Dhanteras 2026 Gold Buying Guide: Date, Timings, What to Buy and What to Check

Dhanteras (Dhanatrayodashi) falls on Friday, 6 November 2026, two days before Diwali on Sunday, 8 November. It is the first of the five days of Diwali and the day many families buy gold, silver or new utensils. This guide gives you the timings, the rate today, and the practical decisions that save money on the day.

Why 6 November is the date

Dhanteras is observed on the day the Trayodashi tithi of the dark fortnight is present during Pradosh Kaal, the evening period after sunset. By our ephemeris calculation, Krishna Trayodashi runs from 6 Nov, 10:31 am to 7 Nov, 10:48 am IST, which covers the evening of 6 November in every city below. Local panchangs can differ by a few minutes, so confirm with your family's panchang for a ritual muhurat.

Timings for six cities

The 15-city version, with sunrise and sunset, is on the Dhanteras 2026 muhurat page. Many families buy at any time while Trayodashi lasts, and many prefer the evening. Customs vary by region and community, so follow your own family's practice.

What does gold cost on Dhanteras?

The gold rate on Dhanteras is the same market rate as on any other day. As of 18 Oct 2026, 6:17 am IST, it is ₹13,415 per gram for 22K and ₹14,630 per gram for 24K. These figures update as the rate does. What you actually pay depends on the making charge, GST and the jeweller. The next section shows how much that matters.

A worked example: 5 grams of 22K

Take a 5 gram 22K piece at today's rate. The metal alone is ₹67,074. With 3% GST on top, the bill depends on the making charge:

• 8% making charge: about ₹74,614 in total.
• 15% making charge: about ₹79,450 in total.
• 22% making charge: about ₹84,286 in total.

The weight and the rate are identical in all three. The only difference is the design and the quote, which is why comparing making charges across two or three jewellers is worth more than choosing the "right" hour. Test your own piece in the jewellery price calculator.

What people buy on Dhanteras

• Gold or silver coins: the most common choice, since a coin carries a smaller premium than jewellery. See gold coin vs jewellery.
• New utensils: the older tradition for the day, especially brass or silver.
• Light jewellery: a pendant, studs or a chain. If your budget is small, read gold gifts under ₹5,000.
• Digital gold or a gold ETF: a way to mark the day without taking delivery. Read the digital gold guide first.

Chaturmas and Dhanteras

Chaturmas is still running on 6 November and ends on 19 November. Some traditions practise restraint during it. Many families treat Dhanteras as an exception and buy anyway. This is a matter of family custom, not a rule we can settle for you.

How to avoid overpaying on the day

1. Look up the day's rate before you leave home and ask the jeweller which rate they are using.
2. Ask for the making charge as a percentage and as a rupee amount. Compare it with a second jeweller.
3. Check the BIS hallmark and the HUID code on every piece.
4. Get an itemised bill: weight, rate, making charge, GST, total.
5. Ask what deduction applies if you exchange or sell the piece later.

A longer version of this list is in the gold buying checklist, and the wider festival picture is in buying gold during festivals in India. For the full Diwali plan, start with the Diwali 2026 gold buying guide.

A simple plan for the weeks before Dhanteras

1. Now: decide the purpose (wear, hold or a token) and a total budget. The Diwali 2026 buying guide lays out the options.
2. Next week: visit two or three jewellers on a quiet weekday and collect itemised quotes for the same weight and design, so you compare like with like. Showrooms are crowded on the day itself, and it is harder to ask questions.
3. Before Dhanteras: if you want a specific piece, ask whether it can be reserved and on what terms. Advance bookings and gold savings schemes differ widely. Ask which rate applies, what happens if the rate falls, and what the refund terms are, in writing.
4. On Dhanteras, 6 November: make the purchase, check the hallmark and the bill, and keep the evening for the puja if that is your custom.
5. Afterwards: keep the bill with the piece.

What a budget buys on Dhanteras

A budget of ₹10,000 buys roughly 0.66 g of 22K at a 10% making charge, or 0.65 g of 24K as a coin with an assumed 2% premium. At ₹50,000 the figures are about 3.29 g and 3.25 g. These use assumed charges, so enter the real quote in the jewellery calculator to see your own number.

What Dhanteras is about

Dhanteras is associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and with Dhanvantari, linked to health and Ayurveda, and many households light a lamp at the entrance of the home in the evening. Buying something new, whether gold, silver or a utensil, is a way of welcoming prosperity into the home. The size of the purchase is not the point: many families buy a small coin or a single utensil. The festival guide covers the traditions and the other festivals through the year.

Sources

• Timings: Goldmitra's astronomical calculation (Lahiri ayanamsa, sunrise and sunset by city); see the Dhanteras 2026 muhurat page for method.
• BIS hallmarking: hallmark = BIS mark + purity (22K916, 18K750, 14K585) + 6-character HUID; fee ₹45 per piece: vikaspedia.in (hallmarking of gold jewellery) and outlookmoney.com (hallmarking charges)
• GST: 3% on the total value of jewellery, making charges included: cleartax.in/s/gst-impact-on-gold

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Goldmitra's Team

Gold Buying Expert, 10+ years in Gold Markets

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