Diwali is the one week of the year when almost every Hindu household thinks carefully about its mandir. New murtis are installed, old ones are cleaned and re-dressed, and families that have used a photograph for years finally bring home a sculpted Lakshmi. We make those murtis, so this page is written from the workshop side of the festival — including when to order so a hand-finished piece actually reaches you in time.
The five days of Diwali 2026
| Day | Date (2026) | What it marks | What families do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhanteras | Friday 6 November | Dhanvantari and the day of auspicious buying | Buy metal — gold, silver, utensils; light the first diya |
| Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali) | Saturday 7 November | Krishna's victory over Narakasura | Abhyanga snan before sunrise; clean and decorate the mandir |
| Diwali · Lakshmi Puja | Sunday 8 November | Kartik Amavasya — the main night | Lakshmi–Ganesha puja at pradosh kaal, diyas, rangoli |
| Govardhan Puja (Annakut) | Monday 9 November | Krishna lifting Govardhan hill | Annakut offering; gratitude for food and cattle |
| Bhai Dooj | Tuesday 10 November | The bond of brothers and sisters | Tilak, sweets, gifts between siblings |
About the muhurat: Lakshmi Puja is performed during pradosh kaal, the window just after sunset on Amavasya — in Mumbai that falls roughly between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm on 8 November 2026. The exact window shifts with your city's sunset and panchang tradition, so confirm the timing locally rather than relying on a single national figure. Families who cannot manage the pradosh window perform the puja at any time that evening with full devotion; the intent matters more than the minute.
What each day traditionally asks for
- Dhanteras (6 Nov): the buying day. Tradition is to bring home something metal — gold, silver, or new utensils. Our Dhanteras guide covers what counts, and is honest about where a plated murti does and does not fit that custom.
- Chhoti Diwali (7 Nov): cleaning and preparation. This is the day to wash the mandir, replace worn cloth, and set out the chowki for the main puja.
- Lakshmi Puja (8 Nov): the main night. Lakshmi and Ganesha together, raised, facing the family, with diyas and rangoli at the entrance.
- Govardhan Puja (9 Nov): the annakut offering — gratitude for food and abundance.
- Bhai Dooj (10 Nov): siblings, tilak and gifts.
Placing Lakshmi and Ganesha for the puja
The convention almost every family follows: as you look at them, Ganesha on the left and Lakshmi on the right. Both sit on a raised, clean chowki — never directly on the floor — facing the family gathered for the puja, with Lakshmi never positioned behind Ganesha. Where the mandir itself should sit, and which way you should face while praying, is covered properly in our guide to Lakshmi idol direction.
Diwali is not the night you buy the most expensive murti. It is the night you give the best seat in the house to the one you will worship all year.
Choosing the murti at the centre of it
Three decisions, in this order: size, material, finish.
| If you want… | Choose | Price |
|---|---|---|
| A first murti for a shelf mandir | 6″ Mahalaxmi, hand-painted marble dust | ₹1,999 |
| Presence in a pooja room, daily abhishek | 11″ Mahalaxmi, hand-painted marble dust | ₹2,999 |
| A Dhanteras piece in precious metal plating | 6″ Mahalaxmi, pure gold & silver plated | ₹17,000 |
| The heirloom centrepiece | 11″ Mahalaxmi, pure gold & silver plated | ₹32,000 |
| Something only a Mumbaikar can give | Mumba Devi twin-dome murti | ₹2,499 |
Our Diwali murti guide walks through the choice in detail, the size guide settles 6-inch versus 11-inch with a measuring chart, and the price guide publishes what every tier costs and why.
Ordering in time — the one deadline that matters
Every murti we sell is finished by hand, and the workshop runs a queue. From early October that queue is full of Diwali and corporate orders, and a piece placed in late October is simply made after the ones ahead of it. Order by 30 September and your murti is comfortably in time; after mid-October we will tell you honestly whether it can arrive before the 8th rather than take the order and hope.
Companies ordering in quantity should start earlier still — see Diwali corporate gifting for per-head costing and production timelines, or the bulk and export page for larger programmes.
If you also need a pandit
We arrange verified pujaris across Mumbai for Lakshmi Puja, Griha Pravesh and Satyanarayan — including the Diwali week, which books out first. Details and pricing are on the book a pujari page.