Varanasi This Week: 2–8 November 2026
Diwali week in Varanasi, 2–8 November 2026: Rama Ekadashi, Dhanteras and Lakshmi Puja timings, temple booking notes, weather and air, buses and the train, and this week’s student deadlines. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
6 min read
This is Diwali week in Varanasi. Rama Ekadashi is on Thursday 5 November, Dhanteras on Friday 6 November, and Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) on Sunday 8 November.
This edition covers Monday 2 to Sunday 8 November. It was published late, on the evening of Tuesday 3 November, so the first days are already behind us. Facts were last checked on 3 November 2026; where an official notice is still awaited, we say so. For the whole month, see Varanasi in November 2026.
At a glance
Day by day
Festival times are for Varanasi from Drik Panchang (IST). Families and temples may follow their own tradition.
| Day | What | Timing / note |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 2 Nov | Week begins | Kartik month continues, with dawn bathing at the ghats |
| Tue 3 Nov | Employment fair, day 1 (Jagatpur Inter College) | CPCB air quality: AQI 132, Moderate |
| Wed 4 Nov | Employment fair, day 2 (Credence International School, Umraha) | CAT 2026 admit cards due (see Deadlines) |
| Thu 5 Nov | Rama Ekadashi; employment fair, day 3 (Queens Inter College, Lahurabir) | Fast day before Diwali |
| Fri 6 Nov | Dhanteras | Evening puja 5:44–7:42 pm |
| Sat 7 Nov | Kali Chaudas, Hanuman Puja | Chaturdashi tithi begins 10:47 am |
| 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 |
Full festival guide: Diwali 2026 in Varanasi.
Temple and darshan this week
- Kashi Vishwanath stays open on Dhanteras and Diwali, according to press reports on 3 November quoting a temple official.
- Booking pause next week, not this week. The same reports say online bookings (such as Sugam darshan and aarti tickets) pause from after the afternoon aarti on Monday 9 November until the Saptarishi aarti on the evening of Tuesday 10 November, for Annakut. A booking pause is not a temple closure. We found no written Trust notice yet, so check shrikashivishwanath.org before relying on a booking.
- Golden Annapurna darshan opens on Friday 6 November. Mahant Shankar Puri told a press conference on 4 November that worship begins at 3 am on Dhanteras and public darshan of the golden idol at the Annapurna Temple starts at 5 am on 6 November. The reported special-darshan window runs through Annakut on Tuesday 10 November; this does not mean continuous opening between those dates. This special darshan is separate from the temple's everyday opening, and we have not seen a written temple notice with these times. More: Diwali 2026 guide.
- Visiting details: Kashi Vishwanath darshan guide and Ganga Aarti.
Weather and air this week
| Day | Forecast high / low | Rain chance | Sunrise / sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 4 Nov | 30 / 20°C | Very low | 6:07 am / 5:15 pm |
| Thu 5 Nov | 29 / 18°C | Very low | 6:08 am / 5:14 pm |
| Fri 6 Nov | 29 / 18°C | Very low | 6:08 am / 5:14 pm |
| Sat 7 Nov | 29 / 19°C | Very low | 6:09 am / 5:13 pm |
| Sun 8 Nov | 29 / 18°C | Very low | 6:10 am / 5:13 pm |
Forecast from the Open-Meteo weather model, read at 11:30 pm IST on 3 November; forecasts change, so check the latest forecast before you plan. The week looks dry with cool nights; carry a warm layer for dawn and late evening.
Air quality. The CPCB bulletin for 3 November (4 pm) put Varanasi at AQI 132, Moderate (main pollutant PM10), up from 85 on 2 November. Air quality often worsens around Diwali night in north Indian cities, so check the day's figure on Today in Kashi or the CPCB bulletin. Some apps show a different, non-Indian AQI scale; the CPCB figure is India's official index.
Travel this week
- 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 timings, running days and fares, so check the train on IRCTC or NTES before you plan Diwali travel 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, with the most on the Gorakhpur and Lucknow routes (Amar Ujala, 2 November). A statewide order reported for the festival covers 6 to 17 November.
- In the city. We had not found a district traffic order for Diwali as of 3 November. If one is issued, we will add it here.
More: How to reach Varanasi.
For residents, students and job-seekers
- Employment fair, 3–5 November. The regional employment office's three-day fair moves venue each day: Jagatpur Inter College (3 November), Credence International School, Umraha (4 November) and Queens Inter College, Lahurabir (5 November). About 40 companies are expected each day; reports ask candidates to arrive by 10 am (Janwarta, ETV Bharat).
- NEET-UG counselling (MCC): Special Stray Vacancy Round for MBBS. Registration closes at 3:00 pm on Wednesday 4 November (fee payment until 6:00 pm), and choice filling closes at 11:00 am on Thursday 5 November; the result is due on 7 November. Source: MCC schedule of 30 October; act on mcc.nic.in.
- UGC-NET December 2026. Applications closed on 31 October. Candidates who applied can correct their forms until 11:50 pm on Wednesday 4 November (NTA notice of 2 November, on ugcnet.nta.nic.in).
- CAT 2026. Admit cards are due from Wednesday 4 November for the exam on Sunday 29 November, with Varanasi among the test cities, according to education portals. Download and confirm on iimcat.ac.in.
Next week
Monday 9 November is Kartik Amavasya until 12:31 pm, and the Kashi Vishwanath booking pause begins that afternoon. Govardhan Puja and Annakut fall on Tuesday 10 November (morning muhurat 6:11–8:23 am), Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November (12:48–3:00 pm), and Chhath begins on Friday 13 November. The next edition, for 9–15 November, is due on the evening of Sunday 8 November.
Questions this week
Is Kashi Vishwanath closed for Diwali?
No. Reports say the temple stays open on Dhanteras and Diwali. Only online booking pauses, from the afternoon of 9 November to the evening of 10 November.
Why do some calendars 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 is on the 10th.
What time is Lakshmi Puja in Varanasi?
5:37 to 7:34 pm on Sunday 8 November, per Drik Panchang for Varanasi. Calendars printed for Delhi show a later window (about 5:54 to 7:50 pm).
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. Weather: Open-Meteo model forecast and sunrise/sunset for Varanasi, read 3 November. Temple bookings, buses, the train, the employment fair and exam dates: the press reports and portals named above, pending official notices. Seen something out of date? Tell us.
