Diwali: the new-moon night of lamps

What Diwali is

Diwali, or Deepavali, means ‘a row of lamps’. It is the night of the Amavasya, when no moon is seen and every home lights lamps. Calendars that end the month at the full moon (most of north India) call it Kartika's new moon; calendars that end it at the new moon (Maharashtra, Gujarat, the south) call it the last night of Ashvina. Two names, one night.

Dharmasindhu calls three days ‘Dipavali’: Chaturdashi, Amavasya and Pratipada. Today it is a five-day festival: Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdashi, Lakshmi puja, Govardhan puja and Bhai Dooj.

How the date is decided

A tithi doesn't follow the clock; the Amavasya can begin in the middle of one day and end in the middle of the next. Shastra (Dharmasindhu): if the Amavasya covers pradosha (the first part of the night after sunset) on the first day only, Lakshmi puja is that day; if it covers both evenings, or only the second, it is the second day.

In 2026 the Amavasya runs from 11:28 am on 8 November to 12:32 pm on 9 November, so only the evening of the 8th has it.

Computed for Ujjain; this year the day is the same across India.

The story: tradition and the text

Tradition / Purana story: in north India Diwali is tied to Rama's return to Ayodhya after fourteen years, when people lit lamps in every home to welcome him. Many homes keep it as the night of welcoming Lakshmi, and in the south it is also linked to Krishna's victory over Narakasura.

Another root, in the text: Dharmasindhu says that with the Sun in Tula, on the evenings of Chaturdashi and Amavasya, people should take torches in hand and show the ancestors their way. The mantra with it asks that those of our family who have passed on see their path by this bright light. That is one root of the row of lamps: the giving of light.

How families celebrate

Weeks of cleaning, rangoli and new clothes. In the north, Lakshmi–Ganesha puja and sweets shared with neighbours; in Bengal and Odisha, Kali puja the same night; in Maharashtra, the dawn oil bath and faral snacks; in Gujarat, the new year the next day; in the south, the dawn ‘Deepavali bath’ on Chaturdashi is the main event. Trading families worship their new account books.

Dharmasindhu adds that after midnight the women of the house sweep Alakshmi, want and neglect, out of the courtyard. A clean home is the oldest part of the festival.

A simple puja

Dharmasindhu sets out the Amavasya in order: a morning bath and worship of the household deities, remembering the ancestors in the afternoon, and at pradosha the lamps, the torch and Lakshmi puja; the meal after that. Children and the old need not wait.

A simple form at home:

1. Clean the shrine; place a picture or image of Lakshmi and Ganesha on a low stool.
2. Light a lamp and remember Ganesha.
3. Offer flowers, rice, roli and a homemade sweet.
4. Say Lakshmi's name and do aarti.
5. Place lamps at the door, the courtyard, the windows and by the tulsi.

No paid puja is needed; simple remembrance at home is complete.

Safety: lamps, fireworks and air

Keep lamps away from curtains, clothes and dry rangoli colours; keep a bucket of water or sand nearby. Keep an adult near children, and avoid loose synthetic clothes.

Use fewer fireworks, in open spaces, with an adult watching. In many cities the air is already heavy around Diwali; think of older people, small children, anyone with asthma or breathing trouble, and animals and birds. Follow local rules. For a burn, cool it under running water and see a doctor. With many sweets around, people with diabetes can keep their balance.

What this page doesn't do

In ePandit: our calendar shows the festival day with your city's sunrise and sunset. The day is decided once, for Ujjain; your city's times are shown separately. We don't compute muhurta yet, and we never call a festival good or bad for anyone. It gives the window the tradition names (pradosha) and the times the Amavasya begins and ends.

Frequently asked questions