Chopda Pujan 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026, the same evening as Diwali Lakshmi Puja. In Dubai the most popular window is the evening choghadiya from 5:35 PM to 10:26 PM, and the sweetest part of it is 5:58 PM to 7:56 PM, when it overlaps the fixed Vrishabha Kaal that many families prefer for Lakshmi Puja.
Chopda Pujan is the Diwali worship of new account books, called a chopda, bahi or vahi, before Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesh and Maa Sharda. In Gujarat the same ritual is often called Sharda Pujan, and in Rajasthan and Maharashtra the trading families who keep it simply call it bahi pujan or muhurat pujan.
Chopda Pujan 2026 Date and Muhurat in Dubai
All timings below are for Dubai (GST), taken from the Dubai panchang. Choghadiya windows follow local sunrise and sunset, so Sharjah and Ajman run about a minute earlier and Abu Dhabi about four minutes later. The Amavasya start and end times are identical everywhere in the UAE.
| Chopda Pujan | Sunday, 8 November 2026 |
| Morning muhurat (Chara, Labha, Amrita) | 9:57 AM to 12:03 PM |
| Afternoon muhurat (Shubha) | 1:26 PM to 2:49 PM |
| Evening muhurat (Shubha, Amrita, Chara) | 5:35 PM to 10:26 PM |
| Night muhurat (Labha) | 1:40 AM to 3:17 AM, 9 Nov |
| Early morning muhurat (Shubha) | 4:55 AM to 6:32 AM, 9 Nov |
| Lakshmi Puja muhurat (Vrishabha Kaal) | 5:58 PM to 7:56 PM |
| Pradosh Kaal | 5:35 PM to 8:10 PM |
| Amavasya begins | 9:57 AM, 8 Nov |
| Amavasya ends | 11:01 AM, 9 Nov |
The morning window opens at 9:57 AM for a reason: that is the exact moment Amavasya begins. Before it, the day is still Chaturdashi, which is why no Chopda muhurat is listed for the early morning of the 8th.
Tithi start and end, muhurat window, star and moon timings, all set to UAE local time.
What Is Chopda Pujan?
For Gujarati, Marwari and many North Indian business families, Diwali closes one financial year and opens the next. Chopda Pujan is how that new year begins: fresh account books are placed before Lakshmi, Ganesh and Sharda so the year's trade starts with their blessings.
Lakshmi brings wealth, Ganesh removes obstacles and blesses every new beginning, and Maa Sharda, a name for Saraswati, brings the wisdom to handle money well. That is why the Gujarati name, Sharda Pujan, honours Saraswati alongside Lakshmi. It is one ritual with two names, not two separate pujas.
The books themselves have a look of their own. A traditional bahi is bound in red cloth, tied with string, and opens with a printed pujan page showing the three deities, Shubh and Labh, and a choghadiya panel. Many families still buy a new one every Diwali even when the real accounts live in software.
Chopda Pujan in the 2026 Diwali Calendar
Diwali 2026 has an unusual shape in the UAE. Amavasya is still running at sunrise on Monday 9 November, so the Gujarati New Year moves to Tuesday.
- Friday, 6 November - Dhanteras, the traditional day to buy a new bahi, silver and utensils
- Sunday, 8 November - Diwali, Lakshmi Puja, Chopda Pujan and Sharda Pujan
- Monday, 9 November - Govardhan Puja and Annakut
- Tuesday, 10 November - Gujarati New Year (Bestu Varas)
- Saturday, 14 November - Labh Pancham, when many traders reopen their shops and make the first real entry in the new chopda
For the full five-day festival, including fireworks and events across the Emirates, see our Diwali 2026 in the UAE guide.
Chopda Pujan Samagri
You need very little beyond your usual Lakshmi Puja setup. Keep these ready on a clean red or yellow cloth:
- A new bahi khata or chopda, plus the previous year's book if you keep one
- A pen or traditional kalam, ideally new
- Kumkum or roli, haldi and akshat (unbroken rice)
- A Lakshmi Ganesh murti or frame, and a picture of Maa Saraswati if you have one
- A diya with ghee or oil, dhoop or agarbatti
- Flowers, especially marigold and lotus, plus a few coins
- Kalash with water and mango leaves, supari, paan and a coconut
- Mithai or kheer for bhog
Our checklist of Diwali Lakshmi Puja essentials covers the rest of the thali.
Set up the Lakshmi Puja first
Chopda Pujan sits inside Lakshmi Puja, so the murti and samagri come first.
Chopda Pujan Vidhi, Step by Step
- Clean the space. Wipe the desk, shop counter or mandir, and lay a fresh red or yellow cloth.
- Place the deities. Set Lakshmi Ganesh in the centre, with Saraswati beside them if you have her picture, and light the diya.
- Place the books. Put the new bahi in front of the deities, with the pen or kalam on top. Laptops and cash boxes can sit beside it.
- Take sankalp. Hold a little water, rice and a flower, state your name, gotra and the purpose of the puja, and release it.
- Worship Ganesh first. Offer kumkum, akshat, flowers and dhoop to Ganesh ji.
- Mark the first page. On the pujan page, draw a swastik in kumkum, write "Shri" above it, and "Shubh" and "Labh" on either side.
- Worship Lakshmi and Sharda. Offer flowers, haldi, kumkum, coins and bhog, then perform the Lakshmi Puja in full. Our Maa Lakshmi Puja vidhi walks through every step.
- Offer the books. Sprinkle akshat and a flower on the bahi and pen, and touch them to your forehead.
- Aarti and prayer. Sing the Lakshmi aarti with the family and pray for honest, steady growth in the year ahead.
- Keep the bahi safe. Leave it in the mandir overnight, then move it to your locker, cash drawer or office desk.
ॐ श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः
Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah
Chant it 11 or 108 times while offering flowers to Lakshmi and the new bahi.
What to Write on the First Page
Traditions vary by family, but most first pages carry the same few marks. A kumkum swastik sits in the centre with "Shri" written above it, often several times in a small pyramid. "Shubh" goes on the left and "Labh" on the right.
Many families add "Shri Ganeshaya Namah", the date of the pujan, and the name of the business. The first real entry is usually made later, at an auspicious muhurat on the new year or on Labh Pancham.
A traditional bahi for this Diwali
Red cloth cover, cotton string tie and a printed Shri Bahi Pujan page.
Chopda Pujan on a Laptop
Most businesses in Dubai now keep their books in Tally, Zoho or QuickBooks, and the ritual has moved with them. Families place the office laptop before the deities, mark a small swastik and "Shubh Labh" on a sticky note or the lid, and worship it exactly as they would a chopda.
Many still keep a small paper bahi alongside it. It carries the printed pujan page and the family's handwriting, which no laptop can.
Celebrating Chopda Pujan in the UAE
From the gold and textile shops of Bur Dubai and Deira to trading offices in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, Chopda Pujan is one of the most visible Diwali traditions in the UAE. Many Gujarati and Marwari family businesses here have kept the ritual going for generations.
Because the evening window starts right at sunset, set up your thali, deities and books by 5:15 PM. That way the pujan can begin as soon as the Shubha choghadiya opens. Light the diyas at the door as well, so the evening feels like Diwali from the moment Lakshmi is invited in.
Light up the doorway
Hand-painted clay diyas with cotton wicks, ready for Diwali evening.
For more festive pooja supplies delivered across the Emirates, browse our Diwali Specials collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Chopda Pujan in 2026?
Chopda Pujan is on Sunday, 8 November 2026, the same day as Diwali Lakshmi Puja. In Dubai the evening muhurat runs from 5:35 PM to 10:26 PM, with the best overlap from 5:58 PM to 7:56 PM.
Is Chopda Pujan the same as Sharda Pujan?
Yes. It is the same ritual. Gujarati families often call it Sharda Pujan because Maa Sharda, a form of Saraswati, is worshipped with Lakshmi and Ganesh so wisdom guides the new year's wealth.
Why do Indian websites show different timings?
Most Indian sites publish muhurats for Indian cities in IST. Choghadiya is calculated from local sunrise and sunset, so Dubai timings are different, and converting IST by 1 hour 30 minutes gives the wrong answer. Use Dubai timings for the UAE.
Can I do Chopda Pujan at home?
Yes. Many UAE families do it at home, especially in 2026 when Diwali falls on a Sunday. Place the new bahi, a pen and your laptop before Lakshmi Ganesh and follow the same vidhi.
What should I write on the first page of the new chopda?
Draw a kumkum swastik, write "Shri" above it and "Shubh" and "Labh" on either side. Many families also write "Shri Ganeshaya Namah", the date and the business name.
When should I make the first entry in the new bahi?
Most families wait for an auspicious muhurat after the pujan, often the Gujarati New Year on 10 November or Labh Pancham on 14 November in 2026.
Can I use my old account book for Chopda Pujan?
You can worship the old book too, as a thank you for the year that has passed. But the ritual is really about beginning fresh, so most families bring a new bahi each Diwali.
Where can I buy a bahi khata in the UAE?
Divine Sansar stocks a traditional red cloth bahi khata with a printed Shri Bahi Pujan page and delivers across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman. Order before Dhanteras so it reaches you in good time.
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