Diwali or Deepavali is the Hindu pageant referred to as the pageant of lights. It is likely one of the main Hindu festivals, or maybe the most important one when it comes to vitality and participation. It’s a pan-Indian pageant, which additionally includes the participation of non-Hindus.
The time period Deepavali or Diwali actually means a set or row of lights; derived from the Sanskrit phrases ‘deep’, which suggests lamp, and ‘avali’, which suggests a row or array. The usage of clay lamps (diya or deep) is a salient function of this pageant. This Hindu pageant of lights is called Diwali in North India and Deepavali in South India. It symbolises the victory of righteousness and the lifting of religious darkness.
Diwali is undoubtedly the most important Hindu pageant when it comes to zest and participation. In lots of locations, it’s a pageant lasting 4 to 5 days, amongst which the third day is taken into account the primary pageant day. The Diwali celebrations may be witnessed throughout India and in numerous components of the world.
When is Diwali 2025 in India?
As per the Hindu calendar, Diwali is noticed on Amavasya (New Moon Day) of the month of Kartik.
In 2025, Diwali falls on October 20 all around the nation
The Amavasya Tithi begins on October 20, 2025, at 03:44 PM and ends on October 21, 2025, at 04:47 AM.
Diwali 2025 Particular days
- Day 1, October 17, Friday: Govatsa Dwadashi
- Day 2, October 18, Saturday: Dhanteras (Dhantrayodashi), Dhanvantari Trayodashi and Yama Deepam
- Day 3, October 19, Sunday: Kali Chaudas
- Day 4, October 20, Monday: Narak Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali)
- Day 5, October 20, Monday (Night time): Diwali (Laxmi Pujan)
- Day 6, October 21, Tuesday: Diwali Snan, Diwali Devpuja
- Day 7, October 22, Wednesday: Govardhan Puja, Annakut
- Day 8, October 23, Thursday: Bhai Dooj
This Diwali, mild up your future — Uncover your Free Horoscope!
Diwali Celebrations
The pageant of lights ‘Diwali’ is an auspicious event celebrating the triumph of sunshine over darkness, good over evil and hope over despair. Yearly in October or November, tens of millions of Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains the world over observe Diwali with five-day-long festivities. It’s crucial vacation of the yr in most components of India.
The lighting of diyas is the salient function of Diwali. The opposite observations embrace lighting fireworks, making Rangolis, getting ready sweets, shopping for new garments, organising get-togethers and so forth. On the night time of Diwali, the homes, temples, streets, outlets and workplaces get illuminated with an array of oil lamps. All these lights remove darkness, and the prayers and celebrations create an environment of affection, happiness, purity and compassion.
In lots of areas in India, Diwali is a pageant lasting 4 to 5 days, the peak of which is well known on the third day (Amavasya/New Moon day), coinciding with the darkest night time of the yr.
First Day of Diwali: Trayodashi (thirteenth lunar part)
The primary day of Diwali is well known as Dhanteras or Dhanatrayodashi, which is a pageant of wealth. On today, folks clear their homes, lay ground decorations similar to Rangoli, place diyas or tea lights on entryways and balconies and buy kitchen utensils. The observations additionally embrace some pujas and rituals. The enterprise folks worship their treasuries, and Ayurvedic practitioners worship the Dhanvantari deity on today.
Second Day of Diwali: Chaturdashi (14th lunar part)
At the present time is called Naraka Chaturdashi, which is believed to be the day on which Sri Krishna slew the evil demon Narakasur. In North India, today is called Choti Diwali (small Diwali), the day earlier than the primary celebrations. The observations of today embrace getting ready sweets and exchanging them with the expensive ones, and adorning flooring with Rangolis. In South India, the most important Deepavali celebrations are noticed on this night time.
Third Day of Diwali: Amavasya (New Moon)
The key Diwali celebrations happen on today in most components of India – western, central, japanese, and northern areas. The lighting of diyas, fireworks show, change of sweets, get-togethers and all different celebrations are at their highest on this night time, which can also be the darkest night time of the yr. Lakshmi Puja, or worship of Goddess Lakshmi, is a significant ritual noticed on today.
Fourth day of Diwali: Pratipada (the day after the New Moon)
At the present time is well known in numerous names – Govardhan Puja/Annakut, Diwali Padva or Bali Pratipada, Dyuta Krida and Gujarati New Yr and so forth. The celebration of Bali Pratipada symbolises God Vishnu’s conquest over the demon king Bali. Govardhan Puja or Annakut commemorates Krishna’s recommendation to the villagers of Gokul to worship Mount Govardhan and the next occasions.
Fifth day of Diwali: Dwitiya (second day after the New Moon)
The final day of Diwali is noticed as Bhai Dooj. That is the second day of the brilliant fortnight and is devoted to celebrating the brother-sister relationship. Historically, brothers reward their sisters, who honour them, with particular rituals and sweets. For some Hindu-Sikh craftsmen communities, that is the day for Vishwakarma Puja.
Astrological significance of Diwali 2025
The pageant of Diwali falls through the autumn season within the northern hemisphere. It’s celebrated on the Amavasya (New Moon Day) of the Hindu lunisolar month Kartik/Kartika, which within the Gregorian calendar falls between mid-October and mid-November.
The pageant of lights Diwali, is exclusive in the truth that it’s celebrated on the darkest night time of the yr. The Amavasya of the Kartik/Kartika month coincides with the darkest night time within the Hindu lunisolar calendar.
The 2025 Diwali night time falls on Monday, October 20. That night time witnesses the celebration of the victory of sunshine over darkness, which is symbolic of the victory of data over ignorance, good over evil and purity over impurity.
Essential options of Diwali 2025 celebrations
Diwali is probably the most stunning and thrilling Indian pageant. The night time of Diwali illuminates each nook and nook of the nation, and an air of happiness fills everybody’s thoughts. Individuals have fun this pageant primarily with oil lamps and kinds of fireworks. On the night time of Diwali, all homes, temples, streets, outlets and workplaces are illuminated with a set of oil lamps. Adorning flooring with Rangoli, getting ready sweets, shopping for new garments, organising get-togethers and gala’s and so forth., are additionally components of Diwali celebrations. All these illuminations and merrymakings signify the victory of divine forces over the depraved.
What does 2025 appear like for you?
The Beliefs/Legends Behind Diwali
The pageant of Diwali falls on the autumn harvest time and is related to quite a lot of Hindu deities and traditions. These variations in custom could possibly be attributed to the varied native autumn harvest traditions mixed into one pan-Indian pageant with a standard significance. The myths and legends behind this pageant fluctuate with numerous areas throughout India, but all share the widespread religious significance ‘data/good wins over ignorance/evil’.
The most typical legend behind Diwali is related to the epic Ramayana. It’s believed that Diwali is the day on which Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman reached Ayodhya after their exile and the victory over Ravana.
Diwali can also be an event to worship Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth and affluence. There are some myths connecting Goddess Lakshmi to Diwali. Some folks think about it a celebration of her start from the Samudra Manthan (churning of the cosmic ocean of milk), whereas others consider it because the day of the wedding of Lakshmi to Lord Vishnu.
As Diwali is the pageant indicating the victory of fine over evil and knowledge over ignorance, some Hindus affiliate this pageant with Goddess Durga or her fierce avatar Kali and with Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of knowledge and auspiciousness.
For some Hindus within the Braj area in northern India, components of Assam in japanese India, and Tamil and Telugu communities in southern India, Deepavali is the day God Krishna overcame and destroyed the demon king Narakasura. To commemorate this occasion, devotees in these areas crush a bitter fruit underfoot, which is symbolic of destroying the demon or evil. After that, they apply a mixture of ‘kumkum or vermillion and oil’ on their foreheads and take ritual oil baths.
One other fantasy related to Diwali is that it’s the day on which King Bali returns from the nether world. When Vamana (the avatar of Vishnu) pushed him into the nether world, the lord gave him the lamp of data to mild up the darkish underworld. The lord additionally gave him a blessing that he would return to his folks every year to mild tens of millions of lamps from this one lamp in order that on the darkish new moonlight of Diwali, the blinding darkness of ignorance, laziness, greed, jealousy, lust, and ego can be dispelled.
What are the importance of the Diwali celebrations?
The night time of Diwali illuminates each nook of India and creates an air of happiness and togetherness. But, the true spirit of the pageant is deeper than it appears. It’s an event to kindle the sunshine of knowledge and goodness in our minds. The lamps lit on today are additionally meant to speak a terrific fact which is ‘when the darkness inside us is expelled by means of the sunshine of knowledge; the great in us wins over the evil’. Each fantasy related to Deepavali additionally emphasises this truth.
Diwali can also be a pageant that helps to strengthen household and social relationships. Individuals organise household and social get-togethers on this event and have fun along with love, pleasure, friendliness and unity. There’s a follow of forgetting and forgiving the previous improper deeds of others too. Diwali unites folks from each nook, faith and caste. That is an event that lets folks mingle about in pleasure and embrace each other.
Diwali celebrations refresh the minds and rejuvenate the souls. It provides the power and zeal to each particular person to make constructive modifications in life and to be extra moral and environment friendly. It offers goodwill for the remainder of the yr, thus promising success and prosperity.
There’s a custom of waking up through the Brahmamuhurta (at 4 am, or 1 1/2 hours earlier than dawn) on the day of Deepavali. This follow has nice significance from the views of well being, self-discipline, effectivity and religious development. Historical Indian sages may need instituted such customs to let their descendants realise the advantages.
Thus, all of the Diwali customs have some larger functions. Even the lighting of lamps and fireworks has scientific causes. Diwali falls on a interval after the monsoon. The fumes produced by the lamps and fireworks will assist in repelling the bugs, together with mosquitoes which might in any other case are available in a lot at the moment.
The lights of Diwali ought to illuminate our inside selves. With each lamp we mild, we must always kindle the great qualities in us and refine ourselves, destroying all of the darkish ideas.
Blissful Diwali!
