Diwali 2026 in Delhi: Dates, Melas, Lights and Cracker Rules

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November. The five days run from Dhanteras on Friday 6 November to Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November, by the New Delhi panchang. The two weeks before are the best time for Diwali melas, lights and shopping. On firecrackers, the Supreme Court said in late September that it would not impose a blanket ban, and signalled it would allow only approved green crackers during fixed hours. The exact 2026 order was still awaited in early October.

Diwali 2026 dates

Panchangs sometimes differ by a day for the smaller festivals. These are the New Delhi dates from the most widely used calendars, plus the gazetted holiday.

Festival	Date	Notes
Karwa Chauth	Thu, 29 Oct	Moonrise in Delhi around 8:18 pm
Dhanteras	Fri, 6 Nov	Gold, silver and utensil shopping peaks
Choti Diwali / Narak Chaturdashi	Sat 7 – Sun 8 Nov	Calendars differ; many families light the first diyas on the 7th
Diwali / Lakshmi Puja	Sun, 8 Nov	Gazetted holiday
Govardhan Puja / Annakut	Tue, 10 Nov	Some calendars say Mon 9 Nov
Bhai Dooj	Wed, 11 Nov	Some calendars say Tue 10 Nov
Chhath Puja	Fri 13 – Mon 16 Nov	Evening arghya on Sun 15 Nov at the ghats

Since Diwali falls on a Sunday, the big shopping and party weekend is really 31 October – 1 November, along with the evenings of 6–7 November.

Things to do in Delhi before and during Diwali

Go to a Diwali mela

Delhi’s Diwali melas are the nicest part of the season: diyas, candles, handmade gifts, food stalls and often a cause attached.

• Dastkar’s festive bazaar at Kisan Haat, Andheria Modh (near Chhatarpur metro, Yellow Line). Dastkar has run craft bazaars here for years, with makers from across India, and usually holds a festive edition around Diwali. Check Dastkar’s calendar for the 2026 dates.
• Charity and school melas. Long-running fundraisers like the Blind Relief Association’s Diwali mela on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, and dozens of school and college melas, are where you find candles, diyas and snacks at fair prices.
• Dilli Haat (INA, Pitampura and Janakpuri). The state craft stalls stock up for the season, and festive editions often add Diwali stalls.

We add confirmed melas with dates and timings to our Diwali events hub as organisers announce them. For the regular weekend markets, see our flea markets list.

Shop the classic Diwali markets

Chandni Chowk’s Bhagirath Palace is the place for lights, Sadar Bazaar for wholesale décor and diyas, Khari Baoli for dry-fruit hampers and Lajpat Nagar for clothes and home furnishing. We cover each market in detail, with closing days and metro stations, in our Diwali shopping markets guide.

Buy diyas from the potters’ colony

For terracotta diyas, lamps and pots straight from the makers, head to the potters’ colony at Uttam Nagar in west Delhi. Families of potters there work through October to meet the Diwali rush. Prices are lower than in the malls and you’re buying directly. Go on a weekday afternoon. The nearest metros are Uttam Nagar East and Uttam Nagar West on the Blue Line.

Walk the lights

There’s no single official light show in Delhi, but some walks are worth doing in the evenings of Diwali week:

• Chandni Chowk and the Old Delhi bazaars: shopfronts and lanes strung with lights, peak chaos, best on a weekday evening. Get off at Chandni Chowk (Yellow Line).
• Connaught Place and Janpath: the colonnades lit up for the season. Combine it with dinner.
• Khan Market and the South Delhi colony markets such as GK M-Block and Defence Colony: festive décor and a slower pace.
• Gurgaon and Noida malls: large Diwali installations, convenient if you’re with kids or older parents.

Eat your way through Diwali

Diwali is when Delhi’s halwais shine. Go to Old Delhi for kaju katli, sohan halwa and fresh jalebis, and to Bengali Market’s sweet shops near Mandi House for a sit-down chaat-and-mithai stop. Many restaurants run Diwali tasting menus and thalis, and hotels host Diwali brunches. We track the food events on our food listings.

Go to a Diwali party (or host a taash night)

Card parties are a Delhi Diwali institution, and most happen at home. If you’d rather go out, bars and clubs run Diwali-themed nights on the weekends before. Our nightlife listings will have them as they’re announced. Diwali has traditionally been a dry day in Delhi, so the party weekend is the one before.

Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj

After Diwali comes Govardhan Puja, when temples prepare annakut, a mountain of food offerings. ISKCON’s temple at East of Kailash (Kailash Colony metro, Violet Line) is known for its annakut display. On Bhai Dooj, roads into residential areas get busy from mid-morning as families visit each other, so build in extra travel time.

With kids

The kids and family events hub lists Diwali craft workshops such as diya-painting, rangoli and lantern-making, along with mall activities in the two weeks before. They’re a good way to keep children busy and away from crackers.

Firecrackers in Delhi: the 2026 rules

Here’s where things stood in early October 2026:

• No blanket ban. On 30 September the Supreme Court said it would not impose a total ban on crackers in Delhi-NCR. It also said it would not allow crackers to be burst through the day. It signalled fixed hours and limits on which crackers are allowed.
• Joint green crackers. The court indicated it was open to permitting next-generation “joint” green crackers (laris), subject to conditions. It also allowed their manufacture.
• Final order pending. The Centre sought time until 15 October to submit the Central Pollution Control Board’s findings, including on barium-based crackers. The final list of permitted crackers and the bursting windows depend on that.

Last year gives a good idea of what to expect. In October 2025, the court allowed only NEERI-approved green crackers, sold only at authorised outlets, with no online sales. Bursting was allowed from 6 to 7 am and 8 to 10 pm, on the day before Diwali and on Diwali itself. Crackers containing barium, and any not certified as green, were barred.

We’ll update this page once the 2026 order is out. Until then, don’t buy crackers online or from unlicensed roadside sellers: in 2025 those were explicitly off-limits, and they’re the most likely to be seized. The rules apply across Delhi-NCR, including Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.

Safety on Diwali night

• Burns: keep a bucket of water and sand nearby. For a burn, run it under cool running water for 10–20 minutes. Don’t use ice, toothpaste or butter. Call 112 in an emergency, or 101 for the fire service.
• Children should only handle sparklers with an adult present, wearing cotton clothes, never synthetics.
• Pets get badly stressed by noise. Keep them indoors in a quiet room with the windows shut.
• Air quality usually drops sharply around Diwali in Delhi, often into the “very poor” or “severe” range in the days after. Keep N95 masks handy and plan indoor time for the elderly and anyone with asthma. Our indoor things to do guide has ideas for those days.
• Driving: drink-driving checks are common through the festive week, and roads near markets jam from late afternoon.

A Diwali-week plan that avoids the worst of the rush

• Two weekends before (24–25 October): big shopping trips to Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazaar, while the lanes are still navigable
• Weekday evenings, 26–30 October: melas, Dilli Haat and a light walk. Karwa Chauth on 29 October will keep the markets busy, with mehendi queues in Lajpat Nagar.
• 31 October – 1 November: the last big weekend for décor, gifting and Diwali parties
• Thursday 5 – Friday 6 November: Dhanteras shopping (Dhanteras itself is the 6th). Go early in the day for jewellers and utensil markets.
• Sunday 8 November: stay local for puja, diyas and family time
• Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 November: Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj visits. Leave early to beat the traffic.

Getting around in Diwali week

• Use the metro for market trips. Parking around Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, Lajpat Nagar and Karol Bagh is close to impossible in the last week before Diwali.
• On Diwali day, DMRC has cut back late-evening services in past years. Check its announcement a day or two before. Cab surge pricing is steep between 7 and 10 pm.
• Bhai Dooj morning sees heavy traffic on the routes into residential colonies. Leave early, or take the metro and an auto.

For the full picture of what’s on around the festival, check this week’s events and this weekend. Our November 2026 guide covers the rest of the month, including the trade fair and Chhath.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026?

Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) is on Sunday, 8 November 2026, which is also the gazetted holiday. Dhanteras is on Friday 6 November. Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj follow on 10 and 11 November by the New Delhi panchang, though some calendars put them a day earlier.

Are firecrackers allowed in Delhi for Diwali 2026?

As of early October 2026, the Supreme Court had ruled out a blanket ban and signalled that only approved green crackers would be allowed, during fixed hours. The final order on timings and permitted crackers was still pending. In 2025, bursting was allowed only from 6–7 am and 8–10 pm on Diwali and the day before.

When is Karwa Chauth 2026?

Karwa Chauth is on Thursday, 29 October 2026. Moonrise in Delhi is expected at around 8:18 pm.

Where are the best Diwali melas in Delhi?

Look for Dastkar's festive bazaar at Kisan Haat, Andheria Modh, the long-running charity and school Diwali melas, and the festive editions at Dilli Haat. Confirmed 2026 melas are listed on Delhi2Go's Diwali events hub as organisers announce them.

Does Delhi Metro run on Diwali?

Yes, but DMRC has curtailed late-evening services on Diwali day in past years. Check DMRC's announcement a day or two before, and plan to be home before about 10 pm if you're relying on the metro.