Yama Deepam is the lamp lit for Yamaraj, the god of death, on the evening of Dhanteras. In the UAE in 2026 it falls on Friday, 6 November, and the lamp is lit at dusk between 5:36 PM and 6:53 PM Dubai time. It is a four-faced clay lamp with four wicks, set at the main door facing south, offered so that no one in the family meets an untimely death.

It takes a few minutes and almost no samagri, which is exactly why it gets forgotten in the rush of Diwali shopping. This guide covers the date and timing for each emirate, why the lamp has to be four-faced, the step-by-step vidhi and mantra, and how to do it safely in a UAE apartment.

Yama Deepam 2026 date and time in the UAE

The window opens at sunset. Sharjah and Ajman run about a minute earlier than Dubai, and Abu Dhabi about four minutes later, with sunset there at 5:40 PM. Indian calendars may show slightly different times because they are calculated for Indian cities, so go by UAE timings.

Yama Deepam shares the evening with the Lakshmi-Kubera puja of Dhanteras. Our Dhanteras 2026 guide has the full puja muhurat for that.

What Yama Deepam is

Most Diwali lamps are lit for Lakshmi. This one is different: it is a deep daan, a lamp offering, made to Yamaraj, the lord of death and dharma. The family asks him for long life and protection from akaal mrityu, an untimely death, for everyone in the house.

It is lit once a year, on the Trayodashi of Kartik Krishna Paksha, which is the evening of Dhanteras. That is why the tradition is also called Yam Deepdaan, and why the Dhanteras puja in many homes begins at the front door rather than at the mandir.

Why the Yama Deep is four-faced

Yama Deepam is one of the few rituals that names the lamp itself. Tradition holds that the Yama Deep should be four-faced (chaumukhi) and carry four wicks, and that it should be made of clay. The four flames are read as the four directions, so the protection reaches the whole household, wherever each member happens to be.

The lamp is placed facing south, the direction associated with Yamaraj. In some families it is shaped from wheat flour dough on the day, but the painted clay Chaumukhi Diya is the form most homes keep and reuse year after year.

For the Yama Deep

The four-faced clay lamp, the oil it traditionally burns, and spare wicks.

Chaumukhi Diya with 365 Batti and Rui Batti

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Mustard Oil (Puja Grade)

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Rui Batti, Round and Long, Pack of 100

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What you need

• A four-faced clay diya (chaumukhi)
• Four cotton wicks, long rui batti work best in the spouts
• Mustard oil, which is the traditional oil for Yama Deepam. Sesame oil is used in some families
• A small brass or steel plate to stand the lamp on
• A pinch of rice or other grain to seat the lamp, and a little kumkum
• Water in a lota or small kalash

Yama Deepam vidhi, step by step

1. Prepare before sunset. Wipe the diya clean, set the four wicks in the four spouts with the tips resting outward, and fill it with mustard oil.
2. Find south. Stand at your main door and check the direction with your phone compass. Most UAE front doors do not face south, so you will usually be turning the lamp rather than the door.
3. Seat the lamp. Place a little rice on the plate, set the diya on it, and apply a dot of kumkum to the lamp.
4. Light all four wicks once the sayan sandhya window opens at sunset.
5. Carry it once through the house. Many families walk the lit lamp through the home first, then bring it to the door.
6. Offer it facing south at the threshold, chant the Yama Deepam mantra below, and offer a little water.
7. Go back inside. In many homes the family does not look back at the lamp once it has been offered, and does not step out again that evening.

The story behind Yama Deepam

The story most families tell is of King Hima's son. His horoscope said he would die of a snakebite on the fourth night after his wedding. On that night his young bride would not let him sleep. She heaped all her gold and jewellery at the door of their room, lit lamps all around it, and sat up singing and telling stories.

When Yamaraj arrived in the form of a serpent, the blaze of the lamps on the gold dazzled him. He could not pass. He settled on the heap and listened to her songs until dawn, and when the fated hour had gone he left quietly. The lamps had kept death at the door. That is why a lamp is still set at the door for Yamaraj on this night, and why Dhanteras is tied to both gold and light.

Yama Deepam, Dhanteras and Choti Diwali

Yama Deepam belongs to Trayodashi, so it is lit on the Dhanteras evening. In 2026 in the UAE, that is Friday 6 November. Many families also light thirteen diyas around the home that evening, one of them the Yama Deep. Other families keep the Yama Deep for the following evening, around Choti Diwali, and light fourteen lamps then. Both are living traditions, so follow what your household has always done.

If you are mapping out the whole week, our Diwali 2026 guide for the UAE sets out all five days, and the Narak Chaturdashi abhyang snan guide covers the dawn oil bath that follows.

Lighting the Yama Deep in a UAE apartment

The ritual was written for a house with a courtyard and a front step. Most families in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman open their front door onto a shared corridor or a lobby, where an unattended open flame is a real fire risk and usually against building rules.

• Offer the lamp at your own threshold, just inside the door frame, on a metal plate. The meaning lies in the lamp, the south direction and the door, not in the corridor.
• If you have a balcony or garden that lets the lamp face south, that works too.
• Stay with the lamp until it has burned for as long as your family keeps it, then put it out gently rather than leaving it alight overnight.
• Keep it away from shoe racks, curtains and doormats, and out of reach of children and pets.

Buying for Yama Deepam in the UAE

Divine Sansar delivers across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain. Our Chaumukhi Diya arrives ready to light, with five long rui batti for the four spouts and a 365 batti inside, packed in a clear gift case. Order in the last week of October so it is home well before Dhanteras, and browse the Diwali collection for the rest of the week.

For the rest of Dhanteras evening

A brass lamp pair for the Kubera puja that follows.

Kuber Diya, Pure Brass (Pair)

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Frequently asked questions

When is Yama Deepam in 2026 in the UAE?

On Friday, 6 November 2026, the evening of Dhanteras. In Dubai the lamp is lit between 5:36 PM and 6:53 PM. Abu Dhabi runs about four minutes later, Sharjah and Ajman about a minute earlier.

Which direction should the Yama Deep face?

South, the direction associated with Yamaraj. Check with a phone compass at your front door. The lamp is turned to face south even if the door itself faces another way.

Why does the Yama Deep need four wicks?

Tradition holds that the Yama Deep should be four-faced with four wicks. The four flames are read as the four directions, so the protection covers the whole household. A chaumukhi diya is made for exactly this.

Which oil is used for Yama Deepam?

Mustard oil is the traditional choice. Some families use sesame oil.

Is Yama Deepam on Dhanteras or Choti Diwali?

By the panchang it belongs to Trayodashi, which is Dhanteras evening, Friday 6 November 2026 in the UAE. Some families keep it on the following evening around Choti Diwali. Follow your family's custom.

Can I light the Yama Deep inside my apartment?

Yes. Offer it at your own threshold, just inside the door, on a metal plate and facing south. Avoid leaving an open flame unattended in a shared corridor, which is unsafe and usually against building rules.

Should I look back after placing the Yama Deep?

In many homes the family goes back inside without looking back at the lamp once it has been offered, and does not step out again that evening. It is a custom rather than a rule, so follow what your elders did.

Can I reuse the chaumukhi diya?

Yes. Painted terracotta lasts for years if you let it cool, wipe it with a dry cloth and store it dry. Do not wash it in water, which lifts the paint and soaks into the clay.

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