Dhanteras 2026 in the USA: Date, Puja Muhurat for US Cities and What to Buy

Dhanteras opens the five days of Deepavali, and if you live in the US or Canada the good news this year is simple: your date matches India's. Here are the tithi times, the puja window for your city, and a little astrology for the day.

When is Dhanteras 2026?

• USA and Canada: Friday, November 6, 2026
• India: Friday, November 6, 2026

Dhanteras (Dhantrayodashi) is kept on Kartika Krishna Trayodashi, the 13th lunar day of the waning Moon, and the puja is done in the evening Pradosh Kaal while Trayodashi is running. Trayodashi begins when the Moon moves 324° ahead of the Sun and ends at 336°. Computing that with the NASA JPL DE421 ephemeris (the same engine behind our free Vedic birth chart):

Everywhere in North America, Trayodashi is running through Friday evening, so Friday, November 6 is Dhanteras. Drik Panchang gives the same tithi for New Delhi (10:30 AM on November 6 to 10:47 AM on November 7).

Remember that US clocks fell back on November 1, so these are all standard time (PST, CST, EST).

Dhanteras puja muhurat for US cities

The best window for Lakshmi and Kubera puja on Dhanteras is when Pradosh Kaal (the roughly 2 hours 24 minutes after sunset) overlaps the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna, a sthir or fixed sign, so that Lakshmi "stays" in the home. This year, in every city below, the whole Vrishabha window falls inside Pradosh Kaal. Our calculation for Friday, November 6, local standard time:

Our New Delhi window matches Drik Panchang's 6:02 PM to 7:57 PM within a minute or two. Panchangs that use a different Pradosh rule can differ by a few minutes, so if your family priest gives a slightly different time, follow them.

What to do on Dhanteras

1. Clean the house and the entrance in the day, and make a rangoli at the door.
2. Buy something new while Trayodashi is running (all of Friday in the US): gold or silver, a coin, a steel or brass utensil, or even a new broom, which is traditionally said to sweep out poverty.
3. In the puja muhurat, worship Lord Dhanvantari (the physician of the gods, whose birthday this is), Kubera and Lakshmi–Ganesha with flowers, rice, sweets and a ghee diya. Place what you bought before them.
4. Yama Deepam: after sunset, light a four-wick clay diya outside the main door, facing south, for Yama, praying that no untimely death touches the family.

The astrology of Dhanteras 2026

I calculated the sidereal (Lahiri) positions for Friday evening, November 6:

• Venus is retrograde at the very end of Virgo (about 29°), its sign of debilitation, and the Moon is right beside it in Virgo (Hasta nakshatra on the Indian evening, Chitra on the US evening).
• Mercury is retrograde in Libra, Venus's own sign, with the Sun (debilitated in Libra).
• Jupiter has just entered Leo (under 1°), the start of a year-long transit. See Jupiter in Leo 2026 by Moon sign.

Venus is the planet of wealth, jewellery and Lakshmi herself, so a debilitated, retrograde Venus on Dhanteras sounds alarming. But Venus sits in Mercury's sign while Mercury sits in Venus's sign. That sign exchange (parivartana) ties the two planets together, and many astrologers read it as softening the debilitation. My reading: this is a Dhanteras for meaningful, modest buying, not a splurge. Keep the tradition with a coin, a utensil or a small piece of jewellery you truly love, pay off a small debt, or buy back something you already wanted. Save big-ticket purchases, loans and contracts for after both planets turn direct on November 13 in the US. Full dates in Mercury and Venus retrograde 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dhanteras 2026 on November 6 in the USA?

Yes. Friday, November 6, 2026, the same day as India, because Trayodashi is running at sunset everywhere in North America.

What is the best time to buy gold on Dhanteras 2026 in the USA?

Any time on Friday, November 6, while Trayodashi runs (until about 9:18 PM Pacific, 11:18 PM Central and just after midnight Eastern). Many families prefer to buy before the evening puja so the item can be placed before Lakshmi.

What is the Dhanteras puja time in New York and California?

About 5:11 PM to 6:59 PM in New York, 5:23 PM to 7:15 PM in Los Angeles and 5:31 PM to 7:22 PM in the San Francisco Bay Area on November 6.

When is Diwali 2026 in the USA?

Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday, November 8. See Diwali 2026 auspicious timings for the full five days and the planets on Diwali night.

Is it bad to buy gold while Venus is retrograde?

Tradition says a small Dhanteras purchase is always auspicious, and that holds. Astrologically, it's wiser to keep large financial commitments for after Venus and Mercury turn direct.

Wondering what your own chart says about money this year? Your 2nd house shows saved wealth: see the 2nd house in Vedic astrology.

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Want to know what this Diwali season means for your money and your family? Ask Miss Astroglow's AI astrologer (3 questions free), or book a live 1:1 with Miss Astroglow to go through your chart together. Happy Dhanteras, my loves 🪔