Diwali 2022: When Is Diwali? All You Need To Know About The 5-day Festival

India is a country that loves to celebrate different types of festivals throughout the year, and Diwali or Deepawali is one such festival that's celebrated with great enthusiasm and grandeur.

Diwali is an auspicious Hindu festival-- falling on the new moon of Kartik month--that comes after 20 days of celebration of Dussehra every year, and lasts for five days from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj.

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Preparations for celebrating this festival start many days in advance. Here are some things you need to know about Deepawali:

When Is Diwali In 2022?

The five-day festival begins with Dhanteras on Saturday, October 22, 2022, and ends with Bhai Dooj on Wednesday, October 26, 2022. Diwali will be celebrated on the third day which is Monday, October 24, 2022, or the fifteenth day of the month of Kartika as per the Hindu calendar.

Diwali 2022 Timing (Diwali Shubh Muhurat 2022):

Amavasya tithi begins at 05:27 PM on October 24, 2022.

Amavasya tithi ends at 04:18 PM on October 25, 2022.

According to the Hindu calendar, Chaturdashi Tithi will end on October 24 at 5:28 pm and Amavasya Tithi will start and remain till 4.19 pm on October 25. That means the festival of light begins at 5.28 pm, October 24 2022 to 4.19 pm, October 25, 2022. Lakshmi Puja Muhurta is from 6.54 pm to 8:18 pm (Duration - 01 Hour 24 Mins) on October 24.

Diwali or Deepawali Holiday 2022:

All the government and private sector Banks, Schools, and Government Offices across the country will be closed on Monday, 24 October 2022. Diwali or Deepawali will be celebrated with great pomp in states like - Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Punjab, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu.

Five Days Of Diwali 2022:

Dhanteras History and Significance

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Dhanteras also known as Dhantrayodashi marks the beginning of five days long Diwali festivities. It is believed that Lord Kuber, Goddess Lakshmi, and Lord Dhanvantri came out of the ocean during 'Samudra Manthan. Hence, all three gods are worshipped on this day.

As per the Hindu calendar, the festival of Dhanteras falls on the thirteenth day of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik. This day is a very auspicious and important day for people as they buy gold, silver, utensils, and even gadgets because buying such things on this day brings good luck in the house and blessings from Goddess Laxmi. This year Dhanteras will be celebrated on Saturday, October 22, 2022, two days before Diwali.

Choti Diwali History and Significance

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Choti Diwali also known as Naraka Chaturdashi is another most important and auspicious festival among Hindus which falls on the fourteenth day in the month of Kartik. It is believed that once a demon called Narkasur obtained a lot of powers and held captive thousands of young girls. He would torture them at will thereby misusing his power.

The women worshipped Lord Krishna and asked for his help, which is when he killed the demon and rescued all the girls. The girls were embarrassed and afraid of social ostracisation, so Lord Krishna accepted all the girls as his wives. Since then people have celebrated this day as Choti Diwali or Naraka Chaturdashi by lighting up diyas, making rangolis at home, and burning firecrackers.

Diwali (Laxmi Puja ) History and Significance

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Diwali is the biggest and most important festival in India that is dedicated to Lord Rama. According to scriptures, after killing Ravana on Kartik Amavasya, Lord Rama with his wife Sita and brother Laxman returned to his kingdom in Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. The people of Ayodhya were very happy after hearing of their king's victory and homecoming, and so they lit up the entire kingdom with earthen lamps, burst firecrackers, and decorated their houses. Since then it has remained a tradition that is still followed by millions.

Govardhan Puja History and Significance

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Usually, Govardhan Puja falls the day right after Diwali but this year it will come a day later because of a surya grahan on October 25. A grahan is considered to be an inauspicious time to visit temples and performed puja. It is believed that the villagers of Gokul faced the anger of Lord Indra when they stopped worshipping him then lord Krishan came to rescue them and lifted the Govardhan hill on his little finger, gave shelter to villagers and cattle, and saved them.

Since then Govardhan Puja also known as Annakoot puja is dedicated to Lord Krishna. On this day people make small hills out of cow dung and mud and worship lord Krishna by preparing a chappan bhog (56 varieties of food) to offer to him. Devotees also give a bath to Lord Krishna idols with milk, and dress the idols in new clothes and jewellery.

Bhai Dooj History and Significance

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Bhai Dooj is the most auspicious and important among siblings. It signifies the unconditional love between a brother and a sister, and is celebrated with great enthusiasm on the very last day of the five-day-long festivities across the country.

On this auspicious day, sisters apply tilak or a vermillion mark on the foreheads of their brothers followed by aarti. They then hand him a dry coconut with kalawa thread, feed sweets to each other, and exchange gifts. On this day like rakshabandhan, sisters pray for the long life and well-being of their beloved brothers, while the brothers promise to protect them always.

There are serval mythological stories behind Bhai Dooj celebration. It is believed that after killing the demon Narakasura, lord Krishna visited his sister Subhadra where he received a warm welcome with sweets, and flowers and applied ceremonial tilak on his forehead by her since then the festival celebrated as 'Bhai Dooj'.

According to another story, once 'Yama' also known as 'God of death' on Dwitheya, the second day after the new moon met his sister 'Yamuna 'after a long time. She welcomed the God of death with a tilak ceremony, garlanded him, and fed him special dishes after which they both exchanged gifts. Then Yama announced that whenever a sister applied tilak on her brother's forehead on this particular day will enjoy a long life and prosperity and since then, the festival of Bhai Dooj became a significant part of the five-day festival of Diwali.

Bhai Dooj is celebrated all across the country with different rituals and names like 'Bhau Beej' in Maharashtra and Goa, 'Bhai Phota' in West Bengal, 'Bhai Tika' in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and 'Bhai Tihar' in the country of Nepal.

List of Other Major Festivals and Holidays in October 2022

Diwali dates from 2023 to 2028

Note: Dates/timings may be subject to change; details mentioned here are as per the information available.

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