the capital. Andijon, Namangan and Fergana in the Fergana Valley start about ten minutes earlier than Tashkent, while Samarkand, Bukhara and Qarshi are later. Nukus, in Karakalpakstan, has the latest muhurat of all, at 6:06 PM to 7:53 PM.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat explained

Two windows matter for the main evening of Diwali. The first is Pradosh Kaal, the period that starts at sunset and lasts roughly two and three-quarter hours. In Tashkent on Sunday 8 November 2026, sunset is at 5:11 PM and Pradosh Kaal runs from 5:11 PM to 7:57 PM.

The second is Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna. Vrishabha is a fixed (sthira) sign, and puja done while it is rising is traditionally believed to make Lakshmi's blessings stay in the home. In Tashkent, Vrishabha rises inside Pradosh Kaal from 5:30 PM to 7:18 PM, and that overlap is the recommended Lakshmi Puja muhurat.

• Sunset in Tashkent: 5:11 PM
• Pradosh Kaal: 5:11 PM – 7:57 PM
• Lakshmi Puja muhurat (Vrishabha within Pradosh): 5:30 PM – 7:18 PM
• Amavasya in Uzbekistan: Sun 8 Nov, 10:57 AM → Mon 9 Nov, 12:01 PM

If you cannot begin within the muhurat, for example because of a late lecture or work shift, any time in Pradosh Kaal is still considered good for Lakshmi Puja. Lighting the lamps at sunset and doing the main puja a little later in the evening is a sensible way to fit the ritual around a busy Sunday.

Hindu temples in Uzbekistan for Diwali

Uzbekistan's Hindu community is small, and we could confirm only a few places to name, all of them in Tashkent. There is no large purpose-built mandir in the country, so please treat the list below as the full picture rather than a selection.

Tashkent

• ISKCON Tashkent (Hare Krishna temple), Tashkent. Listed in ISKCON's official centres directory, this is the country's registered Krishna community and the only Hindu place of worship we could confirm. Devotees gather for kirtan, talks and prasadam, and the temple is the natural place to look for a Diwali or Govardhan Puja programme.
• Embassy of India, Tashkent. Not a place of worship, but the embassy works closely with the Indian community and has in past years arranged cultural programmes for the diaspora around Diwali, so its website and social pages are worth watching.
• Lal Bahadur Shastri Centre for Indian Culture, Tashkent. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations' centre in Uzbekistan, whose students perform Indian classical dance such as Kathak. It is a cultural centre rather than a temple.

Samarkand, the Fergana Valley and other cities

We could not confirm a Hindu temple or registered Hindu community anywhere outside Tashkent. Religious groups in Uzbekistan must be registered to hold public worship, so in other cities Diwali is kept privately, at home or among friends. Indian students at medical universities in cities such as Samarkand, Andijon and Fergana often mark the festival together in their accommodation. If you live outside the capital, a home puja is the simplest and most traditional way to keep the festival, and the timings in our city table are made for that.

Temples and community groups usually announce Diwali programmes a few weeks ahead; check their websites and social pages. Such programmes typically include an evening Lakshmi or Krishna aarti, kirtan, a shared vegetarian meal and, on Govardhan Puja day, an annakut offering.

How Diwali is celebrated in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is a largely Muslim country, and Hindus here are a small and mostly recent presence. The links are old, though. Indian merchants and moneylenders traded along the Silk Road routes through Bukhara and Samarkand for centuries, and Tashkent itself holds a special place in modern Indian memory as the city where Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri signed the Tashkent Declaration in 1966 and where he died.

Today the Indian community is made up mainly of students, many of them studying medicine, along with professionals, business families and embassy staff. Alongside them is a small group of local devotees of the ISKCON movement in Tashkent. For most students, Diwali is a hostel or flat-share festival: friends club together to buy diyas and sweets, draw a rangoli near the door, cook a festive meal and perform a short Lakshmi Puja together, often inviting Uzbek classmates to share the food.

Families who have settled in Tashkent tend to keep the five days much as they would at home: cleaning and shopping before Dhanteras, an early oil bath on Naraka Chaturdashi, the full puja on Lakshmi Puja night, an annakut on Govardhan Puja and tilak for brothers on Bhai Dooj. Sikh families mark Bandi Chhor Divas on the same evening, and Jain families observe Diwali as the day of Lord Mahavira's nirvana, so a shared celebration among students often brings these traditions together.

Indian groceries and puja items can be hard to find. It helps to buy diyas, cotton wicks, kumkum and incense in advance, or to bring them back after a visit home. Plain tea lights work perfectly well in place of clay diyas, and local bazaars have good dried fruit and nuts for sweets.

Simple Lakshmi Puja at home

You do not need a priest or elaborate items for a meaningful Lakshmi Puja. A clean space, a lamp and a sincere heart are the essentials. A short, general vidhi:

1. Clean the house and the puja area during the day, and place a rangoli or a few flowers at the entrance.
2. Set a clean cloth on a low table and place images or murtis of Lakshmi and Ganesha, with Ganesha to Lakshmi's left as you face them.
3. Place a kalash (a pot of water with mango or betel leaves and a coconut, or simply a covered pot of water), a few coins and some rice grains beside them.
4. Light a ghee or oil diya at the start of the muhurat and keep it burning through the evening.
5. Begin with a prayer to Ganesha, then offer Lakshmi kumkum, turmeric, flowers, sweets, fruit and a little rice.
6. Chant a simple mantra such as 'Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah' 11 or 108 times, or read the Lakshmi Ashtakam if you know it.
7. Perform aarti with the lamp, then light diyas or candles at the doors and windows.
8. Share the prasad with family, flatmates and neighbours.

In student accommodation where open flames are not allowed, LED diyas and a short puja with flowers and sweets are perfectly acceptable. Devotion matters more than the size of the arrangement.

Practical tips for Diwali 2026 in Uzbekistan

• Weekend timing: Lakshmi Puja falls on Sunday 8 November, so most families and students can do the puja at home or at the temple. Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj fall on working and lecture days, so plan short evening observances.
• Holidays: Diwali is not a traditional Uzbek festival; check the official 2026 holiday list and ask your employer or university about leave if you need it.
• Early, cold evenings: Sunset in Tashkent is at 5:11 PM on Lakshmi Puja day, and November evenings are chilly across the country. Keep diyas indoors or on sheltered balconies and dress warmly if you travel to the temple.
• Fireworks: Rules on fireworks are set by the authorities; check local rules before buying or using any, and be considerate of neighbours in apartment blocks.
• Worship in private: Outside registered places of worship, keep religious gatherings to your own home or accommodation, which is how most families in Uzbekistan already celebrate.
• Temple pujas: If you want a sponsored puja or an annakut offering at ISKCON Tashkent, contact the temple early, as small communities have limited volunteers on festival weekends.
• Calling family in India: India is half an hour ahead of Tashkent, so families in India will be doing their own puja around the time you light your first lamps. A video call in the afternoon is often easier.

Diwali 2026 Uzbekistan FAQ

When is Diwali 2026 in Uzbekistan?

The main day, Lakshmi Puja, is Sunday 8 November 2026 in every Uzbek city we checked. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November and Naraka Chaturdashi is observed early on Sunday 8 November. In Tashkent, Govardhan Puja is on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November; a few western cities differ by a day, so check the city table.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Tashkent?

In Tashkent the Lakshmi Puja muhurat is 5:30 PM to 7:18 PM on Sunday 8 November 2026, local time (UTC+5). This is the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna inside Pradosh Kaal, which runs from sunset at 5:11 PM to 7:57 PM.

Is there a Hindu temple in Uzbekistan?

Uzbekistan has no large purpose-built Hindu mandir. The place of worship we could confirm is the ISKCON (Hare Krishna) temple in Tashkent, a registered community. Outside the capital, Indian students and families usually celebrate at home or in student accommodation.

Is Diwali a public holiday in Uzbekistan?

Diwali is not a traditional Uzbek festival, so check the official 2026 holiday list and your employer's or university's policy if you need time off. In 2026 Lakshmi Puja falls on a Sunday, which makes the evening puja easier for most families and students.

Why are Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj on different days in Nukus and Bukhara?

Pratipada and Dwitiya tithis change around the middle of the day in Uzbekistan this year, and the exact sunrise in each city decides which tithi counts for that day. Our calculation gives Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November in Nukus, and both Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November in Bukhara. Most calendars give the dates shown, but some local calendars may list the neighbouring day; follow your temple.

Can I light diyas and fireworks in Uzbekistan for Diwali?

Diyas and candles at home are fine with sensible fire safety, especially in flats and student hostels where landlords may have their own rules. Fireworks are regulated by the authorities, so check local rules before buying or using any.

Related guides

• Diwali 2026 dates in every country with Lakshmi Puja time
• Diwali 2026: complete festival hub
• Diwali 2026 date and Lakshmi Puja muhurat (India)
• The 5 days of Diwali 2026 explained
• Govardhan Puja and Annakut 2026
• Bhai Dooj 2026
• Diwali 2026 in Kazakhstan
• Diwali 2026 in Georgia
• Diwali 2026 in Mongolia