Short answer: Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November, with Dhanteras on Friday 6 November. My Vastu tips for Diwali: clear the north-east and the centre of the home by Dhanteras, clean and light the main entrance, set the Lakshmi and Ganesha puja in the north-east, light the first diyas at the door, and keep the north open.
Every October my phone fills up with the same question: what should we do in the house before Diwali? The honest answer is that Vastu for Diwali is mostly about order and light, and none of it asks you to break anything. This page is the list I give families, with the 2026 dates, and I refresh it every year on the same address.
Diwali 2026 dates and the Vastu work for each day
| Day | Date | What to do in the home |
|---|---|---|
| Dhanteras | Friday, 6 November 2026 | Cleaning finished; new metal items and the cash box set right |
| Naraka Chaturdashi (Kali Chaudas) | Saturday, 7 November 2026 | Last clutter out, entrance washed, toran up |
| Diwali, Lakshmi Puja | Sunday, 8 November 2026 | Rangoli before sunset, puja in the north-east, diyas from the door inwards |
Lakshmi Puja is done in Pradosh Kaal on the evening of Kartik Amavasya, and the exact muhurat shifts from city to city, so take it from a panchang for the place you live. Next year Diwali falls on 29 October 2027, and I will update this page in early October with the new dates. The other new-moon and full-moon days of that year are on my Purnima and Amavasya 2027 calendar.
A Diwali countdown for the home
Families who leave everything to the last weekend usually end up cleaning in a rush and decorating over the mess. Spread it out like this:
- Now to 31 October: go through cupboards and lofts. Give away what you do not use and throw out what is broken: stopped clocks, cracked mirrors and glass, leaking taps, dead bulbs.
- By 5 November: the north-east corner and the centre of the home are completely clear. Nothing stored under beds in the north-east room either.
- Dhanteras, 6 November: new utensils or metal items go to the north side of the kitchen or the home; the locker or cash box sits in the south-west and opens towards the north.
- 7 November: wash the threshold, oil the door hinges, fix the handle, hang a toran of mango leaves or marigold.
- 8 November: rangoli at the entrance before sunset, then the puja, then the diyas.
Clear the north-east and the centre before you decorate
The north-east, Ishanya, is the corner Vastu treats as the most sacred in the house, and the centre, the Brahmasthan, is the open middle that every room draws on. In flats these are exactly the places where shoe boxes, old newspapers, spare chairs and the printer end up. Empty both. If the centre of your flat is a passage or the dining area, keep heavy furniture out of it for the festival at least; I explain why on my Brahmasthan page.
I have also learnt that the same clean corner does not feel the same in every home. Each direction carries a planet, and how that planet sits in the birth charts of the people living there changes what the corner asks for.
The main entrance on Diwali night
Lakshmi is welcomed at the door, so the entrance gets the most attention after cleaning. Wash the threshold and the door itself, and fix anything that squeaks or sticks. Draw the rangoli before sunset; lotus patterns and small footprints pointing inwards are the traditional choice. Keep the area lit through the evening and move the shoe rack, bags and parcels away from the door. For the rest of the year, my main door Vastu guide covers placement and colours.
The facing of the house changes the feel of the evening. An east-facing home gets its light in the morning, so the entrance can look dull by puja time and needs more lamps. A west-facing home catches the last of the sun at the door, which is lovely for the rangoli but means the inner rooms darken first.
Where to place Lakshmi and Ganesha for the puja
Set the puja in the north-east of the home, or the north-east of the room you use, on a clean red or yellow cloth. Place the idols so they face west; you then sit facing east while you pray. If the north-east is not available, use the north or the east, and face north or east yourself. Keep the space above the altar clear of shelves and storage. If your puja area is a small unit in a flat, my notes on the pooja room in a flat help you choose the best wall.
Where the diyas matter most
- Start at the main entrance, one on each side of the door.
- Then the puja area in the north-east.
- One in the south-east, the fire corner, often the kitchen side.
- Window sills and the balcony, especially those on the north and east.
- Earthen diyas with ghee or sesame oil for the puja itself; electric lights are fine for decoration.
Vastu cares more about where the light goes than about how many lamps you light. Keep every flame away from curtains and out of reach of children and pets.
Dhanteras and the north of the home
The north belongs to Kubera, and Vastu reads it as the side of money and new openings. Before Dhanteras, take everything off the floor along the north wall that does not need to be there, and give it good light. If the locker or cash box sits on the north wall today, Dhanteras is a good day to move it to the south-west, with its door opening towards the north. My page on locker direction in Vastu explains which way it should face and why.
Colours, decorations and the small things
Choose light, warm colours for new decorations. Keep heavy black or dark grey out of the north-east. Do not let lights and hangings block windows and doors, because light and air need a clear way in. A bowl of fresh flowers and clean water in the north-east is a good touch; change them before they wilt.
Renting, or away for Diwali?
Everything on this page works in a rented flat, because none of it touches a wall. More ideas are in my guide to Vastu without breaking walls and in Vastu for a rented house. If you are travelling, clean and clear before you leave, keep the entrance and the north-east tidy, and light a diya wherever you are on the evening of the puja. A cared-for home matters more than the exact spot.
Planning to move into a new home after the festival? Dev Uthani Ekadashi on 20 November opens the season, and my griha pravesh checklist lists what to do before the first night. The overall picture for any house is on my Vastu for home guide.
Lakshmi Puja, your chart and the north of your home
The steps above suit every home. What they cannot tell you is which corner matters most for your family this year. In my practice I read the birth chart next to the floor plan, because the planets that rule the directions are not equally strong for everyone. Mercury rules the north, the side we keep open for money. If the earning member is running a Mercury period and Mercury is weak in the chart, the north needs more care than a Diwali list suggests.
Venus works the same way with the south-east, where the kitchen fire and many of the diyas sit. When I see that link, the remedies are timed to the chart and placed in the right zone. If you want both looked at before the festival, my chart and home reading together covers it in one session; the home Vastu session alone remains the simple first step.
Want your own home checked before Diwali? A 45-minute home Vastu session with me costs ₹1,499 for one floor or one flat, online or at my Begur studio, and the written plan reaches you within 48 hours. If we speak by 3 November, you have it in hand before Dhanteras. Bengaluru families can read more on my Vastu consultation in Bangalore page, or go straight to book a session.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I attract Lakshmi to my home on Diwali, as per Vastu?
Keep the main door clean, lit and open from sunset, with a rangoli and a toran of mango leaves or marigolds. Light a diya at the door and one in the north-east, set the puja in the north-east, and keep the north of the home clear, because Vastu ties the north to wealth. A clean, well-lit, quiet house is the real invitation.
What is the date of Diwali in 2026?
Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026, the evening of Kartik Amavasya, when Lakshmi Puja is done. Dhanteras comes two days earlier, on Friday 6 November. For the exact puja muhurat, use a panchang for your own city, because Pradosh Kaal starts at a slightly different time in each place.
Can I do the Lakshmi Puja in the living room?
Yes. Many flats have no separate puja room, so use the north-east part of the living room. Clear a small table or a low platform there, put down the cloth, and make sure nothing heavy is stored right above it. Sit so you face east or north while you pray.
Should I buy gold or utensils on Dhanteras for Vastu reasons?
Vastu does not ask you to buy anything. Buying metal on Dhanteras is a family tradition, and if you follow it, keep the new items in the north part of the kitchen or home and put valuables in a locker in the south-west that opens to the north. Spend what you are comfortable with.
Is it all right to keep a diya burning through the night?
One lamp in the puja area can stay lit if it is in a safe spot: a deep diya, on metal or stone, away from cloth and out of reach of children and pets. Put out the decorative ones before you sleep. Vastu never asks you to take a fire risk.
What should I do with old idols or broken puja items before Diwali?
Do not keep broken or chipped idols on the altar. Many families immerse clay idols in water at home and use the soil for plants, or give metal and stone ones to a temple. Old cloth and dried flowers can go into the garden or compost rather than the bin.
Which direction should I face for the Diwali puja?
Face east or north while you pray. Set Lakshmi and Ganesha in the north-east so the idols face west and you face east. If the north-east is taken, the north or the east of the room works just as well. A clean, well-lit spot with nothing stored above it matters more than getting the angle perfect.
What should I avoid in the house on Diwali, as per Vastu?
Don’t leave clutter, broken things or a pile of footwear at the main door or in the north-east. Keep dark colours and heavy storage out of the north-east, keep the north open, don’t let lights cover windows and doors, and never leave a flame near curtains. You don’t need to buy anything for Vastu; order and light do the work.