🏪 For lakhs of Indian businesses, Diwali is the real new year. New account books are opened, the cash box is worshipped, the shop is lit, and Maa Lakshmi is invited to sit in the gaddi for the year ahead. In 2026, Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday, 8 November.
This guide covers the Diwali puja for your business: Chopda (account book) pujan, shop and office puja, the best muhurat and choghadiya for traders, Kuber and Lakshmi mantras, and what the tradition says about praying for relief from debt. All timings are for New Delhi; check your own city in the Diwali 2026 muhurat guide.
| Business puja muhurat, 8 Nov 2026 | Time (New Delhi) |
|---|---|
| Shubh choghadiya (afternoon, for shops that close early) | 1:26 PM – 2:48 PM |
| Main Lakshmi Puja (Pradosh + Vrishabha lagna) | 5:55 PM – 7:51 PM |
| Amrit choghadiya | 7:09 PM – 8:48 PM |
| Labh choghadiya (night) | 1:43 AM – 3:21 AM |
Share your prosperity: contribute to the 56-item Annakoot Seva
Govardhan Puja, 10 Nov · Govardhan, Braj · 56 bhog offered to Govardhan ji, then served as bhandara. From ₹251.
Why Diwali is the new year for business
For centuries the Indian trading year ran from Diwali to Diwali. The kharif harvest had been sold, debts were settled before the festival, and on Lakshmi Puja night the merchant closed the old bahi-khata (account book) and opened a new one in the goddess's presence. In Gujarat this is Chopda Pujan or Sharda Pujan; in Marwari and North Indian business families it is Bahi-khata Pujan. The next day, for Gujaratis, is Bestu Varas, the new year.
The stock exchanges keep the custom alive with a special one-hour Muhurat Trading session on Diwali evening. The exchanges announce its exact time a few weeks before the festival.
The idea is the same everywhere: start the year's accounts with Ganesh ji (for a clear start), Lakshmi ji (for prosperity) and Saraswati ji (for the right decisions). That is why the three are worshipped together; the stories behind this are in our complete story of Diwali.
Have a Vyapar Vriddhi Mahapuja and Havan done for your business this Diwali
Diwali, 8 Nov · Shri Gaja Lakshmi Temple, Ujjain · for business growth, with havan in your name. From ₹991.
Chopda pujan: how to worship your account books
- Get new books (or a new register) before Diwali. A red cloth-bound bahi is traditional.
- On the first page, draw a swastik in kumkum and write "Shubh" on its left and "Labh" on its right.
- Write "Shri Ganeshaya Namah" at the top and "Shri Lakshmi ji sada sahay" below it. Many families draw a small pyramid of the word "Shri".
- Place the book on the puja chowki next to Lakshmi-Ganesh, with a silver coin, haldi, akshat and a few kamal gatta on it.
- Offer roli, flowers and a diya to the book while chanting "Om Shri Saraswatyai Namah", because the account book is Saraswati's.
- Make the first entry of the new year after the puja, even a small one.
Using accounting software? Do the same with a printed first page, or draw the swastik on a sheet placed on the laptop, and raise the first invoice of the new year after the puja.
🪷 Offer a kamal to Maa Lakshmi for your business. A lotus is offered in your name at Shri Gaja Lakshmi Mata Mandir, Ujjain, on Diwali, and you receive the video. Offer kamal now (₹151) →
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Diwali puja at the shop or office
- Clean and decorate: deep-clean the shop, repair what is broken, hang a toran of mango leaves and marigold at the entrance, and make a small rangoli at the door.
- Gaddi and cash box: the seat of the owner (gaddi) and the cash box or tijori are worshipped with kumkum, a swastik and a diya. Place a silver coin, 11 gomti chakras and yellow cowries in the tijori.
- Tools of the trade: worship the weighing scale, the computer, the machines or the vehicles with roli and akshat.
- Kuber ji: place a Kuber yantra facing north, because the north is Kuber's direction.
- Staff: include the people who work with you in the puja, and give them sweets and a gift. Lakshmi is said to stay where those who earn for you are respected.
- Light the shop: keep a diya at the entrance through the evening.
The general rules of direction, idol placement and diyas are the same as at home; see Diwali puja rules and do's and don'ts.
🪔 Book Diwali pujas and offerings in your name
 Samriddhi Mahapuja🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹991 Book now → | Annakoot Seva 🍛 10 Nov · Govardhan, Braj From ₹251 Offer now → |
| Vyapar Vriddhi Puja 🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹991 Book now → |  Rin Mukti Mahapuja🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹951 Book now → |
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Lakshmi Puja for debt relief (Rin Mukti)
Debt (rin) is one of the oldest worries in the Shastras, and there are traditional prayers specifically for relief from it. This is what the tradition suggests:
- Worship Gaja Lakshmi. Gaja Lakshmi, the form of Lakshmi bathed by two elephants, is worshipped for steady wealth and stability, the kind that clears what is owed. Her temple in Ujjain is one of the oldest Lakshmi temples in Malwa.
- Recite the Rin Mochan Mangal Stotra on Tuesdays. Mangal (Mars) is regarded as the graha of debt. Govardhan Puja this year falls on a Tuesday, 10 November.
- Repay a small part of a loan on an auspicious day, and avoid taking a new loan on Diwali evening. Many families follow this as a custom of starting the year lighter.
- Do daan. Feeding a cow or contributing to an Annakoot on Govardhan Puja is seen as returning something to the world before asking for more.
Mata Gajlakshmi Rin Mukti Mahapuja on Diwali, in your name
Diwali, 8 Nov · Shri Gaja Lakshmi Temple, Ujjain · for relief from debt and financial stability. From ₹951.
A gentle note: a puja is a prayer and a sankalp. It is not financial advice and it does not replace a plan. Pair it with practical steps: list your loans, speak to your bank about restructuring if needed, and set a budget for the new year. Faith and discipline work best together.
A sankalp for wealth that stays in the family
Many business families make a sankalp on Diwali not just for this year's profit, but for the business and the family to stay strong for the next generation too. The 7 Generation Akhand Dhan Samriddhi Anusthan is a Lakshmi-Ganesh-Saraswati anusthan performed on Diwali with exactly this sankalp.
Book the 7 Generation Akhand Dhan Samriddhi Anusthan
Diwali, 8 Nov · Shri Gaja Lakshmi Temple, Ujjain · a family sankalp for wealth that stays across generations. From ₹991.
Mantras for business and wealth on Diwali
- Ganesh ji, before starting: ॐ गं गणपतये नमः (Om Gam Ganapataye Namah), 11 times.
- Maa Lakshmi beej mantra: ॐ श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः (Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah), 108 times on a kamal gatta mala.
- Kuber mantra: ॐ यक्षाय कुबेराय वैश्रवणाय धनधान्याधिपतये धनधान्यसमृद्धिं मे देहि दापय स्वाहा (Om Yakshaya Kuberaya Vaishravanaya Dhana-dhanyadhipataye Dhana-dhanya-samriddhim Me Dehi Dapaya Svaha), 11 or 108 times.
- Saraswati ji, for the account books: ॐ ऐं सरस्वत्यै नमः (Om Aim Saraswatyai Namah).
For more of the small things that please Maa Lakshmi, from her favourite bhog to the habits she dislikes, see how to attract Maa Lakshmi on Diwali.
🪷 Offer to Maa Lakshmi this Diwali, in your name
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Which Diwali puja should you book for your business or money worries?
| If you want to pray for… | Puja | From |
|---|---|---|
| Growth of a shop, firm or startup | Vyapar Vriddhi Mahapuja & Havan | ₹991 |
| Relief from loans and financial stability | Rin Mukti Mahapuja | ₹951 |
| Wealth, wisdom and success for the whole family | Lakshmi-Ganesh-Saraswati Samriddhi Mahapuja | ₹991 |
| Prosperity that lasts across generations | 7 Generation Akhand Dhan Samriddhi Anusthan | ₹991 |
| A simple offering to Lakshmi | Kamal, chunri or coconut chadhava | ₹151 |
All four pujas are performed on Diwali, 8 November, at Shri Gaja Lakshmi Temple, Ujjain. Packages are for 1, 2, 4 or 6 members (₹991, ₹1,501, ₹2,501, ₹3,501 for most pujas). You can add your business name to the sankalp, and you receive the video and the prasad. If you don't know your gotra, Kashyap gotra is used.
📈 Planning the new financial year? Check daily choghadiya and hora for business decisions, and your rashifal, in the free Devpunya Panchang. Open Devpunya Panchang →
Questions business owners ask about Diwali puja
Can I do the shop puja in the afternoon and the home puja in the evening?
Yes. Many traders do the shop puja in the Shubh choghadiya (1:26 PM to 2:48 PM) and the main home puja in the evening muhurat (5:55 PM to 7:51 PM). Amavasya begins at 11:28 AM, so both are valid.
Should the shop stay open on Diwali night?
The custom is to keep the shop lit and the puja diya burning after the puja. Many shops stay open for an hour or two after the puja for a "first sale" of the new year.
Can I do Chopda pujan on 9 November?
The main puja should be on 8 November, when Amavasya is present in the evening. Some Gujarati families do Sharda pujan on the night itself and open the books for business on Labh Pancham.
Is it good to start a new business on Diwali?
Diwali and the days after it (Govardhan Puja, Labh Pancham) are traditionally considered auspicious for new beginnings. Choose a good choghadiya for the opening using the Panchang.
📖 Read next in the Diwali 2026 series
- Diwali 2026 Best Tithi and Lakshmi Puja Muhurat (8 November)
- How to Attract Maa Lakshmi on Diwali: 21 Things to Do
- Diwali Puja Rules 2026: Do's and Don'ts for Lakshmi Pujan
- Why We Celebrate Diwali and Its Complete Story
- Govardhan Puja 2026: Date, Story and 56 Item Annakoot List
Book the Diwali Samriddhi Mahapuja in your name
Diwali, 8 Nov · Shri Gaja Lakshmi Temple, Ujjain · in your name and gotra, full HD video, prasad home. From ₹991.