Dīpāvalī · five phases · lamps and lunar days
What is Dīpāvalī?
Dīpāvalī, also widely called Diwali, is a major festival season associated with lamps, family and community gatherings, sacred stories, worship, generosity, and renewal. Its meanings and practices differ among Hindu, Jain, Sikh, regional, and household traditions.
A row of lights
Dīpāvalī means a row or series of lamps.
The Sanskrit words dīpa, lamp, and āvalī, row or series, help explain the name. Lamps are among the festival's most recognizable signs.
One festival span · five calendrical phases
Dīpāvalī has five named phases.
Āśvina Kṛṣṇa Trayodaśī overlapping pradoṣa. Dhanteras is a widely used Hindi name.
Āśvina Kṛṣṇa Caturdaśī at local sunrise.
Āśvina Amāvāsyā overlapping the pradoṣa interval used here.
Kārttika Śukla Pratipadā at local sunrise.
Kārttika Śukla Dvitīyā at aparāhṇa. Bhāī Dūj is a widely used Hindi name.
These are five phases that can occupy fewer than five consecutive civil dates. A tithi can cross a sunrise, begin during an evening interval, or place two phase conditions on the same local date. The report therefore groups simultaneous matches into one Dīpāvalī — in progress result and names every active phase.
Many traditions · distinct meanings
Participation depends on community, region, and family.
Across the sequence, people may clean or decorate homes, light lamps, pray, exchange food or gifts, visit relatives, make charitable gifts, or join community gatherings. Lakṣmī and Gaṇeśa pūjā are prominent in many Hindu households on the main night; Kṛṣṇa and Govardhana are central to Govardhana Pūjā in many communities; the final phase often centers the relationship between sisters and brothers.
Jain, Sikh, and diverse regional observances retain their own histories and sacred emphases. A local guide should be read alongside the practice of the community observing the festival.
Official overviews: Ministry of Tourism Utsav, Dīpāvalī · Maharashtra Tourism, regional sequence
How Open Pañcāṅga identifies the active phase
Each phase has its own tithi and controlling time.
The method used here follows the regular amānta months Āśvina and Kārttika. It checks Naraka Caturdaśī and Govardhana Pūjā at sūryodaya, local sunrise; Bhrātṛ Dvitīyā at the calculated aparāhṇa midpoint; and the first and main-night phases for overlap with pradoṣa.
Here we use the interval from local sunset through 144 minutes after sunset. A required tithi may begin or end during that interval and still overlap it. This is more informative than checking only the instant of sunset.
The interval, month system, and phase rules form one provisional teaching method. Regional and traditional pañcāṅgas may use different timing and date-selection rules and may assign a nearby civil date. The report always states the rule that caused a phase to appear, reflecting different calendar traditions.