Diwali days · Lakshmi, Ganesha, Kubera
Diwali
The festival of lights: the new-moon night when homes are lit and Lakshmi is welcomed.
Also known as: Deepavali, Festival of Lights, Lakshmi Puja
Date and muhurat
✓ 28.6519°N, 77.2315°E · Asia/Kolkata
Calculating for your city…
When is it observed?
On the new-moon (Amavasya) night of the month of Ashwin by the amanta count, which is Kartik in the north. It is the middle of the five-day Diwali season that starts with Dhanteras.
About Diwali
Diwali is the biggest festival of the Hindu year and is also kept by Jains, Sikhs and many Buddhists in their own ways. Its main day falls on the darkest night of the lunar month, and it is answered with light: rows of clay lamps, strings of bulbs, candles and rangoli at every threshold.
In most homes the evening is given to Lakshmi Puja, the worship of Lakshmi and Ganesha, followed by fireworks, sweets and visits to family and friends. Shops and businesses open new account books, and the days before are spent cleaning, painting and decorating the house.
Significance
Spiritually, Diwali stands for the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. The lamp is lit to invite prosperity and to remind the household that a good life is built on honest work, gratitude and generosity.
Socially it is a season of renewal: old debts are settled, quarrels are put aside, gifts and sweets travel between houses, and the whole community, rich and poor, takes part. For many families it is also the start of the new financial year.
Lakshmi Puja at home
- 1Clean and decorate the house in the days before, and draw rangoli at the entrance. Take a bath and wear fresh or new clothes on the day.
- 2Prepare a clean raised place facing east or north, spread a red or yellow cloth, and set images or idols of Lakshmi and Ganesha. Place a water-filled kalash with mango leaves and a coconut beside them.
- 3Begin at the puja muhurat. Light a ghee lamp, invoke Ganesha first with a few flowers, rice and a tilak, and take the sankalp to perform the puja.
- 4Offer Lakshmi water, then milk or panchamrit, clean cloth, flowers (a lotus is ideal), kumkum, turmeric, rice, sandal paste and incense.
- 5Offer sweets, fruit, puffed rice (khil) and batashe. Place coins, notes, ornaments and account books on the altar to be blessed.
- 6Chant the Lakshmi mantras or the Shri Sukta, then sing the aarti of Ganesha and Lakshmi with the family.
- 7Light lamps at the main door, windows, courtyard, tulsi and the place of business, and keep a lamp burning through the night.
- 8Share the prasad, give charity or sweets to those in need, and greet elders for their blessings.
The story
The most widely told story is of Rama's homecoming. After fourteen years of exile and the defeat of Ravana, Rama returned to Ayodhya with Sita and Lakshmana, and the citizens lit rows of lamps along the way on the new-moon night to welcome them.
In another tradition Krishna freed the world from the demon Narakasura the day before, which is why the previous day is Narak Chaturdashi. Elsewhere Diwali recalls the churning of the ocean, from which Lakshmi arose, and the story of Vamana, who sent the generous king Bali to rule the underworld.
Jains keep the day as the nirvana of Mahavira, and Sikhs link it with Bandi Chhor Divas, when Guru Hargobind returned to Amritsar after securing the release of the Hindu kings imprisoned with him.
What to do
- ✓Clean the house and settle old accounts before the day.
- ✓Light lamps at the entrance and keep one burning through the night.
- ✓Worship Ganesha before Lakshmi, at the puja muhurat.
- ✓Share sweets and gifts, and remember those who cannot celebrate.
- ✓Use clay lamps and natural colours where you can.
What to avoid
- ✕Do not begin the puja outside the muhurat if you can avoid it.
- ✕Avoid quarrels, harsh words and anger on this night.
- ✕Do not leave lamps and candles unattended near curtains or children.
- ✕Avoid loud or hazardous fireworks near people, animals and hospitals.
- ✕Do not waste food or throw away the prasad.
Around the country
- North India: Lakshmi-Ganesha puja at night, with lamps, fireworks and sweets, and Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj to follow.
- Bengal and Odisha: Kali Puja is performed on the same night, with Diwali lamps for ancestors in Odisha.
- Gujarat: the Hindu new year (Bestu Varas) begins the next day, and traders open fresh account books on Chopda Pujan.
- South India: the day before is marked by an early oil bath and new clothes, called Naraka Chaturdashi or Deepavali.
Frequently asked questions
Is Diwali on the same date every year?
No. It follows the lunar calendar, falling on the new-moon night of Ashwin (Kartik in the north), so the English date changes each year, usually between mid-October and mid-November.
Why is Lakshmi Puja done in the evening?
Tradition holds that Lakshmi visits on the new-moon night, so the puja is placed in the Pradosh evening (and some also worship at midnight). A steady, fixed lagna such as Vrishabha is preferred for staying prosperity.
What if Amavasya spans two days?
The puja is kept on the day the new-moon tithi covers the Pradosh evening. The dates on this page are worked out for your city on that rule.