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. Diwali is celebrated over five days in most of North India. Diwali 2021: What the holiday . [68] In his paper on The Lunar Year of the Hindus, Jones, then based in Bengal, noted four of the five days of Diwali in the autumn months of Aswina-Cartica [sic] as the following: Bhutachaturdasi Yamaterpanam (2nd day), Lacshmipuja dipanwita (the day of Diwali), Dyuta pratipat Belipuja (4th day), and Bhratri dwitiya (5th day). These lamps symbolize the light of inner spirituality that protects us from the spiritual darkness that threatens to engulf us. Historical records appear inconsistent about the name of the lunar month in which Diwali is observed. [114], On the second day of Diwali, Hanuman Puja is performed in some parts of India especially in Gujarat. It's observed on the 15th day of the month. Kartik overlaps with October and November. Spread joy. It is traditionally a puja, or a celebration that worships, honors, and shows devotion to the divine. How is Diwali celebrated? iStockphoto.com/SoumenNath What Do People Do? Diwali is known as the festival of lights in India. "When Is Diwali (Deepavali)? According to Pintchman, in some Hindu traditions the women recite tales where sisters protect their brothers from enemies that seek to cause him either bodily or spiritual harm. [81], Many Hindus associate the festival with Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and wife of Vishnu. [170] National and civic leaders such as the former Prince Charles have attended Diwali celebrations at prominent Hindu temples in the UK, such as the Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden, using the occasion to highlight contributions of the Hindu community to British society. This year, Diwali 2022 begins on Monday, October 24, 2022 (24/10/2022), and finishes on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 (26/10/2022). They follow thithi which is based on the movement of planets and Sun. [124] Many visit their favourite Hindu temple. The second day is Naraka Chaturdashi. The festival climax is on the third day and is called the main Diwali. It is observed on the 15th day of the 8th month (the month of Kartik) in India's calendar. It's celebrated across five days with the day of Diwali observed on the new moon or Amavasya. [129] At dusk, family members gather for the Lakshmi Pujan,[129] although prayers will also be offered to other deities, such as Ganesha, Saraswati, Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Hanuman, or Kubera. The word "Deepavali" means "a row of lights" in Sanskrit, and its origins were likely as an ancient harvest festival. 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. This year's date of celebration starts November 14, 2020. The darkest night is the apex of the celebration and coincides with the second half of October or early November in the Gregorian calendar. Since the 18th century, Diwali has been celebrated in Sikhism as the time of Guru Hargobinds return to Amritsar from captivity in Gwalioran echo of Ramas return to Ayodhya. This year, Diwali begins on Monday 24 October on the Gregorian calendar. It is intended to signify a brother's duty to protect his sister as well as sisters blessing their brothers. The main festival is on Sunday, but festivities begin on Friday, a day called Dhanteras. Lasting over five days, the holiday is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs worldwide. In South India the festival marks Krishnas defeat of the demon Narakasura. [110] Some regions of India start Diwali festivities the day before Dhanteras with Govatsa Dwadashi. To learn more, visit ISA's Instagram. [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. As an auspicious occasion, many Hindus will make big purchases as it's believed that this will bring good luck. [23] Another aspect of the festival is remembering the ancestors. Scholars contest the 527 BCE date and consider Mahavira's biographical details as uncertain. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Cook, Sharell. In 2023, Diwali is on November 12. Among Hindus the most widespread custom is 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. [108] During Diwali, people wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes with saaki (earthen lamp), diyas and rangoli, perform worship ceremonies of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth,[l] light fireworks, and partake in family feasts, where mithai (sweets) and gifts are shared. [117] Some Hindus observe Yama Deepa on the second night before the main day of Diwali.[118][119]. Diwali is the Festival of Lights, observed by Indian communities around the world. Find out all about the history, traditions and significance of Diwali in this blogpost. We usually plan for our parents to visit us during this period but the pandemic has made it difficult this year for everyone. In 2022, Diwali is on Monday 24 October. 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. 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. It is celebrated in India and other countries such as Nepal, Malaysia, Fiji, and Mauritius. 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 . Diwali as a new-moon day, marks the last day of a 15-day period. Diwali, also known as Deepavali, falls on 4 November this year. "When Is Diwali (Deepavali)? 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). In Australia, over one million Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs celebrate versions of the festival, which include Tihar and Bandi Chhor Diwas. According to McDermott, while the Durga Puja is the largest Bengali festival and it can be traced to the 16th-century or earlier, the start of Kali puja tradition on Diwali is traceable to no earlier than about the mid-18th-century during the reign of Raja Krishnacandra Ray. This year, Diwali or Deepavali will take place on October 24. [102] The festival of Diwali, according to Ray Colledge, highlights three events in Sikh history: the founding of the city of Amritsar in 1577, the release of Guru Hargobind from the Mughal prison, and the day of Bhai Mani Singh's martyrdom in 1738 as a result of his failure to pay a fine for trying to celebrate Diwali and thereafter refusing to convert to Islam. [143], In some rural communities of the north, west and central regions, the fourth day is celebrated as Govardhan puja, honouring the legend of the Hindu god Krishna saving the cowherd and farming communities from incessant rains and floods triggered by Indra's anger,[143] which he accomplished by lifting the Govardhan mountain. It is an official holiday in a dozen countries, while the other festive days are regionally observed as either public or optional restricted holidays in India. Though technically religious, it's also become a cultural event in North America that's celebrated with sweets and special foods. [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. Firecrackers also cause light pollution. Dates for 2020 to 2025. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. However you celebrate Diwali, Denver's growing Indian food scene offers a rich culinary experience for those who enjoy fresh ingredients, diverse textures, and complex combinations of spices from the South Asian subcontinent. On the third day, Lakshmi Puja, families seek blessings from Lakshmi to ensure their prosperity; light diyas, candles, and fireworks; andvisittemples. Deepavali means a row of lights, where 'deep' means light and 'avali' means row. [12][114] Families also prepare homemade delicacies for Lakshmi Pujan, regarded as the main day of Diwali. Ubtan is applied by the women which is made up of special gram flour mixed with herbs for cleansing and beautifying themselves. Diwali is celebrated for almost five days consecutively. [124][128] Shops either do not open or close early on this day allowing employees to enjoy family time. Diwali is observed on the day of Amavasya or the new moon and marks the start of the Hindu New Year. Hindus celebrate Diwali. On this day, Lord Dhanwantari came out of the ocean with Ayurvedic for mankind. The festival usually falls between mid-October and mid-November. This year (2021), Diwali begins on Tuesday 2 November, with the peak day of celebrations happening on the third day, Thursday 4 November. The festivals and . [101] According to J.S. It coincides with the new moon (amvasy) and is deemed the darkest night of the Hindu lunisolar calendar. In other regions, parents invite a newly married daughter, or son, together with their spouses to a festive meal and give them gifts. The fourth day, known as GoverdhanPuja,Balipratipada,or Annakut, commemorating Krishnas defeat of Indra, the king of the gods, is also the first day of Karttika and the start of the new year in the Vikrama (Hindu) calendar. In 2022, Diwali falls on October 24th which is a new moon day or Amavasya. 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. Each day has a different name and rituals. 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. Major temples and homes are decorated with lights, festive foods shared with all, friends and relatives remembered and visited with gifts. According to a Government of Himachal Pradesh and India publication, the Vishvakarma puja is observed on the fourth day of Diwali in the Himalayan state. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Diwali-Hindu-festival, Diwali - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Diwali - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [185] When these compounds pollute the air, they increase the risk of cancer in people. [171][172] Since 2009, Diwali has been celebrated every year at 10 Downing Street, the residence of the British Prime Minister. Dhan-trayodashi or Dhan teras: Dhan means "wealth" and Trayodashi means "thirteenth day." Thus, as the name . The word "avali" means row and "deepa . The doors and windows of houses are kept open in the hope that Lakshmi will find her way inside and bless the residents with wealth and success. The lighting of the lamps celebrates the light of Mahaviras holy knowledge. Diwali symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". Most of the injuries sustained are Group I type burns (minor) requiring only outpatient care. What is Diwali? each day of the five-day Diwali comes with a different set of traditions. Hindu temples on this day prepare and present "mountains of sweets" to the faithful who have gathered for darshan (visit). 10,000 on this Diwali: ASSOCHAM survey, "Festival of Lights: All You Need to Know About Diwali", "DNA Explainer: What is Diwali Muhurat Trading and why it is best time to invest in stocks", "NextFins Celebrates Diwali With the Launch of INDF", "Prince Charles, Camilla celebrate Diwali in UK", "Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall Celebrate Diwali at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London", "Brown celebrates Diwali at 10, Downing Street, in a 'historic' first", "Pakistan parliament adopts resolution for Holi, Diwali, Easter holidays", "Muslim-majority Pakistan set to declare Holi, Diwali and Easter as public holidays", "Muslims join Hindus in Diwali celebrations in Pakistan's Peshawar", "Burns in the developing world and burn disasters", "Air Pollution: Delhi's air quality enters 'Red Zone' ahead of Diwali", "Diwali may bring 'severe' air pollution to Delhi, despite fireworks ban", "Firecrackers Not Only Pollute The Environment But Also Carry Cancer Causing Chemicals", "Diyas symbolise Diwali, crackers cause pollution: Delhi environment minister", The Ancient Origins of Diwali, Indias Biggest Holiday, Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sembilan's Birthday, Anniversary of Installation of the Sultan of Terengganu, Declaration of Malacca City as Historical City, Declaration of George Town as World Heritage Site, Annunciation of the Virgin Mary / Annunciation of the Theotokos, Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust, Emancipation Day in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus, Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Nativity of Mary / Nativity of the Theotokos, Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month, Virgin IslandsPuerto Rico Friendship Day, Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diwali&oldid=1139371132, Articles containing Assamese-language text, Articles containing Bengali-language text, Articles containing Gujarati-language text, Articles containing Kannada-language text, Articles containing Konkani (individual language)-language text, Articles containing Maithili-language text, Articles containing Malayalam-language text, Articles containing Marathi-language text, Articles containing Punjabi-language text, Articles containing Nepali (macrolanguage)-language text, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English, Articles using infobox templates with no data rows, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Ashvin Krishna Trayodashi, Ashvin Krishna Chaturdashi, Ashvin Amavasya, Kartik Shukla Pratipada, Kartik Shukla Dwitiya, 11 (Kali Chaudas/Hanuman Puja/Chhoti Diwali), This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 20:01. 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. 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. This is believed to please Yama, the god of death, and to ward off untimely death. [77][78][i], The religious significance of Diwali varies regionally within India. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning row of lights. The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. This year's festival begins on Oct. 22. Answer (1 of 6): Hindus do not follow date system. At such events a variety of music, dance and arts performances, food, crafts, and cultural celebrations are featured. [58] The Venetian merchant and traveler Niccol de' Conti visited India in the early 15th-century and wrote in his memoir, "on another of these festivals they fix up within their temples, and on the outside of the roofs, an innumerable number of oil lamps which are kept burning day and night" and that the families would gather, "clothe themselves in new garments", sing, dance and feast. Diwali, the festival of lights, is a religious observance commemorated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists around the world. [126] Family members light up firecrackers, which some interpret as a way to ward off all evil spirits and the inauspicious, as well as add to the festive mood. Every autumn, the observance sees millions of people attend. Diwali for the year 2022 is observed on 24 October, which falls on a Monday. [12] According to Goldstein, these are then shaped into various forms, such as laddus, barfis, halwa, kachoris, shrikhand, and sandesh, rolled and stuffed delicacies, such as karanji, shankarpali, maladu, susiyam, pottukadalai. Many participate in other socio-political events as a symbol of support for diversity and inclusiveness. Make sure you check the dates online if you plan on visiting India during Diwali. This is the day when Hindu, Jain and Sikh temples and homes are aglow with lights, thereby making it the "festival of lights". It is a national holiday in India which marks its independence from the United Kingdom on August 15, 1947. This time the revered festival of Diwali is to be held on the month of October 24, 2022. Here is the schedule for Diwali 2022: Day 1: October 22, 2022 Trayodashi - Dhanteras; Day 2: October 23, 2022 Chaturdashi - Choti Diwali; Day 3: October 24, 2022 Amavasya - Diwali Diwali falls in either October or November each year, depending on the cycle of the moon. In 2022, the five days of Diwali begin on October 22, with the most important festival date taking place on October 24. Dev Deepawali or Dev Diwali takes place on the full-moon night of the Hindu month of Kartika. For planning purposes, here are the dates for the main celebrations for Diwali for the next few years: 2019: Sunday, October 27 (starts on October 25, ends on October 29) 2020: Saturday, November 14 (November 12-16) 2021: Thursday, November 4 (November 2-6) 2022: Monday, October 24 (October 22-26) 2023: Wednesday, November 7 (November 5-9) The inscription states that Ramachandracharya built and dedicated a drama performance hall, with a golden cupola, on Diwali. Diwali is a five-day religious festival. Diwali usually falls in October or November. [140] It is regionally called Annakut (heap of grain), Padwa, Goverdhan puja, Bali Pratipada, Bali Padyami, Kartik Shukla Pratipada and other names. [15][131][132] After the puja, people go outside and celebrate by lighting up patakhe (fireworks) together, and then share a family feast and mithai (sweets, desserts). On this day, sisters will give gifts to their brothers and invite them to enjoy a meal. UCF's Indian Student Association (ISA) will host Diwali event at the Hindu Society of Central Florida Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. Observances of Diwali differ depending on region and tradition. In India, while everyone celebrates Deepavali, people don't amass in public, but rather in small groups with their friends and families in homes, neighborhoods, and local temple communities. Food is a major focus with families partaking in feasts and sharing mithai. [134], On the night of Diwali, rituals across much of India are dedicated to Lakshmi to welcome her into their cleaned homes and bring prosperity and happiness for the coming year. When is Navaratri in 2021, 2022, and 2023? The height of Diwali is celebrated on the third day coinciding with the darkest night of Ashvin or Kartika. [169][r], Many governments encourage or sponsor Diwali-related festivities in their territories. Amavasya is thought of as the darkest night of the year and is holy to Hindus. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. They install diyas, small earthen oil-filled lamps that they light up for the next five days, near Lakshmi and Ganesha iconography. The holiday overlaps with the Hindu New Year and as a result is associated with a chance to reset and start anew. [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. Fireworks are often set off in the evening to celebrate Diwali.
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