Diwali is the festival of lights, which spans over five days. Check out as we share details about 'puja' timings and know why 'chhoti' and 'badi' Diwali will be celebrated together this year!
Diwali is regarded as one of the most important festivals in Hinduism. Also known as the festival of lights, Diwali is celebrated on the new moon day of Krishna Paksha of Kartik month. The festival marks the victory of good over evil, and it is celebrated every year with a lot of pomp and show. It is believed that on this day, Lord Rama defeated Ravana and returned to his hometown, Ayodhya, with his wife, Goddess Sita and brother, Lakshman.
People also worship Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, on Diwali. Moreover, the festivities span over five days, and it becomes the perfect occasion for family get-togethers and festive feasts. The festival of Diwali starts with Dhanteras on Trayodashi Tithi, followed by chhoti Diwali and badi Diwali. However, this year, chhoti and badi Diwali are falling on the same day, i.e., on October 24, 2022, since Chaturdashi and Amavasya are on the same day.
The word 'Dhan' refers to wealth, and 'Teras' means thirteenth. Thus, Dhanteras is a festival which is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksha of Kartik month. On this day, people worship Goddess Lakshmi and buy gold, silver and other utensils, as it is believed to bring wealth and prosperity into our homes. This year, this auspicious festival will start at 6.02 pm on October 22, 2022, and will continue till 6.03 pm on October 23, 2022. Since every festival is celebrated on the basis of Udaya Tithi, so accordingly, Dhanteras will be celebrated on October 23, 2022.
A day after Dhanteras, people celebrate Chhoti Diwali on Chaturdashi Tithi of Kartik month, which is also known as Naraka Chaturdashi. On Chhoti Diwali, people start decorating their houses with flower garlands, lights, beautiful wall hangings etc, and also make rangoli in their courtyard. This year, the auspicious timing starts at 6:04 pm on October 23, 2022, and will continue till October 24, 2022, at 5:28 pm. However, based on the Udaya tithi, Chhoti Diwali will be celebrated on October 24, 2022.
Usually, chhoti Diwali falls a day before Diwali, but with a solar eclipse falling on the next day of Diwali, chhoti Diwali and badi Diwali fall on the same day this year. Thus, this time, Diwali will also be celebrated on the same day as chhoti Diwali i.e. on October 24, 2022. For the unversed, Diwali is celebrated on the new moon of Krishna's side of Kartik month, and this time it falls on the day of Amavasya Chaturdashi, i.e., October 24, 2022, at 05.28 pm, and will end on October 25, 2022, at 4:19 pm. So, the festival of Diwali will be celebrated a day before the completion of Amavasya before the Pradosh period.
Abhyang Snan Muhurta - October 24, 2022, from 05:08 am to 06:31 am
Duration - 01 hour 23 minutes
On the auspicious festival of Kali Chaudas, which falls on Narak Chaturdashi, people worship Goddess Kali at midnight. This year, the puja will be done on October 23, 2022. Moreover, Kali Chaudas Muhurat is from 11:42 pm on October 23, 2022, to 12:33 pm on October 24, 2022.
Apart from bursting crackers, lighting diyas and relishing sweets, worshipping Goddess Lakshmi is also an integral part of the Diwali celebration. On Diwali, people offer their prayers to the Almighty and seek blessings to attract wealth and prosperity into their lives. However, there is a certain muhurat to worship Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali to increase the blessings manifold. This year, the auspicious time of Lakshmi puja will be from 06:53 pm to 08:16 pm on October 24, 2022.
We hope that the information was helpful to you. Here's wishing a very happy and prosperous Diwali to you and your family!