When is Diwali 2025? Check Full Deepawali Celebration Schedule
Plan your Diwali 2025 celebrations! Check the complete schedule, rituals, and customs from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj.
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In 2025, Diwali or Deepawali to be more precise a Hindu festival of lights, is set to be celebrated in India. It takes place on the 15th day of the month of Karthika masam.
The festival is of five days which is each day different with its own customs and prayers. Diwali celebrations are in the following sequence:
October 18 – Dhanteras
October 20 – Choti Diwali (Naraka Chaturdashi)
October 20 – Diwali and Lakshmi Puja
October 22 – Govardhan Puja
October 23 – Bhai Dooj
Day 1: Dhanteras
Dhanteras is the name day of the festival which is mostly the time of the year when Diwali celebrations are held. Devotees worship the Hindu god of wealth and the goddess of fortune and ask for money and good luck. Buying gold, silver, and other precious metals or items for the house is believed to be a sign of good fortune.
Day 2: Naraka Chaturdashi
The festival of Naraka Chaturdashi is acknowledged on the day that precedes the main festival. It remembers the fight of Lord Krishna with the demon Narakasura and also marks the official end of the dark period and the birth of a new light. In order to get rid of sins and impurities devotees take baths in herbal oils in the early morning and perform their daily rituals at home.
Day 3: Diwali – The Main Festival
The day of Diwali – the return of Lord Ram, Mata Sita and Lakshman to Ayodhya after a 14-year-long exile- is celebrated. In the evening, families perform Lakshmi and Ganesh Puja, while diyas and decorative lights brighten their homes. Fireworks and family gatherings make this day the most resulting part of the festival.
Day 4: Govardhan Puja
The day following Diwali is called Govardhan Puja, which remembers the event of Lord Krishna carrying the Govardhan Hill on his little finger to shield the villagers from heavy downpours, which were Lord Indra’s punishment. In the North of India, besides the prayers, the devotees make small heaps of cow dung or food items representing Govardhan, as the main offering.
Day 5: Bhai Dooj
The last day of the festival is Bhai Dooj, which is a day to honor the love between siblings. Sisters ask the gods for their brothers’ good health while brothers give presents as a sign of gratitude, thus reinforcing the bonds of love in the family. The last day of the five-day Diwali celebrations brings the family together through love and traditional customs.
