Diwali

Diwali, or Deepavali, is the festival of lights. Lamps are lit and families gather. For many Hindus it marks Rama's return to Ayodhya and the worship of Lakshmi.

Many Sikhs mark the same time as Bandi Chhor Divas, the release of Guru Hargobind. Many Jains mark Mahavira's nirvana. Some Buddhists observe the festival as well.

The main night is the new moon of the Hindu month of Kartik, so the civil date moves each year. This page does not print Diwali as a fixed civil date. The tile below shows the next occurrence.

Deepavali comes from Sanskrit for a row of lamps. In much of North India the days around the main night include Dhanteras, the Lakshmi Puja on the new moon, Govardhan Puja, and Bhai Dooj. That sequence is not the same everywhere.