November 2026 Hindu Festivals in UAE: Day-by-Day Calendar for Dubai with Local Tithi, Diwali Week and Karthika Masam Dates

Quick answer: the main November 2026 Hindu festivals in the UAE are Dhanteras on Friday 6 November, Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) on Sunday 8 November, Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November. Karthika Masam begins on Tuesday 10 November, Devutthana Ekadashi is Friday 20 November, Tulasi Vivah Saturday 21 November and Karthika Pournami Tuesday 24 November.

Because the Emirates sit so close to India in time, almost every festival matches the Indian date. The two exceptions are Govardhan Puja, Annakut, Bali Pratipada and Bhai Dooj / Yama Dwitiya, each a day earlier. The full table below gives each day's tithi at Dubai sunrise, the sunrise time and the observances, with a link to that date's panchang.

November 2026 in the UAE at a glance

November is the most comfortable month of the year in the Gulf, and it is also the busiest month of the Hindu calendar. Families in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah move from Rama Ekadashi straight into Diwali, then into Karthika Masam with its Monday fasts, evening lamps and the full moon on Tuesday 24 November. The UAE does not use daylight saving time, so nothing changes on the clock: Dubai sunrise drifts gently from 6:25 AM on 1 November to 6:45 AM on 30 November, and sunset from 5:39 PM to 5:29 PM.

The UAE weekend is Saturday and Sunday. This year Diwali falls on a Sunday, and Tulasi Vivah on a Saturday, so both can be kept at home or at the temple without taking leave. Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj fall on a Monday and Tuesday.

November 2026 Hindu calendar for the UAE, day by day

Tithi and sunrise are for Dubai (Gulf Standard Time), computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, which is validated against Drik Panchang. Festival dates come from Drik Panchang's UAE calendar. Note that a festival is not always kept on the day its tithi is at sunrise: Lakshmi Puja follows the evening, Masik Shivaratri the midnight and Sankashti the moonrise. Items marked "India date" have no UAE-specific date in our data: abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple.

Key festival dates: UAE versus India

* No country-specific date in our data for this festival, so the India date is shown: abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple.

Deepavali in the Emirates

Dhanteras on Friday 6 November is the traditional day to buy gold or a new utensil, and many UAE families combine it with a visit to the gold souks. Naraka Chaturdashi and its early oil bath fall on Sunday 8 November, the same day as Lakshmi Puja on Sunday 8 November, so South Indian households begin the day with the bath and end it with the evening puja. For puja times in each emirate, read the Diwali 2026 Dubai and UAE Lakshmi Puja muhurat guide and Deepavali 2026 in Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai.

Govardhan Puja and Annakut, when Krishna is offered a mountain of vegetarian dishes in memory of his lifting of Govardhan hill, come on Monday 9 November in the UAE, and Bhai Dooj, when sisters pray for their brothers, on Tuesday 10 November. Families with relatives in India will notice that India keeps each a day later. See Govardhan Puja 2026 in the UAE.

Karthika Masam in the UAE

The UAE starts Karthika Masam on Tuesday 10 November, the same day as India, so Telugu and Kannada families in the Gulf share their Monday fasts with relatives at home. The November Somavarams are Monday 16 November, Monday 23 November, Monday 30 November. The usual practice is a fast until evening, Shiva abhishekam and a ghee lamp at dusk; in apartments a lamp at the window or on the balcony works well. Guides: Karthika Masam 2026 Dubai and UAE dates, Karthika Somavaram 2026 in the UAE and Shiva temples for Karthika in the UAE.

Nagula Chavithi, with milk offered to the serpent deities, is Friday 13 November and Vrishchika Sankranti Monday 16 November, both as in India. The Sabarimala Mandala season begins with the solar month of Vrishchika, so Ayyappa devotees in the Gulf often begin their deeksha around this time. See Nagula Chavithi 2026 in the UAE.

Skanda Sashti and Chhath Puja

In India, Skanda Sashti, with the Soora Samharam of Lord Murugan, and the evening arghya of Chhath Puja both fall on Sunday 15 November. Our data has no UAE date for these two: abroad they may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple or community association. Chhath abroad is usually observed by a beach or a pool when a riverbank is not available; see Chhath Puja in Canada, Australia and the UAE.

Devutthana Ekadashi and Tulasi Vivah

Devutthana (Prabodhini) Ekadashi, when Vishnu wakes and the Chaturmas period ends, is Friday 20 November in the UAE. Tulasi Vivah and Ksheerabdi Dwadashi, when the tulasi plant is married to Vishnu, follow on Saturday 21 November, a Saturday. Both match India. A tulasi pot on the balcony, decorated with a small canopy, is enough for a home Tulasi Vivah. See Ksheerabdi Dwadashi and Tulasi Vivah 2026 in the UAE and the Karthika Ekadashi guide.

Karthika Pournami and Karthigai Deepam

Karthika Pournami, Dev Diwali and the Tamil Karthigai Deepam all fall on Tuesday 24 November in the UAE. In Dubai the Purnima tithi starts at Mon 23 Nov, 10:12 PM and ends at Tue 24 Nov, 6:53 PM, which means the full moon is still running at Tuesday's sunset. Light the deepam then, and if you can, float a lamp in a bowl of water in place of a river. Read Karthika Pournami 2026 in the UAE and Karthigai Deepam 2026. Vaikuntha Chaturdashi has no UAE date in our data (India: Monday 23 November), so check your local temple.

Smaller vrats this month

Ahoi Ashtami (Sunday 1 November in India), Rama Ekadashi (Thursday 5 November), Masik Shivaratri (Saturday 7 November), Gopashtami (Tuesday 17 November), Akshaya Navami (Wednesday 18 November), Ravi Pradosh (Sunday 22 November) and Ganadhipa Sankashti (Friday 27 November) have no UAE dates in our data. With only 1.5 hours between Dubai and India they will usually match, but abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. See our November 2026 vrat and fasting days.

Notes for families in the UAE

• Temples: the UAE now has large Hindu temples in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and festival days draw heavy crowds. Check the temple's official website for current timings and any registration rules before you go.
• Fireworks and lamps: private fireworks are tightly regulated in the UAE. Keep to diyas and electric lights, place lamps on a metal tray, and follow your building's fire-safety rules.
• Work week: Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj fall on a Monday and Tuesday; plan the Annakut for the evening or the following weekend.
• Fasting and health: if you are pregnant, elderly, diabetic or on medication, keep a light fast with fruit and milk, or speak to your doctor first.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in Dubai and the UAE?

Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday 8 November, the same day as India, according to Drik Panchang's UAE calendar. Naraka Chaturdashi is also Sunday 8 November and Dhanteras Friday 6 November.

Why are Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj a day earlier in the UAE?

Dubai is 1.5 hours behind India. That small gap is enough to change which tithi covers the local morning after Diwali, so Drik Panchang places Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November in the UAE, against Tuesday 10 November and Wednesday 11 November in India.

When does Karthika Masam 2026 start in the UAE?

On Tuesday 10 November, the same day as India. The November Karthika Somavarams are Monday 16 November, Monday 23 November, Monday 30 November.

When is Karthika Pournami 2026 in the UAE?

On Tuesday 24 November. In Dubai the Purnima tithi runs from Mon 23 Nov, 10:12 PM to Tue 24 Nov, 6:53 PM local time, so it is still Purnima at Tuesday's sunset, the natural time for the deepam.

Do Abu Dhabi and Sharjah follow the same dates as Dubai?

Yes. Drik Panchang gives the same Karthika dates for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain. Sunrise and sunset differ by only a few minutes across the Emirates.

Is Kalabhairav Jayanti in November in the UAE?

No. In the UAE, as in India, Kalabhairav Jayanti is on Tuesday 1 December.

Editor's note and methodology

Editor's note (9 October 2026): This calendar has been restored at its original address. Daily tithi, nakshatra and sunrise for Dubai are computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, validated against Drik Panchang (tithi at sunrise matched on every checked date). UAE festival dates are from Drik Panchang's UAE calendar; India dates are from Drik Panchang for Hyderabad. Where we have no UAE date we show the India date and say so. Times from India are never converted. Customs vary, so confirm with your temple before a fast.

Related guides

• Hindu calendar November 2026: dates, rituals and significance
• November 2026 Hindu festivals in Singapore
• November 2026 Hindu festivals in South Africa
• Hindu temples and festivals in the UAE
• Hindus in the GCC and UAE 2026
• Panchang for Diwali, 8 November 2026