Varanasi in November 2026: This Month in Banaras
November 2026 in Varanasi: Diwali on 8 Nov, Chhath 13–16 Nov, Ganga Mahotsav 20–23 Nov and Dev Deepawali on 24 Nov, with Varanasi muhurats, travel and weather notes and what is still awaited. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
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November 2026 holds two of the city's biggest nights sixteen days apart: Diwali on Sunday 8 November and Dev Deepawali on Tuesday 24 November. Between them come Chhath (13–16 November) and Ganga Mahotsav (20–23 November).
This page puts the month in one place for residents and visitors: Varanasi dates and muhurats, what has been announced and what is still awaited, getting here, the weather and the air, and a few notices for students and job-seekers. It is a late-start edition, published on 3 November. Every fact was last checked on 3 November 2026, and we say where each one comes from.
At a glance
Week by week
Our weekly editions cover each Monday to Sunday of the month in more detail. Each one is published the Sunday evening before its week and added here.
- Varanasi This Week: 2–8 November 2026 (Diwali week)
The month's calendar: Varanasi dates and timings
Dates follow the tithi as observed in Varanasi, and times are for Varanasi from Drik Panchang (IST). Calendars printed for other cities can differ by a day or by several minutes, and families and temples may follow their own tradition.
| Date | Observance | Varanasi timing / note |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 5 Nov | Rama Ekadashi | Fast day before Diwali |
| Fri 6 Nov | Dhanteras | Evening puja 5:44–7:42 pm |
| Sun 8 Nov, before dawn | Narak Chaturdashi (Abhyang Snan) | 5:12–6:10 am |
| Sun 8 Nov | Diwali, Lakshmi Puja | 5:37–7:34 pm |
| Mon 9 Nov | Kartik Amavasya, then Pratipada | Amavasya runs until 12:31 pm. Some calendars print Govardhan Puja on this day |
| Tue 10 Nov | Govardhan Puja / Annakut | Morning muhurat 6:11–8:23 am |
| Wed 11 Nov | Bhai Dooj | Afternoon 12:48–3:00 pm |
| Fri 13 Nov | Chhath: Nahay Khay | Four days of Chhath begin |
| Sat 14 Nov | Chhath: Kharna | |
| Sun 15 Nov | Chhath: Sandhya Arghya | Sunset about 5:10 pm |
| Mon 16 Nov | Chhath: Usha Arghya and Parana | Sunrise about 6:16 am |
| Tue 17 Nov | Gopashtami | |
| Wed 18 Nov | Akshaya (Amla) Navami | |
| Fri 20 Nov | Devutthana Ekadashi | Ganga Mahotsav begins |
| Sat 21 Nov | Tulsi Vivah | |
| Mon 23 Nov | Vaikuntha Chaturdashi | Last day of Ganga Mahotsav |
| Tue 24 Nov | Dev Deepawali / Kartik Purnima | Deepdan muhurat 5:08–7:47 pm |
Looking ahead: Kalabhairav Jayanti falls on Tuesday 1 December 2026. For the full story of each festival, see our guides to Diwali 2026, Chhath Puja 2026, Ganga Mahotsav and Dev Deepawali 2026, or check any day on the panchang.
Choosing your dates
Diwali week, 5–11 November
The city's own festival: Dhanteras on the 6th, Lakshmi Puja on the 8th, Govardhan and Annakut on the 10th and Bhai Dooj on the 11th. Much of it happens at home, in temples and in the markets.
Chhath and Kartik mornings, 12–19 November
Chhath arghyas are offered at the river at sunset on the 15th and sunrise on the 16th. Kartik bathing at dawn continues through the month, and Gopashtami and Amla Navami follow.
Mahotsav to Dev Deepawali, 20–24 November
Four evenings of Ganga Mahotsav lead into Dev Deepawali on the 24th, when the ghats are lit with lamps. For that night, plan stays, boats and where you will watch early; our Dev Deepawali guide covers the evening itself.
Announced, and still awaited
Announced or reported
- Kashi Vishwanath bookings pause for Annakut. Press reports on 3 November quote a temple official: online bookings (such as Sugam darshan and aarti tickets) are paused from after the afternoon aarti on 9 November until the Saptarishi aarti on the evening of 10 November. The temple stays open on Dhanteras and Diwali, and a booking pause is not a temple closure. We found no written Trust notice yet, so check shrikashivishwanath.org before you rely on a booking. Visiting details: Kashi Vishwanath darshan guide.
- Golden Annapurna darshan, 6–10 November. Mahant Shankar Puri told a press conference on 4 November that the golden idol of Maa Annapurna at the Annapurna Temple will be on view from Dhanteras to Annakut, 6–10 November. On 6 November, worship begins at 3 am and public darshan at 5 am. This special darshan is separate from the temple's everyday opening, and we have not seen a written temple notice with these times. Details and limits: Diwali 2026 guide.
- Dev Deepawali plans. Press reports in early October said the tourism department plans more than 11 lakh diyas on the ghats, ponds and kunds, about one lakh of them made of cow dung.
- Ganga Mahotsav, 20–23 November. Reported from the divisional commissioner's planning meeting: the main programme at Rajghat, with other events at Namo Ghat.
Still awaited (as of 3 November)
- The district's traffic and crowd plan for Dev Deepawali (diversions, parking, ghat access). It usually comes out in the last days before the festival. Until then, treat any road-closure list as unconfirmed.
- The Ganga Mahotsav artist line-up.
- Any written rules for boats on Dev Deepawali night. Wear a life jacket for every boat ride.
Getting here and around
- New Vande Bharat Sleeper to Delhi. A Varanasi–New Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper was flagged off on 31 October, according to press reports. We have not yet seen an official railway notice with the timetable and fares, so check the train on IRCTC or NTES before you plan around it.
- Extra UPSRTC buses. Roadways has added 185 buses in the Varanasi region for twelve days over the Diwali and Chhath rush, taking it from 146 to 331 buses, with the most on the Gorakhpur and Lucknow routes (Amar Ujala, 2 November).
- The ropeway is not open yet. No official opening date had been announced as of 3 November.
More: How to reach Varanasi.
Weather, air and the river
Typical November (historical averages, not a forecast). India Meteorological Department normals for 1991–2020 give Varanasi an average November high of about 29°C and low of about 15°C, with less than one rainy day in the month. Early November is warmer, and nights get cooler as the month goes on. Sunset is around 5:10 pm in mid-month, so festival evenings begin early. Pack a warm layer for dawn and late evening. For the coming days, see the weather forecast.
Air quality. The CPCB bulletin for 3 November (4 pm) put Varanasi at AQI 132, Moderate (main pollutant PM10). It was 85 on 2 November. Readings change daily, so check the day's figure on Today in Kashi or the CPCB bulletin before long outdoor plans.
The river. For the day's Ganga level and ghat status, see Today in Kashi or the Central Water Commission's daily bulletin.
For residents, students and job-seekers
- Employment fair, 3–5 November. The regional employment office is holding a three-day fair: 3 November at Jagatpur Inter College, 4 November at Credence International School, Umraha, and 5 November at Queens Inter College, Lahurabir. About 40 companies are expected each day; reports ask candidates to arrive by 10 am (Janwarta, ETV Bharat).
- CAT 2026 is on Sunday 29 November, with Varanasi among the test cities and admit cards due from 4 November, according to education portals. Confirm on the official site, iimcat.ac.in.
- Holiday lists. Government and school holiday lists can show a different day from the Varanasi observance (Govardhan Puja is one example). Check your own office's or school's notice.
- Dev Deepawali on Jhalak. We are planning a Dev Deepawali Jhalak Challenge for 20–24 November. The rules will be on the challenge page when it opens. You can ask to join Jhalak now.
Questions people ask
Diwali or Dev Deepawali, if I can come only once?
Diwali (8 November) is mostly celebrated at home and in temples. Dev Deepawali (24 November) is the riverfront spectacle. It needs the most planning: stays, boats and a place on the ghats.
Is Kashi Vishwanath closed during Diwali week?
No. Reports say the temple stays open on Dhanteras and Diwali. What pauses is online booking, from the afternoon of 9 November to the evening of 10 November. Check the Trust's website for any notice.
Why does my calendar show Govardhan Puja on 9 November?
Hindu dates follow the tithi at local sunrise. In Varanasi, Pratipada is current at sunrise on Tuesday 10 November, so Govardhan Puja and Annakut fall on the 10th and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November.
When should I be at the ghat for Chhath?
Sandhya Arghya is at sunset, about 5:10 pm on Sunday 15 November. Usha Arghya is at sunrise, about 6:16 am on Monday 16 November. Families usually arrive well before.
Sources and corrections
Last checked on 3 November 2026. Festival dates and times: Drik Panchang, set to Varanasi. Air quality: CPCB national AQI bulletin, 3 November 2026. Temple bookings, Dev Deepawali and Mahotsav plans, buses, the train and the employment fair: press reports named above, pending official notices. Exam dates: education portals, pending the official site. We will update this page when the district's Dev Deepawali plan or the Mahotsav line-up is published. Seen something out of date? Tell us.
