Buying a New Car This Diwali in Mumbai: Dates, Timelines and a Booking Checklist (2026)

By Arjun Ramanarayanan, IndiCar · Published 5 October 2026 · Tips

Buying a New Car This Diwali in Mumbai: Dates, Timelines and a Booking Checklist (2026)

Navratri starts 11 October, Dussehra is 20 October, Dhanteras is 6 November and Diwali is 8 November. Here is how to time a Mumbai booking so your car is actually in the garage on the day you want it.

If you want a new car on Dhanteras, 6 November, you should be booking in October. The festive weeks are the busiest stretch of the year for showrooms, and the cars that are ready to hand over go first.

The dates to plan around

  • Navratri: starts Sunday 11 October and runs nine nights.
  • Dussehra: Tuesday 20 October.
  • Dhanteras: Friday 6 November, the biggest single day for car deliveries.
  • Diwali: Sunday 8 November.

Check your own panchang for the exact muhurat, because timings differ by family and priest.

Ready stock decides who gets a car on time

A car that is already in stock can be registered and handed over within days. A car that has to be built or moved from another city cannot, and in a festive month that wait stretches. Mahindra's waiting periods, for instance, were already long before the season started; see our Mahindra waiting period report. Ask for the delivery date in writing, not "around Diwali".

Know the real price before you book

The ex-showroom price is not what you pay. In Mumbai you add registration and road tax, insurance, TCS on cars above Rs 10 lakh and FASTag, which lifts a typical petrol or diesel car by about 18 to 22 percent. Our on-road price breakdown shows how that works, and the calculator prices any variant.

Booking checklist

Run through the checklist on this page before you pay a booking amount, and again before you take delivery. The festive rush is when mistakes happen: a wrong variant on the invoice, an add-on nobody asked for, a delivery date that slips.

Which cars to look at

If you want quick delivery, start with models that are in ready stock: the Toyota Hyryder, Taisor and Glanza are available now, and Toyota's Glanza facelift debuts on 14 October if you would rather wait; we cover that in our Glanza facelift guide. Our take: pick the car first, then the date. A Dhanteras handover of the car you like beats a Diwali booking for the car an offer pushed you toward.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dhanteras in 2026?

Friday 6 November 2026. Diwali is on Sunday 8 November. Check your panchang for the exact muhurat.

How early should I book a car for Dhanteras delivery?

In October. A car in ready stock can be handed over in days, but anything that has to be built or moved takes longer in a festive month.

What do I pay on top of the ex-showroom price in Mumbai?

Registration and road tax, first-year insurance, TCS on cars above Rs 10 lakh and FASTag. Together that is about 18 to 22 percent extra for a petrol or diesel car.

Tags: diwali-car-buying, festive-season-2026, dhanteras-car-delivery, new-car-booking-checklist, mumbai-car-buyers