Choti Diwali Pooja – Naraka Chaturdashi Abhyang Snan & Deepdaan Muhurat (Online)

Choti Diwali — Naraka Chaturdashi, also known as Roop Chaudas or Kali Chaudas — marks Lord Krishna’s victory over Narakasura. It holds two sacred moments: the pre-dawn Abhyang Snan (ritual oil bath) taken while Chaturdashi prevails before sunrise, and the evening Deepdaan, when lamps are offered to light the way and honour Yama. Because the bath depends on when Chaturdashi meets your local sunrise, its date shifts from year to year and country to country. In 2026, Chaturdashi begins on Saturday afternoon in Australia, so the Deepdaan is on the evening of Saturday 7 November and the oil bath is before sunrise on Sunday 8 November, the morning of Diwali.

A qualified, experienced Vedic Pandit settles that for you. Your Shubh Muhurat is calculated for your exact city from Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, Karana and Lagna — including your exact pre-dawn window for the Abhyang Snan on Sunday 8 November.

Each ritual is time-aligned: the oil bath inside its pre-dawn window, the Deepdaan and Yama Deepak in the evening’s auspicious period, and — if your family observes it — the night-time Kali Chaudas or Hanuman worship, so every step meets the most favourable planetary influences.

Everything is performed at home: your bathroom becomes the place of purification and your doorstep the place of light. No travel, no queues.

You receive a complete, categorised Pooja Samagri checklist in advance — from sesame oil and ubtan to the 14 diyas and four-wick Yama Deepak — so preparation takes minutes, not hours.

Our curated online search guide then tells you exactly what to search, in order, to follow a trusted Puja Vidhi for the Abhyang Snan, Deepdaan, Yama Tarpan and Krishna puja. With the correct timings and Samagri ready, following the vidhi online is simple and accurate.

• Your Choti Diwali pooja performed online by a qualified Pandit with proper Vedic rituals and mantras, and your Sankalpa taken in your family’s name.
• Your Pandit-calculated Shubh Muhurat & Lagna breakdown for your city:
  • Chaturdashi Tithi start and end, in your local time
  • Confirmation of your Abhyang Snan morning (Sunday 8 November in Australia this year)
  • Abhyang Snan Muhurat (pre-dawn window before sunrise)
  • Evening Deepdaan and Yama Deepak time
  • Kali Chaudas or Hanuman puja window (night), if your tradition observes it
  • The day’s Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana, and Rahu Kaal to avoid
  • Lagna during your evening Deepdaan
• A complete, categorised Pooja Samagri checklist — printable, so you can tick items off as you shop.
• A curated Puja Vidhi search guide — the exact search terms, in order, for the vidhi, mantras and aarti.
• Delivered to your inbox as a printable PDF.

A note from me, Arjun: Choti Diwali is where I see the most confusion in Australian homes. This year the Deepdaan belongs to Saturday evening and the oil bath to Sunday morning, before the Diwali puja that night. Your guide gives you both moments, for your city.

Search these, in this order, on Google or YouTube. Together they walk you through the full Puja Vidhi, mantras and aarti — and because you already hold your Pandit-calculated Muhurat and complete Samagri, you can follow along accurately.

1. Pre-dawnSearch: Narak Chaturdashi abhyang snan vidhi
   The order of the ritual oil bath
2. Pre-dawnSearch: Apamarg Narak Chaturdashi ritual
   How the Apamarg twig is used during the bath
3. MorningSearch: Yama tarpan mantra Narak Chaturdashi
   Offering water to Yama, if your family observes it
4. MorningSearch: Roop Chaudas Krishna puja vidhi
   Worship of Lord Krishna
5. EveningSearch: Narak Chaturdashi deepdaan vidhi
   Offering the 14 lamps
6. EveningSearch: Yama deepak Choti Diwali south direction
   Lighting the Yama Deepak correctly
7. Night (optional)Search: Kali Chaudas puja vidhi
   For families who observe Kali Chaudas or Hanuman puja

Tips for getting reliable results

• Add “step by step” plus your language to any search, e.g. “… step by step in Hindi” or “… in English”.
• Prefer videos and pages from established temples, recognised priests or long-running devotional channels.
• Cross-check any mantra or step against a second source before you rely on it.
• Where an online video differs from your family custom, follow your family custom.
• Ignore the times quoted in online videos and articles — they are usually for Indian cities. Use only the Pandit-calculated Muhurat for your city.

What pooja items (samagri) do I need?
Here is the complete list for your Choti Diwali pooja. Your emailed guide includes the same list as a printable checklist, so you can tick items off as you shop.

Abhyang Snan

• ☐ Sesame (til) oil
• ☐ Ubtan: besan, haldi, chandan and rose water
• ☐ Apamarg (prickly chaff flower) twig, if available — your guide gives the accepted alternative
• ☐ Fresh towel
• ☐ Clean or new clothes

Deepdaan

• ☐ 14 earthen diyas
• ☐ One four-wick diya for Yama Deepak
• ☐ Mustard oil and cotton wicks
• ☐ Rangoli colours or flower petals for the entrance

Puja

• ☐ Image of Lord Krishna (and Hanuman or Maa Kali, per your tradition)
• ☐ Roli / kumkum
• ☐ Akshat
• ☐ Flowers
• ☐ Agarbatti and camphor
• ☐ Sweets and fruits as naivedya

Yama Tarpan (if observed)

• ☐ Copper lota of water
• ☐ Black sesame seeds
• ☐ Kusha grass, if available

When is Choti Diwali 2026 in Australia?
Choti Diwali 2026 is observed on the evening of Saturday 7 November in Australia, after Chaturdashi Tithi begins at about 4:19 pm AEDT (1:19 pm in Perth). The Abhyang Snan oil bath is taken before sunrise on Sunday 8 November, the morning of Diwali, because Chaturdashi is still running at dawn that day. In the USA and UK the bath falls on Saturday 7 November instead.

What is Abhyang Snan?
A ritual oil bath taken before sunrise on Naraka Chaturdashi — the body is massaged with sesame oil and ubtan before bathing, symbolising purification ahead of Diwali.

Is Choti Diwali the same as Roop Chaudas or Kali Chaudas?
They are regional names for the same day, Naraka Chaturdashi, with slightly different emphases — beauty and purification (Roop Chaudas) or worship of Maa Kali (Kali Chaudas).

Does a Pandit perform the pooja for me?
Yes. A qualified, experienced Vedic Pandit performs your Choti Diwali pooja online with the proper rituals and mantras, and takes your Sankalpa in your family’s name. You join from home and perform the pooja alongside at the Muhurat calculated for your city, so it happens in your own home at the correct moment.

Why are slots limited?
Each pooja has to be performed inside the festival’s auspicious Muhurat, which lasts only a few hours, so our Pandit can take only a limited number of families for Choti Diwali. Once the slots are filled, bookings close — book early to secure yours.