Diwali is also known as Deepavali, Dipavali, Dewali, Deepawali, or the Festival of Lights. The Prayer Hymn (Aarti) for the Hindu Diwali Celebration, The Real Reason for the Hindu Raksha Bandhan Celebration, Hindu Calendar: Days, Months, Years and Epochs, Fasting, Praying, and Regular Hindu Rituals. 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). [165] About two-thirds of Indian households, according to the ASSOCHAM forecast, would spend between 5,000 (US$63) and 10,000 (US$130) to celebrate Diwali in 2017. Although most important for Hindus, the festival is also observed by Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists. "When Is Diwali in 2021, 2022 and 2023?" Sanskrit inscriptions in stone and copper mentioning Diwali, occasionally alongside terms such as Dipotsava, Dipavali, Divali and Divalige, have been discovered at numerous sites across India. Hindu temples on this day prepare and present "mountains of sweets" to the faithful who have gathered for darshan (visit). https://www.learnreligions.com/when-is-diwali-1770209 (accessed March 4, 2023). Diwali (English: /dwli/), Dewali, Divali,[3] or Deepavali (IAST: dpval), also known as the Festival of Lights,[4][5] related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious[6] celebration in Indian religions. Diwali Celebrations Dates in Different Regions Diwali 2023 (Deepavali 2023) is on Sunday, November 12th in India. "The first day . This time the revered festival of Diwali is to be held on the month of October 24, 2022. Holi Dates: When is Holi in 2021, 2022 and 2023? Diwali (Deepavali) Nov 27, 2023: Guru Nanak's Birthday: Dec 25, 2023: Christmas Day: Which are the other holidays in India? Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The day before Diwali is remembered as Naraka Chaturdasi, the day on which Narakasura was killed by Krishna. In 2023, Diwali is on November 12. One of the earliest reports on this variation was by Wilson in 1847. Diwali festivities include a celebration of sights, sounds, arts and flavours. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The day of Diwali itself falls on November 4.. This festive day is interpreted by some to symbolise Yama's sister Yamuna welcoming Yama with a tilaka, while others interpret it as the arrival of Krishna at his sister Subhadra's place after defeating Narakasura. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning row of lights. The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. Diwali falls in either October or November each year, depending on the cycle of the moon. amnta / primnta. Ubtan is applied by the women which is made up of special gram flour mixed with herbs for cleansing and beautifying themselves. Observances of Diwali differ depending on region and tradition. He explained that though the actual Hindu festival day is the same, it is identified differently in regional calendars because there are two traditions in the Hindu calendar. Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi Devi is worshipped on this day and it is customary to purchase precious articles. Part of the inscription, as translated by Kielhorn, reads: "the auspicious festival of lights which disperses the most profound darkness, which in former days was celebrated by the kings Ila, Kartavirya and Sagara, () as Sakra (Indra) is of the gods, the universal monarch who knows the duties by the three Vedas, afterwards celebrated here at Ranga for Vishnu, resplendent with Lakshmi resting on his radiant lap. At such events a variety of music, dance and arts performances, food, crafts, and cultural celebrations are featured. [162][q] ASSOCHAM, a trade organisation in India, forecasted that online shopping alone to be over 300 billion (US$3.8billion) over the 2017 Diwali season. Some Hindu communities mark the last day as Bhai Dooj or the regional equivalent, which is dedicated to the bond between sister and brother,[111] while other Hindu and Sikh craftsmen communities mark this day as Vishwakarma Puja and observe it by performing maintenance in their work spaces and offering prayers. This year, Diwali or Deepavali will take place on October 24. Diwali or Deepawali, known as the "festival of lights," is usually celebrated in October or November, and is on October 24 this year. [168], Diwali has increasingly attracted cultural exchanges, becoming occasions for politicians and religious leaders worldwide to meet Hindu or Indian origin citizens, diplomatic staff or neighbours. Diwali, the festival of lights, is a religious observance commemorated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists around the world. [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. [128][95], The day after Diwali is the first day of the bright fortnight of Kartik. [185] When these compounds pollute the air, they increase the risk of cancer in people. [29][30] Newar Buddhists in Nepalese valleys also celebrate the Diwali festival over five days, in much the same way, and on the same days, as the Nepalese Hindu Diwali-Tihar festival. It's the holiday season and Diwali is around the corner. [92][12], Originally a Hindu festival, Diwali has transcended religious lines. Updates? As the term "Festival of Lights" suggests, the celebration involves millions of lights illuminated from rooftops, doorways, and windows in thousands of temples and buildings all over the countries where the festival is observed. This legend is remembered through the ritual of building small mountain-like miniatures from cow dung. The Hindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. The five day festival falls in the first week of Novmber. [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. 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. The first day, November 2, is Dhanteras. Naraka Chaturdashi is also a major day for purchasing festive foods, particularly sweets. A lunar half-month is 15 days. Hence Deepavali has been . "When Is Diwali (Deepavali)? In North India the festival also celebrates the royal homecoming of Rama (along with Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman) to the city of Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, the 10-headed king of the demons, thus connecting the festival with the holiday of Dussehra. Symbolising the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness, Diwali usually falls in the early autumn, coinciding with the new moon, deemed the darkest night of the Hindu lunar calendar. (2021, September 4). Diwali is the Festival of Lights, observed by Indian communities around the world. [28][29][30], Diwali is also a major cultural event for the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain diaspora. It's observed on the 15th day of Kartik, the holiest month in the Hindu lunar calendar. [176], Every year during Diwali, Indian forces approach their Pakistani counterparts at the border bearing gifts of traditional Indian confectionery, a gesture that is returned in kind by the Pakistani soldiers who give Pakistani sweets to the Indian soldiers. Diwali celebrations burst into life on the third day of the five day festival of lights, which falls between October and November with a changing date each year. During the festival, Hindus, Jains and Sikhs illuminate their homes, temples and workspaces with diyas (oil lamps), candles and lanterns[16] Hindus, in particular, have a ritual oil bath at dawn on each day of the festival. Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz. [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. Grewal, a scholar of Sikhism and Sikh history, Diwali in the Sikh tradition is older than the sixth Guru Hargobind legend. Diwali 2023: 12 th of November, Sunday Over time, these spring and autumn festivals became the most important of Sikh festivals and holy sites such as Amritsar became focal points for annual pilgrimages. Iff a festival falls in the waning phase of the moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa. This year, celebrations began on Saturday, with the "main Diwali " falling today, Monday October 24, which marks the . Diwali, also known as Deepavali, falls on 4 November this year. In some parts of India, the day after Lakshmi Puja is marked with the Govardhan Puja and Balipratipada (Padwa). Diwali symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". [109] Textual evidence suggests that Bengali Hindus worshipped Lakshmi before the colonial era, and that the Kali puja is a more recent phenomenon. [43][55], Emperor Harsha refers to Deepavali, in the 7th-century Sanskrit play Nagananda, as Dpapratipadotsava (dpa = light, pratipad = first day, utsava = festival), where lamps were lit and newly engaged brides and grooms received gifts. Confectioners and shops create Diwali-themed decorative displays, selling these in large quantities, which are stocked for home celebrations to welcome guests and as gifts. [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.) [77][78][i], The religious significance of Diwali varies regionally within India. It celebrates the sister-brother bond, similar in spirit to Raksha Bandhan but it is the brother that travels to meet the sister and her family. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. These clay lamps represent "the inner light that protects each household from spiritual darkness." While each day of Diwali has its own importance, on the third day of Diwali, this year on Oct. 24, people gather at temples to honor the goddess Lakshmi. The Diwali night's lights and firecrackers, in this interpretation, represent a celebratory and symbolic farewell to the departed ancestral souls. October 18, 2019 By Simran Jeet Singh (RNS) With more than a billion people celebrating Diwali every year, the festival is one of the largest and most significant religious observances. In 2022, Diwali is on October 24. Diwali falls in either October or November each year, depending on the cycle of the moon. [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. Some 200,000 New Yorkers celebrate Diwali each year, per state Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar . In other regions, parents invite a newly married daughter, or son, together with their spouses to a festive meal and give them gifts. 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. Earlier in the season's fortnight, some welcome the souls of their ancestors to join the family for the festivities with the Mahalaya. Where does Diwali get its name? [154][155][91], Diwali marks a major shopping period in India,[31] and is comparable to the Christmas period in terms of consumer purchases and economic activity. While the dates vary annually based on the Hindu lunar calendar, Diwali usually occurs in October or November. Diwali is also known as the 'Festival of Light' because it is celebrated using lights, fireworks and lanterns in private homes and public places. Major celebrations occur on the third day of the five-day long festival . [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. 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. Dev Deepawali or Dev Diwali takes place on the full-moon night of the Hindu month of Kartika. Every year Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains around the world celebrate the Indian Festival of Lights called Diwali. This year, it begins in the first week of November from 2nd-6th. Sometimes these are wrapped with edible silver foil (vark). A Hindu devotee lights oil lamps at a temple during . 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). In Sri Lanka and. 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. Some suggest he lived in the 5th-century BCE contemporaneously with the Buddha. The second day is Naraka Chaturdashi. Dates for 2020 to 2025." In the lead-up to Diwali, celebrants prepare by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with diyas (oil lamps) and rangolis (colorful art circle patterns). [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. Typically the holiday falls in October or November, as it's observed on the 15th day of Kartik, the holy month of the Hindu lunar calendar . [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's celebrated across five days with the day of Diwali observed on the new moon or Amavasya. It is in fact the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksh, the dark forthnight of the month of Kartik. 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). A 2017 estimate states 50,000 tons (100million pounds) of fireworks are exploded annually in India over the Diwali festival. Bhalla said the dates change each year based on the Hindu lunar calendar, but typically happens in October and November. Facts about Diwali 1) Diwali is an important religious festival originating in India. Learn Religions. It's observed on the 15th day of the month. [48][127], The youngest members in the family visit their elders, such as grandparents and other senior members of the community, on this day. [177][s], The use of fireworks also causes an increase in the number of burn injuries in India during Diwali. A solar calendar (like the Gregorian one) has an average of 365.24 days. It also marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. [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. Shiva surrenders his shirt and adornments to her, rendering him naked. Each day has the following rituals and significance:[43], Dhanteras, derived from Dhan meaning wealth and teras meaning thirteenth, marks the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Ashwin or Kartik and the beginning of Diwali in most parts of India.
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