Diwali 2026 in Pune: Dates, Diwali Pahat, Markets and Cracker Rules

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November, when Lakshmi Pujan is performed. In Pune the festival opens with Vasubaras on Thursday 5 November and closes with Bhaubeej on Wednesday 11 November. What makes the city’s Diwali its own is Diwali Pahat, the concerts that begin around dawn, along with the old-city markets, the mud forts that children build and a firm set of police rules on firecrackers. This guide covers the dates, what to do, where to shop and how to get around. Events are added to our Diwali events page as organisers announce them.

Diwali 2026 dates in Pune

Day	Date	What happens
Vasubaras (Govatsa Dwadashi)	Thu, 5 Nov	The cow and calf are worshipped; the festival begins in Maharashtra
Dhanteras (Dhanatrayodashi)	Fri, 6 Nov	Buying gold, silver and utensils; lamps are lit in the evening
Narak Chaturdashi	Sun, 8 Nov, before dawn	Abhyanga snan, the oil bath taken before sunrise, followed by faral
Lakshmi Pujan	Sun, 8 Nov, evening	The main Diwali puja; Pune muhurat 6:24–8:24 pm by Drik Panchang
Diwali Padwa (Balipratipada)	Tue, 10 Nov	State holiday; gifts between spouses, new purchases, Diwali Pahat
Bhaubeej	Wed, 11 Nov	Sisters perform aukshan for brothers; state holiday
Tripuri Pournima	Tue, 24 Nov	Kartik full moon, when many temples are lit with rows of lamps

Two notes on the calendar. First, some calendars used in north India list Narak Chaturdashi a day earlier, on Saturday 7 November; the Pune panchang places the pre-dawn bath on the 8th, the same day as Lakshmi Pujan. Second, Padwa is where sources disagree. The state’s public-holiday list marks Balipratipada on Tuesday 10 November, while Drik Panchang’s Pune calendar puts it on Monday 9 November, because the Pratipada tithi runs from 12:31 pm on the 9th to 2 pm on the 10th. Check your family panchang, and for public events go by the date the organiser announces.

Diwali Pahat: the dawn concerts

Diwali Pahat means ‘Diwali dawn’. On the mornings of the festival, Punekars dress in new clothes and go to hear music before breakfast: Hindustani classical vocal, natya sangeet, abhangs, bhavgeet and popular Marathi songs. Programmes usually start between 5:30 and 6:30 am and finish in time for the day’s rituals.

• Sarasbaug. The free gathering in the Peshwa-era garden at Swargate, held on Padwa morning, is the best known. It marked its 28th year in 2025, and thousands arrive from as early as 3 am to visit the Ganpati temple and listen. In 2025 the organisers briefly called it off over threats on social media before going ahead after the police commissioner promised security; the programme was held, with one short scuffle that police broke up. Expect police arrangements and traffic changes around the garden.
• Lawns and auditoriums. Ticketed Diwali Pahat concerts are held at open-air venues such as Pandit Farms on the Karve Nagar riverside and in the city’s theatres, often with well-known Marathi singers. Newspapers and cultural trusts sponsor several of them.
• Neighbourhood programmes. Housing societies, mandals and local corporators organise their own, usually free, in parks and school grounds across Kothrud, Sahakarnagar, Aundh, Baner and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Practical points: the metro’s first trains may be too late for a 5:30 am start, so book a cab the night before or go by two-wheeler. Carry a shawl; early November mornings are cool. Confirmed programmes will appear on our concerts page.

Where to shop

The old city does most of Pune’s Diwali shopping, and it is busiest in the ten days before Lakshmi Pujan.

• Laxmi Road for saris, clothes and jewellery, with the lanes of Tulshibaug alongside for imitation jewellery, brassware, toys and household goods.
• Raviwar Peth, including the lane known as Bohri Ali, for string lights, lanterns, decorations and hardware at wholesale-style prices.
• Mahatma Phule Mandai for flowers, torans, fruit and puja material.
• Kumbharwada in Kasba Peth, the potters’ quarter, for clay lamps and the painted clay soldiers and animals that go on a killa.
• MG Road and Camp for gifts, bakery hampers and a less frantic evening.

Akash kandils, the paper lanterns hung outside every home, are sold from temporary stalls on most main roads. Our old city guide covers the peths, and the flea markets page lists Diwali exhibitions and pop-up bazaars. Go on a weekday morning, and take the Purple Line to Mahatma Phule Mandai or Kasba Peth: parking in the peths during Diwali week is close to impossible.

Things to do in Diwali week

Build, or go and see, a killa

Children in Maharashtra mark Diwali by building a killa, a miniature hill fort of mud, stones and bricks, with clay figures of Shivaji and his soldiers on the ramparts and mustard sown on the slopes for greenery. Housing societies and local groups run killa competitions, and walking a neighbourhood to see them is a pleasant evening in itself.

Eat faral

Faral is the spread of home-made snacks that defines a Maharashtrian Diwali: chakli, chivda, karanji, shankarpali, anarse and several kinds of ladoo. The city’s sweet shops sell all of it by weight if you have not made your own; order a week ahead, because counters are overwhelmed in the last days. Restaurants and hotels add festive thalis and brunches, which we list under food events.

Take children to a workshop

Studios and activity centres run diya-painting, lantern-making, rangoli and killa-building workshops in the fortnight before Diwali, and school-holiday camps fill the week itself. They are listed on our kids’ events page.

Padwa and Bhaubeej

Padwa is counted among the most auspicious days of the year for new beginnings, so jewellers, vehicle showrooms and electronics shops are crowded, and couples exchange gifts. On Bhaubeej, families travel across the city to visit each other, and traffic into residential areas builds from mid-morning.

See the lamps on Tripuri Pournima

The season has a coda. On the Kartik full moon, Tuesday 24 November 2026, many temples in Pune are lit with rows of oil lamps in the evening.

Firecrackers: what the police allow

Pune police set the rules by an order issued before the festival. The 2026 order had not been published when we checked in mid-October. The 2025 order, reported on 8 October that year, is the best guide to what to expect:

• Night-time ban. Noise-making firecrackers were banned between 10 pm and 6 am. Crackers that produce only light were exempt.
• Banned types. Chain crackers of more than 100 units could not be made, sold or used, and the high-powered ‘atom bomb’ type was prohibited.
• Noise limit. Crackers were not to exceed the decibel limit laid down under Supreme Court guidelines, about 125 decibels at four metres.
• Silence zones. No bursting within 100 metres of hospitals, schools and courts.
• Public places. No bursting on roads, bridges and ghats.
• Stalls. Temporary licences for firecracker stalls were issued for a short window before the festival, so buy only from licensed stalls.

Violations are dealt with under the police order. If you do light crackers, do it in an open ground within the permitted hours.

Safety and air

• Burns. Keep a bucket of water and sand at hand. Hold a burn under cool running water for 10 to 20 minutes; do not apply ice, toothpaste or butter. Dial 112 in an emergency or 101 for the fire brigade.
• Children should light sparklers only with an adult present, wearing cotton rather than synthetic clothes.
• Pets are distressed by the noise. Keep them indoors in a closed room on the main nights.
• Air quality in Pune dips on Diwali night and the morning after. People with asthma and the elderly should stay indoors with windows shut during the evening peak.
• Driving. Police run drink-driving checks through the festive week, and the old city is gridlocked from late afternoon.

A plan for the week

• Weekend of 31 October–1 November: the big shopping trip to Laxmi Road, Tulshibaug and Raviwar Peth, by metro, in the morning.
• Thursday 5 November, Vasubaras: the first lamps and rangoli at home; a last run to Mandai for flowers.
• Friday 6 November, Dhanteras: jewellers and utensil shops, early in the day.
• Saturday 7 November: finish the killa, collect the faral, and book transport for the dawn concerts.
• Sunday 8 November: abhyanga snan before sunrise, a Diwali Pahat if there is one near you, and Lakshmi Pujan in the evening.
• Tuesday 10 November, Padwa: Sarasbaug or a ticketed Diwali Pahat at dawn, then family visits.
• Wednesday 11 November, Bhaubeej: leave early to beat the cross-city traffic.

Diwali week runs straight into Pune’s busiest cultural season. Our winter festival season guide covers the marathon, the book festival, Sawai Gandharva and the film festival, and this week’s events has everything else. For more ideas that cost nothing, see free things to do in Pune.

Frequently asked questions

When is Diwali 2026 in Pune?

Lakshmi Pujan is on Sunday 8 November 2026. Vasubaras is on Thursday 5 November, Dhanteras on Friday 6 November and Narak Chaturdashi on the morning of 8 November. Maharashtra's holiday list puts Diwali Padwa on Tuesday 10 November and Bhaubeej on Wednesday 11 November.

What is the Lakshmi Pujan muhurat in Pune in 2026?

Drik Panchang's Pune calendar gives 6:24 pm to 8:24 pm on Sunday 8 November 2026, within a Pradosh Kaal of 5:59 pm to 8:31 pm. Family priests and other panchangs may differ slightly.

What is Diwali Pahat?

A Pune tradition of concerts that begin around dawn during Diwali, with classical, devotional and light music. The best known is the free gathering at Sarasbaug on Padwa morning, which completed 28 years in 2025; ticketed programmes are held at lawns and auditoriums.

Are firecrackers allowed in Pune for Diwali 2026?

Pune police issue an order each year. In 2025, noise-making crackers were banned from 10 pm to 6 am, chain crackers of more than 100 units were prohibited, and bursting was barred within 100 metres of hospitals, schools and courts and on public roads. The 2026 order had not been published when we checked in mid-October.

Where should I shop for Diwali in Pune?

Laxmi Road and Tulshibaug for clothes, jewellery and gifts, Raviwar Peth for lights and decorations, Mahatma Phule Mandai for flowers and puja items, and Kumbharwada in Kasba Peth for clay lamps and killa figures.

Is Diwali Padwa on 9 or 10 November 2026?

Calendars differ. Maharashtra's public-holiday list marks Balipratipada on Tuesday 10 November. Drik Panchang's Pune calendar places Bali Pratipada on Monday 9 November, because the tithi begins at 12:31 pm that day and ends at 2 pm on the 10th. Follow your family's panchang.

Sources checked

• www.drikpanchang.com/diwali/diwali-puja-calendar.html?geoname-id=1259229&year=20
• www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/lakshmipuja/festivals-lakshmipuja-timings.html?ge
• www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/govardhan-puja/govardhan-puja-date-time.html?geon
• www.sakshipost.com/news/national/maharashtra-govt-issues-2026-public-holiday-l
• www.mypunepulse.com/?p=173740
• www.mypunepulse.com/?p=171903
• trak.in/stories/pune-bans-sound-emitting-firecrackers-atom-bombs-be
• curlytales.com/?p=527383
• www.district.in/events/javed-akhtar-mai-koi-aaisa-geet-gaoon-2026-buy-ticke
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasbaug
• www.punemetrorail.org/

Researched and written by the pune2go editors. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.