Diwali, also spelled Divali, one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, lasting for five days from the 13th day of the dark half of the lunar month Ashvina to the second day of the light half of the lunar month Karttika. [173], Diwali was first celebrated in the White House by George W. Bush in 2003 and its religious and historical significance was officially recognized by the United States Congress in 2007. They also spend time with family and friends to enjoy good food and fireworks. Diwali is celebrated for five days, each with its own special significance. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning row of lights. The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. each day of the five-day Diwali comes with a different set of traditions. [148] On this day the womenfolk of the family gather, perform a puja with prayers for the well being of their brothers, then return to a ritual of feeding their brothers with their hands and receiving gifts. The common celebratory practices are known as the festival of light, however there are minor differences from state to state in India. [73] According to Lorenz Franz Kielhorn, a German Indologist known for translating many Indic inscriptions, this festival is mentioned as Dipotsavam in verses 6 and 7 of the Ranganatha temple Sanskrit inscription of the 13th-century Kerala Hindu king Ravivarman Samgramadhira. Make sure you check the dates online if you plan on visiting India during Diwali. [80], Per another popular tradition, in the Dvapara Yuga period, Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, killed the demon Narakasura, who was the evil king of Pragjyotishapura, near present-day Assam, and released 16000 girls held captive by Narakasura. Learn Religions, Oct. 12, 2021, learnreligions.com/when-is-diwali-1539426. [116] On this day, many Hindus clean their homes and business premises. While Diwali spans five days, the holiday reaches its peak on day three this year, falling on Oct. 24, 2022. Das, Subhamoy. According to Pintchman, the start of the 5-day Diwali festival is stated in some popular contemporary sources as the day Goddess Lakshmi was born from Samudra manthan, the churning of the cosmic ocean of milk by the Devas (gods) and the Asuras (demons) a Vedic legend that is also found in several Puranas such as the Padma Purana, while the night of Diwali is when Lakshmi chose and wed Vishnu. [117][118][119], The third day is the height of the festival,[126] and coincides with the last day of the dark fortnight of Ashwin or Kartik. It is believed that spirits roam around on the night of Kali Chaudas, and Hanuman, who is the deity of strength, power, and protection, is worshipped to seek protection from the spirits. It is mentioned in Sanskrit texts dating from the fourth century CE but was likely practiced for many hundreds of years before that. Updates? In 2022, Diwali is on October 24. Diwali 2021: What the holiday . This is believed to please Yama (Yamraj), the god of death, and to ward off untimely death. Furthermore, it is a celebration of the day Rama returned to his kingdom in Ayodhya with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana after defeating the demon Ravana. This festival gets its name from "Deepa" meaning "Light" and "Avali" meaning "Row". The Prime Minister Jawaharlal . Jean Mead, How and why Do Hindus Celebrate Divali?, John Bowker, ed., Oxford Concise Dictionary of World Religions (Oxford UP, 2000), See Festivals, Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, "2022 Diwali Puja Calendar, Deepavali Puja Calendar for New Delhi, NCT, India", "Diwali 2020 Date in India: When is Diwali in 2020? [12] Chhoti Diwali is also a day for visiting friends, business associates and relatives, and exchanging gifts. Diwali takes places every year, either in October or November, depending on the position of the Moon. This means that Diwali kicks off on Oct. 22 and is celebrated through Oct. 26,. [56][57] Rajasekhara referred to Deepavali as Dipamalika in his 9th-century Kavyamimamsa, wherein he mentions the tradition of homes being whitewashed and oil lamps decorated homes, streets and markets in the night. How is Diwali celebrated? Residents of Amritsar lit lamps throughout the city to celebrate the occasion. Diwali Celebrations Dates in Different Regions Diwali 2023 (Deepavali 2023) is on Sunday, November 12th in India. People illuminate their homes, temples and offices with diyas, candles and lanterns. Scholars contest the 527 BCE date and consider Mahavira's biographical details as uncertain. Dates for 2020 to 2025." [120] The term "chhoti" means little, while "Naraka" means hell and "Chaturdashi" means "fourteenth". ", Some inscriptions mention the festival of lights in Prakrit terms such as, The Sanskrit inscription is in the Grantha script. [181][182], The use of firecrackers on Diwali increases the concentration of dust and pollutants in the air. Ritually, in honour of Lakshmi, the female player always wins. The dates for Diwali change each year, as they are based on the Hindu lunisolar calendar. This year it was from November 5th-9th and in 2019 it will be October 25-29th. In some months, a day needs to be dropped to correlate with a shorter lunar cycle. Diwali is observed on the day of Amavasya or the new moon and marks the start of the Hindu New Year. The duration will be 1 hour 56 minutes. [91] The telling of these myths are reminiscent of the Hindu belief that good ultimately triumphs over evil. Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of good fortune and prosperity, is the primary deity worshiped during Diwali. [64][65][d][e], Publications from the British colonial era also made mention of Diwali, such as the note on Hindu festivals published in 1799 by Sir William Jones, a philologist known for his early observations on Sanskrit and Indo-European languages. [50] It is mentioned in mentioned in early Sanskrit texts, such as the Padma Purana and the Skanda Purana, both of which were completed in the second half of the 1st millennium CE. Cook, Sharell. Hit ctrl+D to bookmark this page, and share this page with your friends. [166] Stock markets like NSE and BSE in India are typically closed during Diwali, with the exception of a Diwali Muhurat trading session for an hour in the evening to coincide with the beginning of the new year. (2021, September 4). The meaning of Diwaliand its many legends Diwali is so widely. This is why dates change every year. On the eve of his first visit to India as President of the United States, Obama released an official statement sharing his best wishes with "those celebrating Diwali". Diwali is also celebrated to mark the return of Rama to Ayodhya after defeating the demon-king Ravana and completing his fourteen years of exile. [23] Another aspect of the festival is remembering the ancestors. Diwali is generally a time for visiting, exchanging gifts, wearing new clothes, feasting, feeding the poor, and setting off fireworks (though such displays have been restricted to limit noise and other environmental pollution). Diwali is the Indian "festival of lights"a holiday that celebrates the triumph of good over evil. It is usually celebrated on October or November every year. Hindus celebrating Diwali in India. According to the ancient calendar, Diwali is observed on Amavasya (or new moon) the 15th day of the month of Kartik, every year. At such events a variety of music, dance and arts performances, food, crafts, and cultural celebrations are featured. [143] According to Kinsley, the ritual use of cow dung, a common fertiliser, is an agricultural motif and a celebration of its significance to annual crop cycles. The festival falls sometime between October and November. Hindu temples on this day prepare and present "mountains of sweets" to the faithful who have gathered for darshan (visit). More Topics Diwali also known as Deepavali is the . Diwali this year is a close-knit family affair. Das, Subhamoy. It is intended to signify a brother's duty to protect his sister as well as sisters blessing their brothers. A lunar half-month is 15 days. [139], The celebrations and rituals of the Jains and the Sikhs are similar to those of the Hindus where social and community bonds are renewed. Major temples and homes are decorated with lights, festive foods shared with all, friends and relatives remembered and visited with gifts. This year, Diwali falls at the start of November beginning with Dhanteras on November 2. A lunar year varies in length, each month containing approximately 29.5 days (354 days) depending on the moon's movement with respect to the earth. It is a day in which people rid themselves of evil and everything negative. The legislation will come into effect next year, and Diwali will replace Anniversary Day, which is also known as Brooklyn-Queens Day, so that schools can still deliver the 180-day requirement of . [186], (federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority, (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies. Sharell Cook lives in Mumbai full-time and writes about India travel. In his 11th-century memoir on India, the Persian traveler and historian Al Biruni wrote of Deepavali being celebrated by Hindus on the day of the New Moon in the month of Kartika. It's associated with Lord Ram's return to his kingdom in Ayodhya after exile and rescuing his wife from demon king Ravan on Dussehra. [95] According to the Jain tradition, this practice of lighting lamps first began on the day of Mahavira's nirvana in 527 BCE,[j] when 18 kings who had gathered for Mahavira's final teachings issued a proclamation that lamps be lit in remembrance of the "great light, Mahavira". Earlier in the season's fortnight, some welcome the souls of their ancestors to join the family for the festivities with the Mahalaya. The third day is the day of Lakshmi Puja and the darkest night of the traditional month. It also marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. Large government-sponsored festivals are held in London, Sydney, Toronto, and Edinburgh, and they are often a showcase for Indian culture, music, dance, fashion, food, crafts, and fireworks. This is followed by Choti Diwali the next day and Diwali on November 4. The festival isn't celebrated in Kerala though. This is done via a bathing ritual called Abhyanga Snan. . [159][160] According to Rao, Diwali is one of the major festivals where rural Indians spend a significant portion of their annual income, and is a means for them to renew their relationships and social networks. The inscription states that Ramachandracharya built and dedicated a drama performance hall, with a golden cupola, on Diwali. In India, the holiday always falls on the 15th of Kartik, the first month of the Hindu lunar calendar . [156] It is traditionally a time when households purchase new clothing, home refurbishments, gifts, gold, jewelry,[157][158] and other large purchases particularly as the festival is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and such purchases are considered auspicious. Diwali was not a public holiday in Pakistan from 1947 to 2016. Next year (2024) November 1 (Friday) Last year (2022) October 24 (Monday) This holiday gets its name from the rows of clay lamps that Indians light just outside their houses.