When is Diwali, Dhanteras, Bhai Dooj? What you need to know about these festivals
Important Timings for Diwali 2023:
- Amavasya Tithi Begins: November 12, 2023 — 02:44 PM
- Amavasya Tithi Ends: November 13, 2023 — 02:56 PM
- Pradosh Kaal: November 12, 2023 — 05:08 PM to 07:41 PM
- Vrishabha Kaal: November 12, 2023 — 05:19 PM to 07:19 PM
- Lakshmi Pujan Muhurat: November 12, 2023 — 05:19 PM to 07:19 PM
Important Dates and Days
- Friday, November 10, 2023: Trayodashi Tithi (Dhanteras)
- Friday, November 10, 2023: Trayodashi Tithi (Yama Deepam)
- Saturday, November 11, 2023: Chaturdashi Tithi (Choti Diwali)
- Sunday, November 12, 2023: Amavasya Tithi (Laxmi Pujan)
- Tuesday, November 14, 2023: Pratipada Tithi (Govardhan Puja)
- Wednesday, November 15, 2023: Dwitiya Tithi (Bhai Dooj)
Dhanteras: Dhanteras is celebrated in most regions of India. The word Dhanteras originates from two words, Dhan, which means wealth, and teras, which means thirteenth. It signifies the start of Diwali and is the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Ashwin or Kartik. People consider the festival an auspicious time to buy gold jewellery. The name Dhan also refers to the Ayurvedic deity Dhanvantari, the god of wealth and healing. Dhan is believed to have emerged from the «churning of the cosmic ocean», on the same day as Lakshmi, according to Hindu myth. This day also represents the beginning of the new year, making it an auspicious time to undertake new endeavors.
Chhoti Diwali: The second day of celebrations includes Naraka Chaturdashi, commonly referred to as Chhoti Diwali, which falls on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Ashwin or Kartik. Chhoti means small, Naraka means hell, and Chaturdashi means «fourteenth,» respectively. According to mythology, this joyous day is associated with Krishna's defeat of the demon
