Diwali 2026

Diwali Trading (Muhurat Trading)

What Is Diwali Trading?

For traders and business families, Diwali closes the old account books and begins a new business year. They mark the start with a first trade on Diwali evening, called Muhurat Trading. Muhurat means an auspicious time. The trade is a token of beginning the year well and of respect for Lakshmi, so the custom is about starting, not about the size of the trade.

Who Does It?

• Traders and Brokers: They worship Lakshmi at the desk or office, worship the new account books (Chopda Pujan) and make the first trade of the year.
• Investors: Many who take part buy a small amount of shares as a token of Lakshmi, after the puja.

When Should This Be Performed?

• After the Lakshmi Puja: The puja comes first, in the evening, and the first trade follows it.
• Exchanges: The Indian stock exchanges also hold a short special session on Diwali, at a time they announce each year. It is listed with the timings on this page, and the Shubh trading window is marked: the part of the trading time, read on your own clock, that falls in a Shubh choghadiya (outside India a Labh slot is preferred). Where none of it does, no window is marked.

How Is It Done?

1. Clean the desk or office and place the pictures of Lakshmi and Ganesha.
2. Worship the account books and the tools you work with, and light a lamp.
3. Offer sweets, and perform the Lakshmi Aarti.
4. In an auspicious slot after the puja, make the first trade of the year.
5. Share the sweets with your family and staff.

A Note on Trading

Muhurat Trading is a custom of beginning. It does not promise a gain, and a trade made at an auspicious time carries the same risk as any other trade. Size it as you would any other trade. This is not investment advice.

Puja Vidhi: Traders (Chopda Pujan)

About the Festival

Chopda Pujan, also called Sharda Pujan or Bahi-Khata Pujan, is a much-loved observance of trading families, especially in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, in which the new account books are worshipped to begin the business year. It takes place on the Amavasya (new moon day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik.

Who Celebrates This Festival?

• Business Owners and Traders: Gujarati, Marwari and other trading families worship their new account books along with Lakshmi, Ganesha and Sharda, seeking honest earnings and success in the new business year (Shubh Labh).
• Shopkeepers and Professionals: Those who run a shop, office or firm perform the puja at their place of work, so that the year's accounts begin with a blessing.
• Staff and Family: Employees and family members join the puja and pray together for the prosperity of the business.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Preparation: The shop or office is cleaned and decorated with rangoli and lamps before the puja begins.
• Puja Muhurat: The puja is done on Diwali in an auspicious Choghadiya (a slot of the day; Amrit, Shubh, Labh and Char are the favourable ones), often in the afternoon or evening at the shop, and many traders also prefer Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset). Check the Choghadiya and the puja muhurat for your city on this page. (Some families do it at home along with the Lakshmi Puja.)
• Labh Pancham: Many shops reopen after the festival days with a small puja on Labh Pancham, the fifth day of the Shukla Paksha of Kartik.

The Katha (Story of the Sahukar's Daughter and Goddess Lakshmi)

Once upon a time, a moneylender (sahukar) had a daughter who went every day to pour water at a peepal tree. Goddess Lakshmi lived in that tree, and one day she asked the girl to become her friend. With her father's permission the girl agreed, and Lakshmi took her home and fed her with great honour.

Some days later Lakshmi asked when the girl would invite her in return. The girl agreed, but when she thought of her poor home she grew sad and anxious. Her father saw her distress and asked what was wrong, and she told him of the invitation and of her worry.

Her father comforted her and advised: "Do not worry, my child. Clean the house and plaster the floor, cook whatever grain we have with full devotion, and light a four-wick lamp in Lakshmi's name. She will accept it gladly."

Just then a kite flew over their house carrying a precious necklace and dropped it in their courtyard. The family sold it and bought everything needed for a grand feast. Goddess Lakshmi arrived with Lord Ganesha. The girl offered her a golden seat, but Lakshmi said that such seats were for kings and queens, spread a mat on the floor and sat there. She ate the food with love and blessed the house with wealth. Since that day, families light a lamp in Lakshmi's name on Diwali and listen to this story at the puja, praying for her blessings in the year ahead.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the puja at the shop or office:

• New Account Books: A new Chopda (Bahi-Khata), or a new notebook, with a new pen and ink
• Deities: Pictures or idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha, and an image of Goddess Sharda (Saraswati) if you have one
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Roli or Kumkum, Haldi, Chandan, and Akshat (unbroken rice grains)
• Auspicious Pouch: A new small cloth pouch holding five turmeric roots (Haldi ki Ganth), lotus seeds (Kamal Gatta), Akshat, coriander seeds and a coin as Dakshina
• Lamps & Lights: Diyas with Ghee or oil and cotton wicks, and incense sticks
• Offerings & Accessories: A red cloth, flowers, sweets, fruits, and coins

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Preparation and Sankalp

1. Bathe and wear clean, auspicious clothes, then clean the shop or office and decorate the entrance with Rangoli and Diyas.
2. Close the old accounts, and keep the new account books ready for the puja.
3. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha and Mother Sharda, today we begin our new books with pure devotion. Bless our work with honest earnings and our family with prosperity."

Step 2: Preparing the Puja Place (Before the Puja Muhurat)

1. Clean a place in the shop, office or puja room, and spread a red cloth on a wooden stool (Chowki).
2. Place the pictures or idols of Ganesha and Lakshmi on the Chowki, with the image of Sharda if you have one.
3. Sprinkle a little pure water on the new account books to purify them, then set them on the red cloth with Akshat and flowers, with the new pen beside them.

Step 3: Performing the Rituals (In an Auspicious Choghadiya)

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light a Ghee Diya and place it before the deities.
2. Applying Tilak: Apply Roli or Kumkum, Haldi, and Akshat to the images.
3. Offering Flowers: Offer fresh flowers to the deities.
4. Offering Naivedya: Place sweets and fruits before the deities, with the coins kept beside them.

Step 4: Worshipping the Deities and the New Books

1. Begin by worshipping Lord Ganesha with the mantra "Om Gam Ganapataye Namah," so that the year begins without obstacles.
2. Worship Goddess Lakshmi with the mantra "Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah," and place the coins before her.
3. On the first page of the new book, draw a Swastika with Kumkum or red Chandan and write Shree Ganeshaya Namah above it. Write Shubh and Labh beside it, and mark the pouch of auspicious items with a Swastika too.
4. Worship the books with Roli, flowers, incense, a lamp and Naivedya, saying "Om Shree Saraswatyai Namah" with each offering, and pray to Goddess Sharda (Saraswati) with her prayer, "Ya Kundendu-tushara-hara-dhavala…"

Step 5: Reciting the Katha and Aarti

1. Hold a few grains of Akshat in your right hand and recite or listen to the story of the Sahukar's daughter and Goddess Lakshmi with deep focus and devotion.
2. After the story, place the grains at the feet of the deities.
3. Perform the Lakshmi Ganesh Aarti using the lit Ghee lamp while singing devotional hymns, and pray for honest earnings and the wellbeing of everyone who works with you.

Step 6: Seeking Blessings and Sharing Prasad

1. Touch the feet of the elders in your family to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh).
2. Distribute the sweet prasad among your family, your staff and everyone who visits.
3. Light Diyas at the entrance of the shop or office and of your home, so that no corner stays dark.

Puja Vidhi: Bengal and East (Kali Puja)

About the Festival

Kali Puja, also known as Shyama Puja, is a much-loved festival of Bengal and eastern India, where families worship Goddess Kali, the fierce and loving Divine Mother, on the night of the new moon. It takes place on the Amavasya (new moon day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik.

Who Celebrates This Festival?

• Families Who Worship Kali: Households across Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Tripura, Jharkhand and Bihar worship Mother Kali on this night, seeking her protection and freedom from fear (Abhay).
• Devotees Keeping the Fast: Many devotees fast through the day until the midnight puja, seeking the strength and blessings of the Divine Mother.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Bhoot Chaturdashi: On the evening before, families light fourteen earthen lamps (choddo prodip) in respect of their forefathers and eat fourteen kinds of leafy greens (choddo shaak).
• Puja Muhurat: The Kali Puja is done at night during Nishita Kaal (around midnight). Check the Nishita Kaal for your city on this page.

The Katha (Story of Kali and Raktabija)

Once upon a time, the mighty asura Raktabija terrorised the gods. He had a boon that from every drop of his blood that fell on the ground, another Raktabija would spring up, as strong as he. Goddess Durga and her divine attendants, the Matrikas, rode out to fight him.

The more they wounded him, the worse the battle became. Every drop of blood that fell gave birth to a new Raktabija, until the whole battlefield was filled with countless copies of him. The gods watched in fear, for no weapon could end him.

Then the Goddess, blazing with anger, brought forth Kali from her brow, dark and fierce, with her tongue hanging out and her eyes red. The Goddess commanded her: "Open your mouth wide, drink the blood of Raktabija before it touches the earth, and devour every copy that rises." Kali did exactly so. She caught the blood before it could reach the ground, and ate up the countless Raktabijas, until the asura himself fell. Intoxicated with fury, she danced on the battlefield and would not stop, and the gods feared that she would destroy the world. Then Lord Shiva lay down in her path. When Kali stepped on him and saw her husband beneath her foot, she was filled with grief, her tongue hung out in remorse, and her anger was calmed.

The world was freed from fear, and the gods were restored. Since that day, devotees have worshipped Goddess Kali on the dark night of the new moon, praying for her protection and for freedom from fear and ignorance.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the midnight puja:

• Image of the Goddess: A clay idol or picture of Goddess Kali standing on Lord Shiva
• Cleansing & Alpana: Ganga water for cleansing the puja area, and rice flour paste for drawing the alpana (Alpona)
• Lamps & Lights: Many earthen lamps (Pradip) with oil and cotton wicks
• Flowers: Red hibiscus flowers (Jaba)
• Bhog: Rice and lentils (khichuri) with seasonal vegetables (labra), or luchi with vegetable dishes, according to your family's custom (some families also offer fish or meat)
• Sweets & Fruits: Narkel Naru (coconut sweets), Sandesh, and fresh fruits, along with a white pumpkin (ash gourd) as a symbolic offering in families that follow this custom

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Preparation and Sankalp

1. Bathe and wear clean clothes, preferably white or red.
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Divine Mother Kali, tonight we worship you on the night of the new moon. Remove the darkness of fear and ignorance from our lives and keep our family under your protection."
3. Many devotees fast through the day until the puja is done.

Step 2: Preparing the Altar and the Lamps (Evening)

1. Clean the puja area and sprinkle it with Ganga water.
2. Draw the alpana with rice flour paste at the entrance of your home and before the altar.
3. Place the idol or picture of Goddess Kali on a clean, raised seat.
4. As darkness falls, light earthen lamps in every part of your home to drive away the darkness.

Step 3: Invocation and Offerings (Around Midnight)

1. Invoke the Goddess with the help of your family priest (Purohit), or with a prayer of your own, asking her to dwell in the idol or picture.
2. Lighting the Lamp: Light a lamp and place it before the Goddess.
3. Offering Flowers: Offer red hibiscus flowers at her feet.
4. Offering Naivedya: Place the Bhog, the sweets and the fruits before the Goddess, with the white pumpkin where this custom is followed.

Step 4: Reciting the Katha and Hymns

1. Sit before the Goddess and recite or listen to the story of Kali and Raktabija with deep focus and devotion.
2. Recite or listen to the Kali Chalisa, the Kali Sahasranama or other hymns in her praise.
3. Sing the devotional songs to Kali known as Shyama Sangeet.

Step 5: Aarti, Blessings and Prasad

1. Perform the Kali Aarti using the lit lamp while singing devotional hymns.
2. Many devotees keep a quiet vigil in prayer and meditation through the night until dawn.
3. Many Bengali homes also worship Lakshmi in these days as Dipanwita Lokkhi, a prayer to send away misfortune (Alakshmi Viday).
4. Touch the feet of the elders in your family to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh), and share the Bhog as prasad with your family.

Puja Vidhi: North India (Lakshmi Puja)

About the Festival

Diwali is the festival of lights, celebrated across India, and in North India families worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha at home to welcome wealth and good fortune. It is also remembered as the night Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya, when lamps were lit in his welcome. It takes place on the Amavasya (new moon day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik.

Who Celebrates This Festival?

• The Whole Family: The family gathers at home to worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha, seeking wealth, prosperity, and the happiness of the household (Sukh-Samriddhi).
• Children and the Unwell: They need not keep the day's fast and may eat as usual, but they join the evening puja with the family.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Through the Day: Clean the house thoroughly and keep the day's fast until the evening puja.
• Puja Muhurat: The Lakshmi Puja is done in the evening during Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset), in a Sthir Lagna (a fixed rising sign, such as Vrishabha). Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• After the Puja: The Aarti is followed by the prasad and the family meal.

The Katha (Story of the Sahukar's Daughter and Goddess Lakshmi)

Once upon a time, there lived a moneylender (sahukar) who had a daughter. Every day she went to a peepal tree and poured water at its roots. Goddess Lakshmi lived in that tree, and one day she asked the girl to be her friend. With her father's permission, the two became friends, and Lakshmi took the girl to her home and fed her with great honour.

One day Lakshmi asked her friend, "When will you invite me to your home?" The girl agreed, but she was anxious, for her family was poor and she did not know how she could receive such a guest. Seeing her sad, her father comforted her: "Do not worry, my daughter. Clean and plaster our house, cook with devotion whatever grain we have, and light a lamp with four wicks in Lakshmi's name."

The girl did exactly as her father said. Just then a kite flew over their house and dropped a priceless necklace (naulakha haar) that it had carried off from a queen. The moneylender sold the necklace and arranged a grand feast for the Goddess, with a golden Chowki for her to sit on.

Goddess Lakshmi arrived with Lord Ganesha. She said that the golden Chowki was meant for kings and queens, spread her own seat on the floor and sat down. Pleased with the girl's devotion and the humble feast, she blessed the house with wealth and grain. Since that day, families have worshipped Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on Diwali night, praying that as she blessed the sahukar's daughter, she may bless every home.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the evening puja:

• Idols & Seat: Idols or pictures of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi, a wooden Chowki, and a red cloth to spread on it
• Kalash: A Kalash filled with clean water
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Roli, Kumkum, and Akshat (unbroken rice grains), with flowers and sacred thread (Kalava)
• Lamps & Lights: A Ghee Diya with four cotton wicks for Goddess Lakshmi, and more clay Diyas for the house
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): Puffed rice (Khil), sugar drops (Batashe), water chestnut (Singhara), sugarcane (Ganna), fruits, and sweets
• Wealth Offerings: Coins, cowrie shells (Kauri), lotus seeds (Kamal Gatta), and whole coriander seeds (Dhaniya), with a small red cloth to tie them in

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Morning Preparation and Sankalp

1. Wake up early, bathe, and wear clean, auspicious clothes. Clean and tidy the whole house, especially the entrance and the place of worship.
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Mother Lakshmi, O Lord Ganesha, today we worship you in our home with a pure heart. Bless our family with wealth, health, and happiness."
3. Keep the day's fast until the evening puja. Children and the unwell may eat as usual.

Step 2: Preparing the Puja Altar (Before Sunset)

1. Clean the place of worship, preferably in the east or the northeastern corner (Ishan Kone) of your home, and set the wooden Chowki there.
2. Spread the red cloth on the Chowki. Place the idol of Lord Ganesha on your left and the idol of Goddess Lakshmi on your right.
3. Set the Kalash filled with water near the idols, and arrange the samagri within reach.

Step 3: Performing the Evening Rituals (Pradosh Kaal)

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light the Ghee Diya with four wicks in the name of Goddess Lakshmi and place it before the idols.
2. Worshipping Ganesha First: Apply Roli, Kumkum, and Akshat to Lord Ganesha, offer flowers, and tie a piece of Kalava, for no puja begins without him.
3. Worshipping Lakshmi: Apply Roli, Kumkum, and Akshat to Goddess Lakshmi and offer flowers. Place the coins, Kauri, Kamal Gatta, and Dhaniya at her feet.
4. Offering Naivedya: Place the Khil, Batashe, Singhara, Ganna, fruits, and sweets before both deities.

Step 4: Reciting the Katha

1. Hold a few Akshat grains and flower petals in your right hand.
2. Sit respectfully in front of the altar with your family and recite or listen to the Lakshmi Puja Katha with deep focus and devotion.
3. After the story, offer the grains and petals at the feet of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha.

Step 5: Aarti

1. If you know it, recite the Shri Suktam (the Vedic hymn to Goddess Lakshmi) before the Aarti.
2. Perform the Lakshmi Aarti using the lit Ghee lamp, with the whole family singing devotional hymns together.
3. Bow before the deities and pray for the prosperity and wellbeing of your family.

Step 6: Seeking Blessings and Closing the Day

1. Touch the feet of the elders in your family to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh).
2. Light the other Diyas from the Lakshmi lamp and place them through the house, welcoming the Goddess in.
3. Distribute the prasad among your family members, then share a simple sattvic meal together.
4. Tie the coins and Kamal Gatta in the red cloth and keep it in your cash box or cupboard (Tijori).

Puja Vidhi: North India (Narak Chaturdashi)

About the Festival

Narak Chaturdashi, also called Choti Diwali and Roop Chaudas, is a much-loved North Indian observance in which families bathe before dawn, worship Lord Krishna and Hanuman, and light a lamp for Yamraj. It takes place on the Chaturdashi (fourteenth day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik.

Who Celebrates This Festival?

• Families: The whole household keeps this day, taking the holy bath before dawn and lighting lamps at dusk for the protection and wellbeing of the family.
• Devotees Seeking Freedom from Fear: Men and women offer prayers to Lord Krishna and Yamraj to be free from the fear of hell and untimely death (Akal Mrityu).
• Everyone Seeking Radiance: Women, men and children keep this day as Roop Chaudas, using the Ubtan bath to feel fresh, healthy and radiant.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Abhyang Snan: The oil bath with Ubtan is taken before sunrise, in the early hours of the morning in Brahma Muhurta (the pre-dawn period). Check the Abhyang Snan time for your city on this page.
• Krishna and Hanuman Puja: Done in the morning, after the bath.
• Yama Deepam: The lamp for Yamraj is lit at dusk, in Pradosh Kaal (the period after sunset). Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Diwali Lamps: Rows of lamps are lit at the doorway and in the courtyard in the evening.

The Katha (Story of Lord Krishna and Narakasura)

Once upon a time, there lived a mighty king named Narakasura, the son of Bhumi, the Earth, who ruled the city of Pragjyotishpur. Proud of his strength, he grew cruel. He took the earrings of Aditi, the mother of the gods, and held sixteen thousand princesses captive in his palace.

Distressed by his tyranny, the gods went to Lord Krishna for help. Krishna set out for Pragjyotishpur riding Garuda, with his wife Satyabhama beside him. In the fierce battle that followed, Krishna struck down Narakasura with his Sudarshan Chakra.

Before he died, the demon repented and made one last request: "Let the day of my end be remembered with lamps and joy, not with sorrow, so that the world remembers that darkness cannot last." Krishna granted his wish.

Krishna freed the sixteen thousand princesses, and the earrings were returned to Aditi. The people rejoiced, bathing early in the morning and lighting lamps everywhere. Since that day, families have observed Narak Chaturdashi with a bath at dawn, a lamp for Yamraj and rows of lamps at dusk, seeking freedom from the fear of hell.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the morning puja:

• Bathing Items: Sesame (Til) oil and Ubtan (a paste of wheat flour and turmeric)
• Images: Picture or idol of Lord Krishna and of Lord Hanuman
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Roli, Kumkum, sandalwood paste and Akshat (unbroken rice grains)
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): A coconut, and a prasad of sesame seeds, jaggery and flattened rice (Poha) with Ghee and sugar
• Lamps & Lights: A Ghee Diya for the puja, and clay Diyas with oil for the evening row
• Yama Deepam: An old clay Diya (four-wick if available), mustard oil and a few grains of mixed cereals

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Pre-dawn Preparation and Sankalp

1. Wake up before sunrise, during Brahma Muhurta, and keep the oil and Ubtan ready for the bath.
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Lord Krishna, today we take this holy bath and keep this day with devotion. Free us from the fear of hell and bless our family with health and happiness."
3. This is not a strict fast: take nothing to eat until the bath and the morning puja are done.

Step 2: Abhyang Snan with Ubtan (Before Sunrise)

1. Massage the whole body and head with sesame oil, then apply the Ubtan to the body.
2. Bathe with fresh water (many homes mix in the water kept in a lota since Ahoi Ashtami), and wear clean clothes.
3. Facing south, fold your hands and pray to Yamraj to keep the fear of hell and untimely death away from your family.

Step 3: Worshipping Lord Krishna (Morning)

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light a Ghee Diya in front of the picture of Lord Krishna.
2. Applying Tilak: Apply Roli, Kumkum, sandalwood paste and Akshat to the deity.
3. Offering Flowers: Offer fresh flowers with devotion; worshipping Krishna after the Ubtan bath is said to bring radiance as well.
4. Offering Naivedya: Place the sesame, jaggery and Poha prasad before the deity.

Step 4: Hanuman Puja and Reciting the Story

1. Place the picture of Lord Hanuman beside the altar and worship him with oil, flowers and sandalwood paste, offering a coconut and the prasad (in many places this day is also kept as Hanuman's birth).
2. Hold a few grains of rice and a few flower petals in your right hand.
3. Sit respectfully before the altar and recite or listen to the story of Lord Krishna and Narakasura with deep focus and devotion.
4. After the story, sprinkle the held grains near the deity's feet.

Step 5: Yama Deepam and Lighting the Lamps (Pradosh Kaal)

1. Fill the old clay Diya with mustard oil, add a few mixed grains and light its wicks, praying: "O Yamraj, with this lamp we offer you our respect; free us and our family from untimely death and the fear of hell."
2. Carry the lamp once around the house, then place it outside the main door, facing south.
3. After worshipping the deities, light clay Diyas with oil on both sides of the doorway, in the courtyard and at the entrance of your shop or workplace.

Step 6: Seeking Blessings and Sharing Prasad

1. Touch the feet of the elders in your family to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh).
2. Distribute the sweets and prasad among your family members and neighbours.
3. Share a good meal with family and friends, and prepare your home for the Lakshmi Puja that follows.

Puja Vidhi: Tamil and South (Deepavali)

About the Festival

Tamil Deepavali is a much-loved South Indian festival, celebrated in Tamil households with a pre-dawn oil bath, new clothes and festive food. It takes place on the Chaturdashi (fourteenth day) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik.

Who Celebrates This Festival?

• The Whole Family: Every member of the household, young and old, takes the pre-dawn oil bath (Ganga Snanam) to begin Deepavali with a purified body and a cheerful heart.
• Elders of the Household: The eldest woman of the family anoints the younger members with oil and blesses them, wishing them health and wellbeing.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Marundhu: Taken first thing after waking, before any other food and before the oil bath.
• Oil Bath (Ganga Snanam): Done in the pre-dawn hours, during Brahma Muhurta (the auspicious hour before sunrise), and completed before sunrise. Check the oil bath muhurat for your city on this page.
• New Clothes and Prayers: Right after the bath, in the early morning.
• Deepavali Breakfast: Enjoyed after the prayers, when the whole family sits down together.

The Katha (Story of Narakasura and Satyabhama)

Once upon a time, the demon king Narakasura, son of Mother Earth (Bhudevi), ruled from the city of Pragjyotishpura. Grown proud of his strength, he troubled the devas and seized their treasures, and he held sixteen thousand royal maidens captive in his fortress. The devas turned to Lord Krishna for protection.

Krishna rode on Garuda to Pragjyotishpura with his beloved queen Satyabhama. After he had broken through the fortress's defences, a fierce battle began, and Narakasura fought with every weapon he had. Struck by his arrow, Krishna sank down as if unconscious. Seeing her husband fall, Satyabhama was filled with a holy rage.

Empowered by Krishna's blessing, Satyabhama took up the bow and loosed an arrow that pierced Narakasura's heart. As he lay dying, the pride fell away from him, and he repented his deeds. With his last breath, he begged Krishna: "Let the day of my death be remembered, not with mourning, but with lights, joy and celebration."

Moved by his repentance, Krishna granted the boon. He declared that whoever bathes in oil before sunrise on this day is cleansed of sin, as if bathed in the Ganga, and he freed all the captive maidens. Since that day, families have welcomed Deepavali before dawn with the oil bath, and the greeting of the morning is the question, "Have you bathed in the Ganga?"

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the pre-dawn oil bath:

• Oil & Bathing Items: Gingelly oil (Nalla Ennai) warmed in a steel bowl, shikakai (a natural herbal shampoo), and warm water
• Sacred Water: A copper vessel of Ganga water (Ganga Jal)
• Marundhu: Deepavali Marundhu (Legiyam), a spiced paste of ginger, jaggery and ghee
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Kumkum and Akshat (unbroken rice grains)
• Lamps & Lights: A clay or brass Diya with gingelly oil and cotton wick
• Festive Items: New clothes, fresh flowers, and Deepavali sweets and savouries such as laddoos and murukku

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Waking Before Dawn, Sankalp and Marundhu

1. Wake up in the pre-dawn hours, before sunrise; in many homes the elders wake each member of the family in turn.
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Lord Krishna, today before the dawn I take this holy oil bath. May it cleanse me as a bath in the Ganga would, and may I begin Deepavali with a pure heart."
3. No fast is kept on this day. Before any other food, eat a small portion of Deepavali Marundhu, the spiced medicinal paste that prepares the stomach for the festive feast.

Step 2: Preparing for the Oil Bath

1. Warm the gingelly oil and pour it into a steel bowl.
2. Keep the shikakai and warm water ready at the bathing place.
3. Keep the copper vessel of Ganga water close at hand (brought home from a pilgrimage, for those who have it).

Step 3: Applying the Oil (Pre-Dawn)

1. Sit on a wooden plank, and let the eldest woman of the family apply the warm gingelly oil to your hair, and then to your face, hands and body.
2. Leave the oil on for a short while so that it soaks in, as the elders bless you.
3. Remember, as the Brahma Purana teaches, that on this Chaturdashi Lakshmi dwells in the oil and Goddess Ganga in all waters.

Step 4: The Oil Bath (Ganga Snanam)

1. Bathe in warm water, washing the oil from your head and body with shikakai, and finish before sunrise.
2. Add the water from the copper vessel to your bathing water and recite the Ganga Snanam Sloka: "Gange cha Yamune chaiva Godavari Sarasvati, Narmade Sindhu Kaveri jalesmin sannidhim kuru."
3. Remember Narakasura's last wish as you bathe, and rise from the bath renewed, ready to begin the day with cheer.

Step 5: New Clothes, Prayers and Greetings

1. Put on your new clothes and apply Kumkum on your forehead.
2. Light a gingelly oil Diya before the picture of Lord Krishna and Satyabhama, offer fresh flowers and Akshat, and offer your prayers with a thankful heart.
3. Greet one another with the traditional words of the day, "Ganga snanam seithuvitteergalaa?" (Have you bathed in the Ganga?)

Step 6: Seeking Blessings and the Festive Breakfast

1. Touch the feet of your elders to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh).
2. Offer the sweets and savouries, such as laddoos and murukku, before the deity as Naivedya, then share them with the family as prasad.
3. Sit down together for the Deepavali breakfast of idli with coconut chutney, and enjoy the festive day with your family.