This year, celebrations began on Saturday, with the "main Diwali " falling today, Monday October 24, which marks the . 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). Diwali's date is determined by the India calendar and changes every year, ranging from October to November. [47][b], The five-day celebration is observed every year in early autumn after the conclusion of the summer harvest. The Catholic dicastery Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, founded as Secretariat for non-Christians by Pope Paul VI, began sending official greetings and the Pope's message to the Hindus on Diwali in the mid-1990s. This year, Diwali 2022 begins on Monday, October 24, 2022 (24/10/2022), and finishes on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 (26/10/2022). The third day is Diwali and the height of the festival. Dates for 2020 to 2025." DIWALI. Diwali celebrations can last for about five days. Indian Independence Day Independence Day is celebrated every year during August 15. Diwali, like many other Indian holidays, is based on the Indian lunar calendar, so the (internationally used) date of the festival changes each year, but it typically falls between mid-October and early November. In 2022, Diwali is on Monday 24 October. [20][45] The term is derived from the Sanskrit words dpa, "lamp, light, lantern, candle, that which glows, shines, illuminates or knowledge"[46] and vali, "a row, range, continuous line, series". 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. [183] These invisible yet harmful particles affect the environment and in turn, put people's health at stake. It's believed that on this day the Goddess Lakshmi, often associated with wealth, abundance and good fortune, visits people's homes and fulfils their desires. All the days except Diwali are named using the designation in the Indian calendar. Das, Subhamoy. Every year the festival falls either in November or in October and that depends on how the cycle of moon is going in that particular year. [101] According to J.S. [61], Islamic historians of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire era also mentioned Diwali and other Hindu festivals. [23] Another aspect of the festival is remembering the ancestors. Diwali is celebrated in the Hindu month of Kartik. They follow thithi which is based on the movement of planets and Sun. 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. This year, Diwali will be on Thursday, Nov. 4. It is the main day of the Diwali festival. 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. 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. It is celebrated in India and other countries such as Nepal, Malaysia, Fiji, and Mauritius. For Sikhs, the celebration highlights the release of guru Hargobind Singh from prison and his return to Amritsar. [114][43][82] On the evening of Dhanteras, families offer prayers (puja) to Lakshmi and Ganesha, and lay offerings of puffed rice, candy toys, rice cakes and batashas (hollow sugar cakes). The incredible amount of fireworks and firecrackers set off during the five days of Diwali have become an issue in many Indian cities, to the point that ambient air and noise during Diwali are considered somewhat of a health hazard. It is determined by the Indian calendar and the dates of celebration change every year. Some diyas may also be set adrift on streams and river and the evening is marked with fireworks. amnta / primnta. Diwali or Deepawali, known as the "festival of lights," is usually celebrated in October or November, and is on October 24 this year. The festival isn't celebrated in Kerala though. [91] The telling of these myths are reminiscent of the Hindu belief that good ultimately triumphs over evil. 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 is for mere mortals; Dev Deepawali is the festival of the gods. Ths festival of lights, i.e. Omissions? [75][76] Another early 13th-century Sanskrit stone inscription, written in the Devanagari script, has been found in the north end of a mosque pillar in Jalore, Rajasthan evidently built using materials from a demolished Jain temple. The course of the five days includes cleaning . Here is everything you need to know about the festival and how it is celebrated. The reason Diwali's celebration date is different each year is that each of the Hindu calendarsthere are severalis lunisolar, meaning they take into effect both the movements of the sun and the moon. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. [116], On Yama Deepam (also known as Yama Dipadana or Jam ke Diya), Hindus light a diya, ideally made of wheat flour and filled with sesame oil, that faces south in the back of their homes. In 2019, Diwali started on October 25 as reported by The Fact. The word "avali" means row and "deepa . [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. Unlike some other festivals, the Hindus typically do not fast during the five-day long Diwali including Lakshmi Pujan, rather they feast and share the bounties of the season at their workplaces, community centres, temples, and homes. Diwali is celebrated in the Hindu month of Kartik. The duration will be 1 hour 56 minutes. UCF's Indian Student Association (ISA) will host Diwali event at the Hindu Society of Central Florida Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. [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. 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. [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. Learn Religions, Sep. 4, 2021, learnreligions.com/when-is-diwali-1770209. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. It coincides with the day of Kali Chaudas. Diwali, for Vasavada, would always culminate in a large family feast with enough food to feed a small town. The festival falls sometime between October and November. Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of good fortune and prosperity, is the primary deity worshiped during Diwali. When is Diwali? [56][57] Rajasekhara referred to Deepavali as Dipamalika in his 9th-century Kavyamimamsa, wherein he mentions the tradition of homes being whitewashed and oil lamps decorated homes, streets and markets in the night. This legend is remembered through the ritual of building small mountain-like miniatures from cow dung. This is done via a bathing ritual called Abhyanga Snan. As an auspicious occasion, many Hindus will make big purchases as it's believed that this will bring good luck. Diwali is celebrated for five days, each with its own special significance. (2021, September 4). 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 ). Merchants perform religious ceremonies and open new account books. Find out all about the history, traditions and significance of Diwali in this blogpost. [31][32][33] The main day of the festival of Diwali (the day of Lakshmi Puja) is an official holiday in Fiji,[34] Guyana,[35] India, Malaysia,[a][36] Mauritius, Myanmar,[37] Nepal,[38] Pakistan,[39] Singapore,[40] Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. [12][114] Families also prepare homemade delicacies for Lakshmi Pujan, regarded as the main day of Diwali. Amavasya is thought of as the darkest night of the year and is holy to Hindus. This year, it begins in the first week of November from 2nd-6th. 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. Related: 25 Diwali Facts When is Diwali 2022? Diwali is observed as a Gazetted Holiday throughout the nation. Subhadra welcomes him with a tilaka on his forehead. He has written several books about Hinduism for children and young adults. [83][84][85] Hindus from the Braj region in northern India, parts of Assam, as well as southern Tamil and Telugu communities view Diwali as the day the god Krishna overcame and destroyed the evil demon king Narakasura, in yet another symbolic victory of knowledge and good over ignorance and evil. A solar calendar (like the Gregorian one) has an average of 365.24 days. The Lacshmipuja dipanwita, remarked Jones, was a "great festival at night, in honour of Lakshmi, with illuminations on trees and houses".[68][f]. Diwali 2023: 12 th of November, Sunday For example, the Singaporean government, in association with the Hindu Endowment Board of Singapore, organises many cultural events during Diwali every year. The festival typically lasts for four to five days and coincides with the new moon on the Hindu lunisolar calendar,. It was in early 20th-century, states Harjot Oberoi, a scholar of Sikh history, when the Khalsa Tract Society triggered by the, Hindus of eastern and northeastern states of India associate the festival with the goddess. 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). Though technically religious, it's also become a cultural event in North America that's celebrated with sweets and special foods. 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. Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz. It is intended to signify a brother's duty to protect his sister as well as sisters blessing their brothers. On that day sisters pray for the success and well-being of their brothers. [174][175] Barack Obama became the first president to personally attend Diwali at the White House in 2009. The Diwali-related inscription is the 4th inscription and it includes the year Vikrama Era 1268 (c. 1211 CE). (The corresponding dates in the Gregorian calendar usually fall in late October and November.) Major temples and homes are decorated with lights, festive foods shared with all, friends and relatives remembered and visited with gifts. 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. It is believed that spirits roam around on the night of Kali Chaudas, and Hanuman, who is the deity of strength, power, and protection, is worshipped to seek protection from the spirits. [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. The 5 days of Diwali [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. 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. Diwali Decor. 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. * [114], On the second day of Diwali, Hanuman Puja is performed in some parts of India especially in Gujarat. Major celebrations occur on the third day of the five-day long festival . 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. The day also marks a major shopping day to purchase new utensils, home equipment, jewelry, firecrackers, and other items. Monier Monier Williams (2008 updated, Harvard University), Sanskrit English dictionary, . 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. Diwali is usually celebrated twenty days after the Vijayadashami festival, with Dhanteras, or the regional equivalent, marking the first day of the festival when celebrants prepare by cleaning their homes and making decorations on the floor, such as rangolis. The main festival day falls on a different date each autumn, timed to the Hindu lunar calendar, but it . Some suggest he lived in the 5th-century BCE contemporaneously with the Buddha. The word Deepawali comes from the Sanskrit word deep, which means an Indian lantern/lamp. [161] Other goods that are bought in substantial quantities during Diwali include confectionery and fireworks. https://www.learnreligions.com/when-is-diwali-1539426 (accessed March 4, 2023). It's a celebration that takes place 15 days after Diwali - the Hindu festival of lights. Every year on the darkest night in the northern hemisphere, millions illuminate their homes and streets to celebrate the victory of good over evil. [135][136] At dusk, lamps placed earlier in the inside and outside of the home are lit up to welcome Lakshmi.
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