Diwali 2026 in Vijayawada: Deepavali Date, Lakshmi Puja Muhurat, Kanaka Durga, Karthika Masam and Cracker Rules

Quick answer: Deepavali 2026 in Vijayawada is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The Naraka Chaturdashi oil bath is before sunrise that morning (sunrise about 6:07 AM), and the Lakshmi Puja muhurat that evening is 6:01 PM – 8:02 PM IST, calculated by HinduTone with the Drik Panchang method. Bali Padyami and the start of Karthika Masam are on Tuesday, 10 November, and Bhagini Hasta Bhojanam (Bhai Dooj) is Wednesday, 11 November. As of 8 November HinduTone has not found a 2026 Vijayawada police order on cracker hours, so the national rule applies: green crackers only, 8 PM to 10 PM on Deepavali.

Vijayawada keeps Deepavali the Telugu way, with a pre-dawn oil bath, new clothes, rows of pramidalu (clay lamps) and Lakshmi Puja at dusk. Devotees climb Indrakeeladri for darshan of Sri Kanaka Durga, the city's presiding goddess, and the Krishna river ghats glow with lamps as Karthika Masam begins two days later. This guide covers the dates and times, temples, the Krishna ghats, the cracker rules and practical tips.

Editor's note (8 November 2026): puja times are HinduTone's own calculation for Vijayawada. We have not found a 2026 cracker order from the Vijayawada police; the national rule is given below.

Deepavali 2026 dates in Vijayawada

The Chaturdashi tithi runs from 10:47 AM on Saturday, 7 November to 11:27 AM on Sunday, 8 November, so it is in force at arunodaya and sunrise on Sunday, which puts the oil bath on Sunday morning. The Amavasya follows at 11:27 AM and lasts until 12:31 PM on Monday, 9 November, covering the whole of Sunday evening's Pradosh Kaal. See Naraka Chaturdashi and Diwali 2026: the Dharmashastra ruling.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Vijayawada

The muhurat is the part of Pradosh Kaal, the period after sunset, when the fixed Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna is rising. Vijayawada's window starts about seven minutes later than New Delhi's (5:54 PM – 7:50 PM), seven minutes earlier than Hyderabad's and 13 minutes later than Visakhapatnam's. Guntur and Amaravati are within a minute or two. For other cities, see Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026, city-wise.

How Vijayawada celebrates

Naraka Chaturdashi morning (Sunday, 8 November). Before sunrise, family members take the oil bath (abhyanga snanam) with warm sesame oil and sunnipindi, followed by new clothes, lamps at the threshold and sweets such as ariselu, kajjikayalu, bobbatlu and laddu. Many families also offer Yama tarpanam and the four-wick Narak Deepam; see the Yama tarpanam vidhi.

Deepavali evening.

• Lakshmi Puja: inside the muhurat, 6:01 PM – 8:02 PM. Worship Ganesha first, then Lakshmi, then light the pramidalu along the doorway, windows and compound wall.
• Kedareswara vratam: many Telugu families worship Shiva as Kedareswara with Goddess Gauri on the Amavasya and tie the 21-knot thoram. See Kedareswara vratam 2026.
• Traders: shopkeepers in One Town and on Besant Road worship their account books.

Bali Padyami and Karthika Masam (Tuesday, 10 November). Bali Padyami honours King Bali, and the holy month of Karthika begins the same day. Many devotees take the Karthika snanam in the Krishna before dawn and light lamps every evening. See Karthika Masam 2026.

For more on Telugu customs, see Telugu Deepavali 2026: Andhra and Telangana traditions.

Kanaka Durga and other temples

• Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (Kanaka Durga Temple), Indrakeeladri: the city's presiding goddess on the hill above the Krishna, crowded through Deepavali and the Karthika month. See our Kanaka Durga temple guide.
• Sri Panakala Narasimha Swamy Temple, Mangalagiri: about 12 km away, the hill temple where jaggery water (panakam) is offered to the Lord.
• Sri Venkateswara and Shiva temples across the city: busy on Deepavali evening and on the Karthika Mondays that follow.
• ISKCON Vijayawada: Hare Krishna temples usually mark Govardhan Puja with an Annakut offering.

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

The Krishna ghats

The ghats along the Krishna near Indrakeeladri and the Prakasam Barrage draw devotees for the Karthika snanam from 10 November and for lamp offerings on the Karthika Mondays and Karthika Pournami (24 November). Bathe only at ghats with barricades and lifeguards, and follow police and temple instructions, especially with children.

Crackers in Vijayawada: what applies

As of 8 November 2026 HinduTone has not found a 2026 Vijayawada police or Andhra Pradesh state order fixing cracker hours, so the national rules apply:

• Timing: 8 PM to 10 PM on Deepavali, under the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment. Visakhapatnam's Police Commissioner has fixed the same 8 PM to 10 PM window for 2026.
• Type: green crackers only, from licensed shops; no barium or joined "series" crackers.
• Where: not within 100 metres of hospitals, schools, courts and places of worship, and not on roads or near fuel stations.
• Noise: no sound-emitting crackers from 10 PM to 6 AM.

More details are on our Andhra Pradesh firecracker rules 2026 page. For emergencies call 112, and for fire 101.

Practical tips

• Weather: early November in Vijayawada is warm, around 22–31 °C; showers are possible, so keep diyas sheltered.
• Shopping: Besant Road, MG Road and the One Town markets are packed in Deepavali week; use public parking and walk in.
• Air quality: smoke builds up on Deepavali night; keep older relatives and anyone with asthma indoors during heavy bursting.
• Apartments: many gated communities fix a common area for crackers within the 8 PM to 10 PM window; follow your association's rules.

More Diwali 2026 guides

• Diwali 2026 in Visakhapatnam
• Diwali 2026 in Hyderabad
• Diwali 2026 in Chennai
• Diwali 2026 in Bengaluru
• Diwali 2026 state-wise in India

Browse every guide on our Diwali 2026 hub.

Frequently asked questions

When is Deepavali 2026 in Vijayawada?

Sunday, 8 November 2026. The Naraka Chaturdashi oil bath is before sunrise that morning and Lakshmi Puja is in the evening.

What is the Lakshmi Puja muhurat in Vijayawada?

6:01 PM to 8:02 PM IST on Sunday, 8 November 2026, calculated by HinduTone with the Drik Panchang method.

What are the cracker timings in Vijayawada for Deepavali 2026?

As of 8 November 2026 we have not found a Vijayawada order on hours, so the national rule applies: green crackers only, 8 PM to 10 PM on Deepavali.

When does Karthika Masam 2026 begin?

Tuesday, 10 November 2026, the day of Bali Padyami.