Diwali Countdown
The timer counts down to Diwali (Deepavali) on the date the Government of India lists as the gazetted holiday, and reaches zero at midnight on your own clock.
Time left until Diwali
- ––days
- ––hours
- ––minutes
- ––seconds
- Diwali
- Also called Deepavali · festival of lights
- A Hindu festival of lights, also marked by Sikhs, Jains and many others, celebrated with oil lamps, fireworks, sweets and family visits. Its main day falls on the new moon of the lunar month of Kartika.
Diwali dates
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 8 | Sunday |
| 2027 | October 29 | Friday |
The countdown uses the official gazetted dates rather than an astronomical calculation, because the holiday date is what offices, schools and travel plans follow. It counts to midnight at the start of that day in your device's time zone; families who begin Lakshmi Puja in the evening will celebrate a few hours after the timer reaches zero.
How the official date is set
Each summer the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issues an office memorandum with the next year's holidays for central government offices. Diwali is one of the compulsory holidays outside Delhi as well, so the date in the memorandum is the one most of the country plans around. The 2027 memorandum, dated July 16, 2026, lists Diwali on Friday, October 29, with Naraka Chaturdasi on October 28, Govardhan Puja on October 30 and Bhai Duj on October 31 as restricted holidays.
The same memorandum allows a state to observe the holiday on Naraka Chaturdasi instead, where that day alone is the state's compulsory holiday for Diwali, so the office holiday can differ by a day between states.
Planning around the festival
Trains and flights within India fill early for the Diwali week, as many people travel home. If you are counting days to a booking window or to the start of leave, the days between dates calculator page gives the exact number. To find the time in Delhi from abroad, open the Delhi clock or convert with IST to EST.
Diwali countdown questions
When is Diwali in 2026 and 2027?
The central government holiday lists give Sunday, November 8, 2026 and Friday, October 29, 2027. Local calendars and some states can mark a neighboring day, so check your own state's list too.
Why does the date of Diwali change every year?
Diwali follows the Hindu lunisolar calendar and is celebrated around the new moon of the month of Kartika. Lunar months do not line up with the Gregorian calendar, so the date moves between mid-October and mid-November.
How long does the Diwali festival last?
Usually five days, from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj, with the main Lakshmi Puja on the Diwali day itself. The countdown targets the main day.
Why are only two years listed?
The page shows only dates an official holiday list has already announced. The Department of Personnel and Training publishes each year's list in the middle of the year before, and the next date is added then.