Diwali Festival Information 2024 - A Complete Guide Along With Diwali Calendar 2024 With Puja Dates And Time
The most popular Hindu festival Diwali literally means ‘an array of lamps.’ Here is a complete guide to the most famous festival in Hindu religion. Diwali 2024 date is October 31 as per Hindu Calendar - India Standard Time. It will be observed on October 31 in Tamil Nadu and in other regions in South India. In Maharashtra, Diwali and Lakshmi Puja is marked on November 1. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil – where the good and the evil are present in us. Lakshmi Puja 2024 date is October 31. Diwali 2024 dates and calendar is given below in detail –
Diwali 2024 Dates – Calendar
- Vasubaras – October 28
- Govatsa Dwadashi – October 28
- Vagh Baras – October 28
- Guru Dwadashi – October 29
Diwali Day 1 - October 29
- Dhantrayodashi
- Dhanteras
- Yam Deep Daan
- Dhanvantari Jayanti
- Tihar Festival begins in Nepal
- Jala Poorna Trayodasi
Diwali Day 2 - October 30
- Abhyang Snan
- Kali Chaudas
- Roop Chaturdashi
- Hanuman Puja
- Bhoot Chaturdashi
- Neer Thumba Habba
- Choti Diwali
- Kukur Tihar in Nepal
- Naraka Chaturdashi (In North India)
Diwali Day 3 - October 31 - The most important date
- Diwali in North – West – East – October 31
- Deepavali Festival in Tamil Nadu and South India – October 31
- Naraka Chaturdashi
- Abhyanga Snana
- Lakshmi Puja – October 31 (Maharashtra it is marked on November 1)
- Kamala Mahavidya Jayanti
- Kuber Puja
- Sharda Puja
- Kedar Gauri Vrat
- Chopda Pujan
- Kali Puja in Bengal - October 31
Diwali Day 4 - November 2
- Diwali Padwa
- Govardhan Puja
- Annakut
- Bali Pratipada or Bali Padyami
- Gujarati New Year or Nutan Varsh
- Vishwakarma Puja
Diwali Day 4 - November 3
- Bhai Dooj
- Yama Dwitiya
- Chitragupta Puja
Some Important Information on Diwali
- Diwali lamps signify the removal of spiritual darkness and the ushering in of knowledge capable of realizing Brahman (That) – the Supreme Being present in all animate and inanimate.
- There are several reasons for celebrating Diwali. The most important one is the commemoration of the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile.
- Lakshmi Puja during Diwali is observed as it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi emerged from the ocean on this day during the ‘samudra manthan’ (churning of ocean) by demons and gods as mentioned in the Puranas. So for the business people, the new business year begins on Diwali.
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- Dhanteras is celebrated two days before Diwali honors Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods. He is believed to have emerged from the ocean on this day during samudra manthan.
- In Orissa, the lights are lit to show the path to the spirits of ancestors returning to heaven.
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All You Need to Know About Diwali
Abhyanga Snana – Ritual bathing during Diwali
Yama Tharpanam – For dead Ancestors
Naraka Chaturdashi – Deepavali celebrations in South India
Kali Puja – Worship of Goddess Kali in Bengal
Sharda Puja – Dedicated to Goddess Saraswati
Lakshmi Puja – Worship of Goddess Lakshmi
Kamala Mahavidya Jayanti – Worship of Goddess Kamala – Tantric worship of Goddess Lakshmi
Tihar Festival – Diwali in Nepal
Chopda Puja – Muhurat Puja in Gujarat and Rajasthan
Vasubaras – Dedicated to Cow in Maharashtra
Vagh Baras – Dedicated to Cow and other domesticated animals in Gujarat
Govatsa Dwadashi – Dedicated to Cow in Gujarat
Neer Thumba Habba – Cleaning of vessel and ritual bath in Karnataka
Bhuta Chaturdashi – Dedicated to Bhutas or goblins
Choti Diwali – The day before Diwali
Govardhan Puja – Commemoration of Sri Krishna lifting the Govardhan Mountain
Annakut – Offering of food to Deities
Vikram Samvat 2081 - Gujarati New Year
Bali Pratipada / Bali Padyami – Celebrating the return and rule of King Bali
Vishwakarma Puja – Dedicated to Vishwakarma the divine architect of the universe
Yama Dwitiya – dedicated to Yama
Vikram Samvat 2081 - Gujarati New Year
Bali Pratipada / Bali Padyami – Celebrating the return and rule of King Bali
Vishwakarma Puja – Dedicated to Vishwakarma the divine architect of the universe
Yama Dwitiya – dedicated to Yama
Chopda Puja – Opening of new account books for some communities
Chitragupta Puja – Rituals dedicated to Chitragupta – one who keeps accounts of good and bad deeds on earth.
Diwali Puja Timings
Diwali Pushya Nakshatra Date and Time
Dhanteras Puja Time
Lakshmi Puja Time
Various Diwali Puja Timings
Diwali Puja Timings
Diwali Pushya Nakshatra Date and Time
Dhanteras Puja Time
Lakshmi Puja Time
Various Diwali Puja Timings
Did You Know
- In addition to Hindus, Sikhs celebrate Diwali in commemoration of the release of the Sixth Guru, Hargobind, from captivity by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.
- Jains recognize Diwali as the day Lord Mahavira, the last of the Tirthankaras, attained Nirvana, or liberation, after his death in 527 BCE.
- The only major state in India that does not observe Diwali is Kerala.
- Bhagya Lakshmi is worshipped during Diwali by gambling. Playing of cards and gambling are seen as an attempt to know the luck during the coming year.
- Indians spend over Rs 25,000 crore (Rs 250 billion) on Diwali shopping.
- The Diwali cracker industry is worth more than 5000 crore (Rupees 50 billion)
- Ash gourd or safed bhopla is crushed during diwali in many regions.
- Children make mud fort known as Shivaji Killa in Maharashtra during Diwali.
- Miniature houses are made by girls in North India during diwali known as gharonda.
Why do we perform Lakshmi Puja on Diwali?
The most important puja performed on Diwali is the Lakshmi Puja dedicated to the Hindu Goddess of prosperity, luck and wealth. But why do we perform Lakshmi Puja especially on Diwali day. Legend has it that Goddess Lakshmi incarnated on Diwali day during the legendary churning of ocean (samudra-manthan) in the Puranas. This is the main reason why Lakshmi Puja is performed on Diwali.
Another legend has it that on Diwali day, Lord Vishnu in his fifth incarnation as Vaman Avatar rescued Goddess Lakshmi from the prison of King Bali.
People perform Lakshmi Puja on the day for peace, prosperity, material wealth and spiritual wealth.
The popular belief is that Goddess Lakshmi visits homes on the day and she is welcomed by keeping the premises clean and neat.
Spiritual Significance of Diwali
O Ram! The light of lights, the self-luminous inner light of the Self is ever shining steadily in the chamber of your heart. Sit quietly. Close your eyes. Withdraw the senses. Fix the mind on this supreme light and enjoy the real Deepavali, by attaining illumination of the soul.
He who Himself sees all but whom no one beholds, who illumines the intellect, the sun, the moon and the stars and the whole universe but whom they cannot illumine, He indeed is Brahman, He is the inner Self. Celebrate the real Deepavali by living in Brahman, and enjoy the eternal bliss of the soul.
The sun does not shine there, nor do the moon and the stars, nor do lightning shine… All the lights of the world cannot be compared even to a ray of the inner light of the Self. Merge yourself in this light of lights and enjoy the supreme Deepavali.
Many Deepavali festivals have come and gone. Yet the hearts of the vast majority are as dark as the night of the new moon. The house is lit with lamps, but the heart is full of the darkness of ignorance. O man! wake up from the slumber of ignorance. Realize the constant and eternal light of the Soul which neither rises nor sets, through meditation and deep enquiry.
May you all attain full inner illumination! May the supreme light of lights enlighten your understanding! May you all attain the inexhaustible spiritual wealth of the Self! May you all prosper gloriously on the material as well as spiritual planes! (Swami Sivananda)
Diwali Thoughts - A Fresh Start
Diwali is a symbol of a fresh start, a new beginning. I always say that God doesn't open our old files. Whenever we go to Him, whenever we bow our heads humbly and say, “God, I am yours,” He will accept us. We must only offer ourselves completely at His holy feet.
On Diwali, most people begin a new checkbook, as a symbol of a “fresh start,” and they usually write the first check payable to God. This is a beautiful symbol of devotion to Him. It symbolizes that everything we are, everything we have, everything we earn is being laid at His holy feet. This is the beauty of Indian culture. In our yagnas, the mantras end with “idam na mama.” This means, “not for me, but for you, God.”
However, once we’ve written that check to God, placed it in the mandir, said a few mantras and taken prasad, do we actually live any differently? Do we really offer our lives to God, or do we only give Him this one piece of paper each year? The check to God is not an end in and of itself. Rather, it is the means to an end. It is Indian culture’s way of teaching us to always remember God, in everything we do, and to always remember that it is He to whom we owe everything. Without His grace and His blessings, nothing is possible.
This year, let us vow to not only offer God a check (a piece of paper), say a few mantras and then go on with our lives as they were before. But, rather let us vow to live according to the realization that we owe everything to Him and let us truly make an attempt to offer back to Him.
So, this year, write the first check to God. Yes, this is beautiful. Put that check in the mandir. But, then, write the second check to God’s children who are suffering. “He who serves the poorest of the poor is also serving Me,” our scriptures say. (Swami Chidanand Saraswati)