Diwali 2025: Diwali is a festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Lakshmi and the celebration of lights. According to the Hindu calendar, Diwali is celebrated during the Pradosh period, on the new moon day of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) of the month of Kartika. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped during that time. This year, people are confused about the date of Diwali, whether to celebrate Diwali on October 20th or perform Lakshmi Puja on October 21st. This is because the date of Kartik Amavasya spans two days, and even then, the Pradosh period is unclear. Let's find out the correct date of Diwali. What is the auspicious time for Lakshmi Puja on Diwali? What is an easy way to resolve this Diwali date confusion?

Correct Date of Diwali
To determine the correct date of Diwali, you must first calculate the date of Kartik Amavasya. Let's look at the calendar to see when Kartik Amavasya is.

Kartik Amavasya Tithi begins: Monday, October 20th, at 3:44 PM.
Kartik Amavasya Tithi ends: Tuesday, October 21st, at 5:54 PM.

Now that you know the Amavasya Tithi for Diwali, it indicates that Kartik Amavasya falls on two days: October 20th and 21st. For Diwali, the Pradosh-wide Amavasya Tithi is considered, not the Udayatithi. Pradosh Kaal begins after sunset. So, let's see when the sunset is on October 20th and 21st.

Sunset time on October 20th: 5:46 PM
Sunset time on October 21st: 5:45 PM

Sunset on October 20th and 21st occurs at approximately the same time. However, there is a difference between the sunset times on both days. Sunset on October 20th coincides with Pradosh Kaal on Kartik Amavasya. Sunset on October 21st coincides with Kartik Amavasya, but Kartik Shukla Pratipada Tithi is 9 minutes later, as the Amavasya ends at 5:54 PM.

On October 20th, the full Pradosh Kaal is available after sunset, while on October 21st, it will be only 9 minutes. Therefore, it would be appropriate for the general public to celebrate Diwali on October 20th, as the Pradosh-wide Amavasya will be available after sunset on that day. The scriptures prescribe lighting Diwali lamps during Pradosh Kaal. Based on this, this year Diwali is on Monday, October 20th.

Auspicious Diwali Time
The auspicious time for Lakshmi Puja on October 20th is from 7:08 PM to 8:18 PM.

Pradosh Kaal on that day is from 5:46 PM to 8:18 PM.
Vrishabha Kaal on Diwali is from 7:08 PM to 9:03 PM.
Nishita Muhurta on Diwali is from 11:41 PM to 12:31 AM.
Inauspicious Diwali Muhurta
If you want to do any auspicious work on Diwali, you should keep in mind the inauspicious time, Rahu Kaal. Rahu Kaal on Diwali is from 7:50 AM to 9:15 AM. Yama's time, Yamaganda, is from 10:40 AM to 12:06 PM.

Diwali Rules
On Diwali, you should use earthen lamps. You can also light candles if you wish.
Diwali puja is performed in the evening. Nishita Puja also involves worshipping Goddess Lakshmi.
There is a belief that you should not give money to others during the auspicious time of Diwali because you are giving your wealth to others.
If you want to give money to someone for Diwali, do it the day before or on the morning of Diwali.

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