Diwali, also known as Deepavali, falls on 4 November this year. [135] Vaishnava families recite Hindu legends of the victory of good over evil and the return of hope after despair on the Diwali night, where the main characters may include Rama, Krishna, Vamana or one of the avatars of Vishnu, the divine husband of Lakshmi. One of the earliest reports on this variation was by Wilson in 1847. Observances of Diwali differ depending on region and tradition. [135][136] At dusk, lamps placed earlier in the inside and outside of the home are lit up to welcome Lakshmi. Sharell Cook lives in Mumbai full-time and writes about India travel. At such events a variety of music, dance and arts performances, food, crafts, and cultural celebrations are featured. For Jains, it is a time to celebrate Lord Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, and the moment reached a state of enlightenment. In Australia, over one million Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs celebrate versions of the festival, which include Tihar and Bandi Chhor Diwas. Because the festival of Diwali is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, the dates are different each year. Spiritually, Diwali symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. On the third day, Lakshmi Puja, families seek blessings from Lakshmi to ensure their prosperity; light diyas, candles, and fireworks; andvisittemples. Dates for 2020 to 2025." Diwali also known as Deepavali is the . 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. Why is Diwali Celebrated | TD active Holidays [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. In 2022, Diwali falls on October 24th which is a new moon day or Amavasya. [56], Diwali was also described by numerous travelers from outside India. Diwali was celebrated as a signifier of triumph of good over evil after Krishna's Victory over Narakasura. each day of the five-day Diwali comes with a different set of traditions. [141][142] In another interpretation, it is thought to reference the legend of Parvati and her husband Shiva playing a game of dyuta (dice) on a board of twelve squares and thirty pieces, Parvati wins. Monier Monier Williams (2008 updated, Harvard University), Sanskrit English dictionary, . Cook, Sharell. 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. [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. Every year it is celebrated on the darkest night of the Hindu month Kartika. "When Is Diwali (Deepavali)? Diwali is the symbol of the victory of good over evil, of hope over despair and of knowledge over ignorance. According to Audrey Truschke, the Sunni Muslim emperor Aurangzeb did limit "public observation" of many religious holidays such as Hindu Diwali and Holi, but also of Shia observance of Muharram and the Persian holiday of Nauruz. The date of the five day festival changes every year in accordance with the Hindu and lunar calendar. India School Holidays in 2023 (Full List) - Edarabia [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. For other uses, see, Indoor Diwali decorations in front of an altar, Line of lamps at Bedara Kannappa temple, Mysore, Diyas lit for Diwali at Golden Temple, Punjab, Decorative lights for Diwali on a house in Haryana. In the diaspora, all the countries in the world outside of the Indian subcontinent where Indian people have settled, Diwali is considered a public celebration open to Hindus and anyone else. This means that Diwali kicks off on Oct. 22 and is celebrated through Oct. 26,. Diwali is celebrated in the Hindu month of Kartik. There are many stories around the celebration of Diwali. [121] The day and its rituals are interpreted as ways to liberate any souls from their suffering in "Naraka", or hell, as well as a reminder of spiritual auspiciousness. Because Diwali is such a meaningful celebration, festivities are often planned years in advance. [140], This day ritually celebrates the bond between the wife and husband,[143] and in some Hindu communities, husbands will celebrate this with gifts to their wives. 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). It is one of the most important festivals within Hinduism [7] [8] where it generally lasts five days (or six in some regions of India), and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar months of Ashvin (according to the amanta tradition) and Kartika (between mid- October and mid- November ). [124][128] Shops either do not open or close early on this day allowing employees to enjoy family time. [125], Some Hindus observe Yama Deepam (also known as Yama Dipadana or Jam ke Diya) on the second day of Diwali, instead of the first day. Diwali: Hindu Festival of Lights | Live Science While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The Lacshmipuja dipanwita, remarked Jones, was a "great festival at night, in honour of Lakshmi, with illuminations on trees and houses".[68][f]. It's a one-day celebration, known as Deepavali, that usually falls a day before the main Diwali date but sometimes occurs on the same day (when the lunar days overlap). This year's date of celebration starts November 14, 2020. . It's the holiday season and Diwali is around the corner. Diwali is observed as a Gazetted Holiday throughout the nation. [13][14][93][94], A scholar of Jain and Nivethan, states that in Jain tradition, Diwali is celebrated in observance of "Mahavira Nirvana Divas", the physical death and final nirvana of Mahavira. It is determined by the Indian calendar and the dates of celebration change every year. The 5 days of Diwali Diwali festivities include a celebration of sights, sounds, arts and flavours. 25 Diwali Facts - Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays Importance of Diwali Festival and Its Significance | About Diwali In some months, a day needs to be dropped to correlate with a shorter lunar cycle. [70][71][g] Examples include a 10th-century Rashtrakuta empire copper plate inscription of Krishna III (939967 CE) that mentions Dipotsava,[72] and a 12th-century mixed Sanskrit-Kannada Sinda inscription discovered in the Isvara temple of Dharwad in Karnataka where the inscription refers to the festival as a "sacred occasion". Fireworks are often set off in the evening to celebrate Diwali. Each day of the festival has special significance. Diwali/Deepavali is a public holiday. What makes Dev Deepawali different from Diwali? amnta / primnta. [124] Many visit their favourite Hindu temple. Find out all about the history, traditions and significance of Diwali in this blogpost. Diwali 2022: When is the festival of lights and how is it celebrated Diwali is celebrated over five days in most of North India. The word Deepawali comes from the Sanskrit word deep, which means an Indian lantern/lamp. The five day festival falls in the first week of Novmber. In 2022, Diwali will begin on October 22, and end on October 26. Since the 18th century, Diwali has been celebrated in Sikhism as the time of Guru Hargobinds return to Amritsar from captivity in Gwalior, an echo of Lord Ramas return to Ayodhya. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Also known as the 'festival of lights', the celebration usually lasts for five days. [81], Many Hindus associate the festival with Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and wife of Vishnu. While Diwali spans five days, the holiday reaches its peak on day three this year, falling on Oct. 24, 2022. [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. Diwali is an important festival in Jainism. [110] Some regions of India start Diwali festivities the day before Dhanteras with Govatsa Dwadashi. [48] The festivities begin two days before amvasy, on Dhanteras, and extend two days after, until the second (or 17th) day of the month of Kartik. [49] (According to Indologist Constance Jones, this night ends the lunar month of Ashwin and starts the month of Kartik[50] but see this note[c] and Amanta and Purnima systems.) Lasting over five days, the holiday is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs worldwide. Monier Monier Williams (2008 updated, Harvard University), Sanskrit English dictionary, . Learn about Diwali, when it occurs, and common traditions! The festival isn't celebrated in Kerala though. Amavasya Tithi on Diwali begins at. Among Hindus the most widespread customis the lighting of diyas (small earthenware lamps filled with oil) on the night of the new moon to invite the presence of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. 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 . Amavasya is thought of as the darkest night of the year and is holy to Hindus. [143] In Gujarat, Annakut is the first day of the new year and celebrated through the purchase of essentials, or sabras (literally, "good things in life"), such as salt, offering prayers to Krishna and visiting temples. [122] A mythological interpretation of this festive day is the destruction of the asura (demon) Narakasura by Krishna, a victory that frees 16,000 imprisoned princesses kidnapped by Narakasura. While the dates vary annually based on the Hindu lunar calendar, Diwali usually occurs in October or November. To produce colors when crackers are burst, carcinogenic and poisonous elements are used. It is usually celebrated on October or November every year. Diwali is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the Hindu month of Kartika and, much like Easter, the date changes every year. "The first day . Diwali is known as the festival of lights in India. [153][p] In the modern day, Diwali mela are held at college, or university, campuses or as community events by members of the Indian diaspora. [n] Vishwakarma is the presiding Hindu deity for those in architecture, building, manufacturing, textile work and crafts trades. The second day is Naraka Chaturdashi. [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. All the days except Diwali are named using the designation in the Indian calendar. Diwali/Deepavali in India - Time and Date [114], According to Tracy Pintchman, Dhanteras is a symbol of annual renewal, cleansing and an auspicious beginning for the next year. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The auspicious time to conduct Lakshmi Puja will begin at 6:09 pm and end at 8:04 pm, according to the Drik Panchang. For the Jain community, the festival commemorates the enlightenment and liberation (moksha) of Mahavira, the most recent of the Jain Tirthankaras, from the cycle of life and death (samsara). 80 New Diwali Wishes, Quotes & Images For Your Loved Ones! Diwali (Deepavali) Nov 27, 2023: Guru Nanak's Birthday: Dec 25, 2023: Christmas Day: Which are the other holidays in India? The festival typically lasts for four to five days and coincides with the new moon on the Hindu lunisolar calendar,. Forget bitterness. Amavasya is thought of as the darkest night of the year and is holy to Hindus. The lighting of the lamps celebrates the light of Mahaviras holy knowledge. "There were a hundred-plus of us at my cousin's house each year," she explains. Facts about Diwali 1) Diwali is an important religious festival originating in India. It's observed on the 15th day of Kartik, the holiest month in the Hindu lunar calendar. [103][104][k], Diwali is not a festival for most Buddhists, with the exception of the Newar people of Nepal who revere various deities in Vajrayana Buddhism and celebrate Diwali by offering prayers to Lakshmi. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/when-is-diwali-1770209. Although not a primary festival of Buddhism, Diwali is celebrated by some Buddhists as a commemoration of the day when Emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism in the 3rd century bce. It . When Is Diwali in 2021, 2022 and 2023? - Learn Religions

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